The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1895-06-06
Gresham and the Secretary's sOn-in-
law, Mr.. Andrews.
Work in the Cabinet.

WASHINGTON, May pa review
of his record as a Cabinet officer shows
that during his short term as POST
master-General, Judge Gresham ac-
complished much. Letter postage to
Canada was reduced and the postal
contract with Mexico was signed.
Another important service he rem
dered to the country was the re-estab-
Ifshment of the fast mails.
The annexation of Hawaii was the
first important question he had to
face. He had decided views on the
matter, even before he came into the
Cabinet, and it was upon his recon-,
incubation that President Cleveland
performed his first official action by
withdrawing from the Senate, in
which it was pending, the annexation
treaty negotiated by Secretary Foster.
Then Mr. Blount was sent to the
Islands to make an original lnVestlga-
ton, and upon his report the Secretary
made his now celebrated recommends
ton that the queen be restored, mas
much as he was convinced that she
had been deposed by the action of the
officers of the United States. When
Congress finally made known its
views, the secretary accepted them for
his government, but il cannot be dis
covered that he ever changed his
views as originally announced as to
the Justice of the action he had pro-
posed.
ian negotiations Secretary Gresham
was obliged to suddenly give imme-
date attention to the Behring sea seal
fisheries. The arbitration arranged
by his predecessor was in full swing.
Here was another matter with which
l., hn
believe that the arbitration would be
successful in the object aimed at by
the United States, namely, the pro.
lection of the seals, but, regardless OF
the outcome, he was forced to bring
the British Government to a renewal
of the modus vivendi or take action to
carry out the award when it was an
nounced, in order to guard against the
annihilation of the seals.
By a clause in the Wilson tariff act,
Congress had swept away in a line all
the carefully constructed reciprocity
treaties negotiated by the preceding
Administration. This caused great
anger among the nations with which
the United States had such treaties,
and the storm fell upon Secretary
Gresham's head. Immediately there
was talk of retaliation and tariff wars,
and in some cases this was realized to
a certain extent. 1t was Gresham's
task to placate the European powers.
Another legacy from his prede-
cessor, which Mr.. Gresham found
very little to his liking, was the ne
cessity for caring for the Samoan
king, held imprisoned on Sunday ISL
and by the Germans. He wanted to
repudiate the whole arrangement by
which the United States assumed part
of tripartite protectorate over Samoa,
and he worked hard to this end, and
finally succeeded in inducing Presl-
dent Cleveland to recommend to Con-
gress that the United States withdraw
from all further participation in Sa-
moan affairs.
Almost the last official act done be-
fore he fell MORALLY i'll was to open
correspondence with France intended
to secure justice for United States ex-
Consul Waller, whom he believed to
have been ill-treated by the summary
French court martial in Madagascar,
and in whose interest he notified En-
bassadOr Eustis to Interfere.
IL person Secretary Gresham was
man of fiue appearance, of full height
in stature, broad but spare and angu-
lar, and masculine in his impressions.
A ''shock" head of silver-gray hair
surmOunted high forehead, heavy,
dark eyebrows, piercing black eyes,
a square no>e, which protruded from
his face rather than being graded up
by his cheeks, which were rather fiat,
the whole bearing strongly marked
lines. He had square, strong jaw,
and his face was covered with shOrtish
iron-gray whiskers. In many ways he
resem bled Blaine. He leaves a wife
and two children-Otto, promising
young lawyer, and Mrs. w. II.
Andrews.