The herald., 1897-06-21
As to Certain Inconsistenciese
Hawaii

IL tne E<ultor oI the LOS Angeles her
aid: The Hawaiian annexation treat.
has been drawn up ready to be presente,
for ratification to the United States sen
ate and the press dispatches inform u
that fifty-seven senators can be relic,
upon to vote in favor of its ratification
eleven are doubtful and that the re
mainder in opposition are with one ex
ception Democratic. The information
is volunteered that from among tn.
eleven doubtful members without doub
a sufficient number of votes can be Sc
cured to make the favorable action o.
the senate a certainty. In other words
all that is required is three more votes
I write this communication because
would like to have explained what to my
mind, and believe must seem to many
a curious condition Of things.
| If I read the dispatches correctly, I.
would seem that practically the entire
support of the treaty, the f1fty-sever
votes, are Republican; the entire oppo-
sition is Democratic, with nealy all tha
Populists and few Democratic and Re-
publican votes making up the doubtful
| list. The scheme then is Republican.
All we'll and good. How then was it not
because Of his so-called pusillanimous
treatment Of this Hawaiian question, his
unpatriotic, un-American attitude
toward the rights of the United States
touching these islands that ex-President
Cleveland was so roundly scored by the
Republican press of the country, that
Of the Pacific coast and Southern Cali
fornia included? Was not his do
nothing policy as vigorously con-
demned by the Times and Express
of this city as by any of the Re
publican papers in this country? :?
If am right in this regard does it not
administration which has just taken hold
of the reins enters upon the course for
which so long the Republican press of the
land has been clamoring with reference
to Hawaii, commonly spoken of as the
vigorous American policy, that of uphold
ing the majority Of our demands, two of
these very Republican papers should be
the first to come out with leading edi-
torials throwing cold water on the pro-
ject and asserting they are glad the sem
ate is unable to act just at present and
believe when time has been given for
mature consideration that august body
will determine it is not wise to annex to
this already too bulky land of ours
principality whose people are unfit to
become members of such a republic as
is this?
Here is still another very curious condi-
ton, at least SO it seems to my humble
mind. On Friday morning the leading
editorial in the Times spoke very doubt
fully of the wisdom of the plan of an
neXation and after careful reading of
the editorial you are forced to the con-
clusion that the Times at least believes
about the worst thing that could happen
to this country would be this very annex
alton of Hawaii
Behold, however, it's dog in the manger
attitude" If l don't want you, by the
eternal no other nation shall have you
Let them try it on if they dare and jus,
ssqfa ST .N.hat. Uncle Sam will do, you fellows
ment was expressed in another editorial
of even greater length not two columns
distant from the first. on the very same
editorial page of the identical issue
Now Iwant to ask could anything sound
more humorous?
Telegraphically we are going to have
YOU, Hawaii; editorially, number one
we don't want you; editoriallly, number
two. if we won't take you no other ma
ton shall have you.
Now where does the paper stand on the
question? Trot out your champion
guesser, Mr.. Herald, may be he can tel!
us. The Times, it would seem, takes the
cake as the prince of intellectual contor-
tionists.
Let me add in conclusion that greatly
fail to see what business Of ours 1t
is who takes the islands, or whether they
remain on the map of the earth, if we
don't take them?
Is there any reason why the people
there should not appeal to Japan or
England to become colonies of those ma
tions if they want, after having applied
to and having been refused by the United
States?
I doubt whether there is sensible man
il the country who considersit any of this
nations business what becomes of the
islands if we don't want them
Lastly, and most important Of all,
doubt if there is any one familiar with
the weakened foreign policy of the
United States in the past, providing the
annexation treaty does not go into effect,
who believes this nation has the ''gump-
ton" to interfere should another power
attempt to take the islands.
II the treaty does not pass, in a few
short years, or mayhap months, the
islands will fall into the hands of Eng
land or Japan, and beyond few frothy
editorials in our leading daily papers
and little "resoluting" in congress and
the sending of few commissions, moth
ing will be done. The islands will then
remain British or japanese colonies
for all time to come, and the American
will suffer another drop in his national
pride and say, "Well. we will show them
next time what we will do" and continue
as he always has done, chasing the al
mighty dollar and consoling himself
with the reflection that after all it is no
business Of his. Thus our policy has
ever been sad to relate, in our dealings
with other nations.
A REPUBLICAN,"
"Miserable Mexico"
Mr. V. LANPHAR, who will be remem-
I. re n rc