The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-02-27

mean Ing. anu tLdt 10 vel uuhii
ing one for the country. 1t Is just
this, that our Federal Senate is an ef-
fete and useless body, and that the
system of contiding to it a portion oil
the executive functions of government
is a dismal failure.
To go Into the details of fabbiness
and error of this lamentable document
would be too painful a task. 1t is I'M
necessary; everyone will find endless
flaws in it, nc matter what side OF h
fence he stands on. But we cannot
let pass one p~reposterous juggle. We
are told that the Queen began the
revolution herself by attempting to
abrogate the Constitution of 1889, and
that therefore she deserves no SYM
pathy or aid from this country in her
downfall. 1t is hard to see how men
of ordinary reasoning power can beg
the question to this extent. 1t would
be gratuitous to enter into a discus
sion here as to the merits of the Con-
stitution of 1889. 1t was, it is true, a
most i%mpudent piece of ~rascality; but
that is another story. 1t was the law
of the land in virtue OF re volvers
pointed at Kalakaua's head. and its
abrogation by the Queens proclama-
ton was in the nature of a revolu-
tionary act.
But, be it remarked, it was an act
of revolution with which we had no
concern. Our Minister did not help
concoct it, nor did u armed marines
help impose its dictates on the people.
We do not care to insist that it was
most popular with ninety per cen OF
| the people of the Islands. with all the
natives. Let that pass, and let us
| stick to the n point that we had no
hand, act or part in it. 1t was as lit lie
| our affair as the overthrow OF the
| Napoleonic dynasty in France or a
| change of ministry in Great Britain.
| This is where it differed from the
! counter-revolution of Dole and Thurs
| ton and Stevens, Blaine and Harrison.
| This was our work. We helped to
plan it. through Mr.. Stevens we
helped to realize it by our armed
| troops and the hosting our protec-
| toral flag over the Government build
ing, When the carpet bag element
| bulldozed Kalakaua into signing away
the birthright of his people, thli
| country took no interest in the event.
| Nobody expected that it would. When
the Queen tried to undo that bad
days work, it was no concern OF ours,
| and we ought not to have interfered-
| II Dole and Thurston had organized
their revolution by themselves and
| carried it out without the counte-
nance of Stevens 81 Co. or the sup
mort of United States rifles and bay
onets, it would be no affair OF ours
| either. 1t would be a gross wrong for
the President TO interfere, and, OF
| course, he never would have done so.
An annexation pro posal might have
| come before us on its own merits, ant
been dealt with on it's W merits
| but we would have had no RESPONSE
| bilities towards the Queen or the
Provisional Governm ent or anyone
else.
In a sense, this report may be re
garded as for the present ending the
Hawaiian dispute. Presumably, there
| will be no more attempt to condemn
anybody in Congress. The innocent
and the guilty are extinguished in the
same mass of verbal mush, and II
must remain for history to single
them out and place them where they
belong. As for annexation, it is not
to be hoped that we will get rid o
that danger so easily. 1t will pro-
badly be a WEAKNESS and a trial te
our people and u statesmen for
| generation to come.