The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-06-18
aEcREfARY SRElNAI'B LETTER
To PrOsidsnt hsKiaisy AesomPaayinr
the Annszation Treaty.

~ AhneAhuon Treaty.
WASHINGTON. D. c.. June i7.-ssc-
resaEy sherman IN transmitting the
Hawaiian treaty 10 the President, said
In part. aS follows:
The present negotiation Is as has
been said. not a mere renewal OF the
tender OF Hawaiian territory made in
1893, but has responded 20 the purpoae
declared In Hawaiian constitution. and
the conferences OF the plenlpotentiariey
have been directed 60 weighing the al
VantAgea OF the political aud the COM
mercial union aiteFnatlvely proposed
and relatively considered the scope aud
extent thereof II soon appeared TO the
negotiniors that a purely commercial
union on the lines OF the German Zoll-
Nerein could not satisfy the problems
o. the Administration In Hawaii and OF
the political association between the Is
lands and the Unlted States. Such a
comtnerclai union would on the one
hand deprive the Hawaiian government
OF Its chief source Of revenue from Gus
toms duties by placing It's territory in a
relation Of free exchange with the ter
ritorY OF the Unlted States. It's main
market Of purchase and supply. while
on the other hand II would entail upon
Hawaii the maintenance OF an Internal
revenue system on a par with that OF
the United States, or else involve the
Organization Of q corresponding branch
OF our revenue service within q foreign
/ Jurisdiction
Turning 70 the various practical
forms OF political union, the several
phases OF a protectOrate, an offensive
and defensive alliance. and a national
= - WHt
all OF these the independence OF the
subordinated state Is the distinguishing
feature. and with II the assumption by
the paramount state Of responsibility.
without domain. The disparity OF the
relative interests and the distance sep
aratlng the two countries could not fail
TO render any form OF protective nssO-
ciatiou either unduly burdensome or IL
lusory IN It's bearings 80 far as the pro-
tecting state IS concerned. while any
attempt 10 cOunteract this by tributary
dependence or q measure OF suzerain
control would b. q Eetrogale movement
toward \ feudai or colonial establish
ment alike ineXpedient and imcompat-
ible with our national policy.
There remained. therefore. the an
neKation OF the islands and their
complete absorbtlon into the political
system OF the United States. hs the on
IL aoluticn satisfying all the given con-
ditiOns andp rpmising permnnency and
mutual benefit The present treaty has
been framed on that basis. thus sub
atantiaIly Fsyerting 20 the original pro-
posal OF 1881. and necessarily adopting
many % the features Of that arrnuge-
ment.
As 10 the most Of these. the negotla.
tors have been constrained and limited
II .=-HHNe.VNnawann ~ the
government Of the United States.
As I'm previous Instances when the
Ualied states has acquired territory BY
treaty. q has been necessary 20 reserve
all the organic proviEi1aS for the action
of ConEress.
Thp treaty now signed by the pleni-
r,otsrtiarirs OF the United States and
the republic OF Hawaii reserves 20 the
Congress OF the United St9tes the de-
termination os all questions Affecting
the form OF government OF the annexed
territory. the citizenship and elective
franchise OF It's Inhabitants and the
manner in which the laws OF the Unl-
ted States are 20 BE- extended 20 the
Islands
In order that this Independence otthe
Congress shall be complete and unques-
tiouable, there has been tntToduced.out
of abundant caution, an express pro
vlso FOR the Discrimination OF all treat
les heretofore c6Pcludsd bY Hawaii
with foreign nations and the extension
10 the Islands OF the treaties OK the nj
ted states. This leaves Congress free
70 deal with slfch especial regulation OK
the contract labor system OF the IS
lands as Circumstances may require.
II will be noticed that express siipu.
latlon Is made prohibiting the coming
og Chlnrfe laborers from Hawaiian is.
lands 70 any other part of our national
territory. This provision was proper
ami necessary in view ot the Chinese
Iaborrrs from Hawaiian Islands 10 any
other part OF our national terTltory'
This provision was proper and neces-
gary in view OF the Chinese exclusion
acts. and Il behoOYed the neEouators 20
SEQ 10 II that this treaty. which In turn
h 10 become. in the due constitutional
course. a supreme law Of the land,snau
not alter or amend existing law IN thls
most important regard