The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-08-06

amounts 10 nothing. While an electOr
Is expected 10 vote according to the
wishes of his constituents it is not OBJ
ligatory and he may vote as he pleases
in the electoral college. 1t is probable
the electors will unite on one man and
vote for him.
Referring TO his trip abroad Mr.
Willis said he spent some days in Chi
cago on his way East and then went TO
Washington TO call at the State Depart
ment before going to Louisville. After
leaving his family at their Kentucky
home he returned TO Washington and
called at the White House to arrange
for meeting with President Cleveland.
Il was surprised said Mr.. Willis,
ito have Mr.. Thurber, the private sec
rotary, tell me that the President would
see me then. l found him busiIy en-
gagged writing his veto message TO the
River and Harbor bill. He inquired
anxiously regarding physical conditions
| here as well as of other matters, and
when he had the required information
he remarked that my position had been
| d peculiar one situated as | was in a
country where there were no cable
communications and where | conse-
Quently could not have advice from the
department. l am pleased to say that
he freely endorsed my actions here.
You know that my relations with
this government have been most cor
dial since my arrival except when l
carried out the pTeemptory instruc-
lions given me by Secretary Gresham !;
that act was for the good of this people,
but they did not understand it at that
time. l did exactly what l believe Sec
rotary Gresham or President Cleveland
nd Y1Ina 70
know that it was satisfactory to the
head of my government.
But better than all of this was the
action of my Democratic friends in
Kentucky. Ten years ago when 1 was
in Congress espoused the cause of the
PoStmistresS of Louisville, widow
with a crippled child. My action then
was not endorsed by the party, but l
won the case and she retained her COM
mission. At the next primary election
/ was knitted to the extent of the 1900
votes | received more than were cast
for the President. When | arrived at
Chicago there was a delegation of
| friends there wanting me to run for
Congress. When | got home | found
| the Democratic papers advocating me
| for the district. | had represented it
| in Congress for five terms. Ten years
| ago, as l have stated, after the affair
referred to, was defeated. | was glad
| to find this time that all the i'll feeling
| had departed from the men who OPP
posed me before; it was especially gra-
| tifying under the circumstances, but
had other matters which occupied my
attention and l was obliged to decline.
after a pleasant visit among old
friends we left for Hawaii, taking
plenty of time to make the journey
across the Continent without having to
rush
There is one matter Mr.. Willis, in
which the people of Hawaii are greatly
nterested-annexation Could you tell
! from remarks made in Washington
what the real feeling is there?"
THAT is a subject which | must de-
cline to discuss. Naturally a great
many persons spoke of it, but l am not
at liberty to speak of it-you must ap-
preciate my position in this respect"
but in the State Department, Mr.
Willis, is the feeling for or against such
move on the part of the present ad-
ministration?"
81 can say this much, | never heard
the subject of annexation mentioned
there, l mean in the State Department
| during my visit.