The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-06-17
The Hnwniinn Preatx.

The Hawaiian Treaty.
! President Mckinley and Secretary of
! State John Sherman have changed their
minds once more. Three months and
/ half ago, at his Inauguration, the Presi-
dent spoke against policy Of territorial
! ACKNOWLEDGEMENT for the United States;
now he has about-faced and has sent In a
treaty which opens the way for almost
any scheme Of territorial ACKNOWLEDGMENT
which flibusters and land grabbers may
propose. After his induction into the Of
fee of Secretary of State, John Sherman
delivered himself OF a strong expression
against the annexation Of any new terri
tory, specifically naming Cuba, Canada
and Hawaii He would shut the door
upon them. he declared, and permit them
to knock in vain. Now he has made an
other one of those radical changes for
which he is famous, and is willing to ad-
nit Hawaii, even if we do have to "in-
crease our army and navy" and respond
to numerous calls for expense budgets to
keep the late cannibal island territory
straight.
Some parts of the annexation treaty are
almost ludicrous. 1t speaks of the people
Of the United States and the Hawaiian
Islands being closely related by blood
and kindred ties." Two thousand Ameri-
cans, and 10000 Kanakas and twice as
many Mongolians, related by blood and
kindred tiesw
The last census Of the islands showed
the presence of less than 1900 Americans
there, and about 800 less British than
Americans. 1t may be doubted that the
white English speaking population
amounts at the present time TO 5000 per-
sons. As against these, there are probably
5000 Asiaucs Chinese and Japanese), and
10000 Hawaiians. There are also a few
Scandinavians Portuguese and Germans.
Not one person in 10 is of an English
speaking nationality, and not one in 20 is
an American. What a conglomeration to
take into the American union, even as a
territory!
The treaty, as will be seen. denies the
right OF citizenship to the Asiatics, and
prohibits them from entering the United
States proper. But 1t makes no such ex-
ception of the Kanakas, the natives of the
islands. Presumably they are to be taken
into full citizenship. Only few years ago
they were naked savages; head-hunters
and cannibals, and they are not great
deal better now. So far as civilization
goes, they are incomparably inferior to the
japanese in the island. The Chinese are
far more advanced than they However,
the admission of the Kanakas would be
only in the line of repeating what the re-
publican party has heretofore done in the
way of admitting an unworthy and unht
mass to citizenship.
Hawaii has a debt of some $4,000, 900. This
the treaty proposes to saddle upon this
country. In return for it, what would this
country get? Nothing it wants,
except naval coaling sta
tion which it can have without
annexation. The few hundred New Eng
land fihbusters, who have gone into the
sugar business, however, would get free
entry for their products, raised with the
prescribed Asiatic labor, and also other
commercial advantages. They are on the
make. They are after the almighty dollar
regardless of the consequences to the peo-
PIE Of the United States. 1t is nothing
TO them if we have to increase our army
and navy and raise taxes to pay for the
holding of the islands in subsection. If
they can hand over twelve times their
number of people to a foreign master who
will hold the turbulent elements in sub
lection while they reap the profits, so
much the better for the flibusters. With
them it is game of grab, and they wish
to make Uncle Sans strong right hand a
catspaw to rake their chestnuts out of the
fire.