The record-union., 1897-06-13
Republican Senators Meet in Caucus to
Consider the Subject.
Half a Dozen Different Propositions
Subu.r j.
Quite Generally Understood From the
Drift of Discussion, That a New
Treaty Providing for the Annexa-
ton of the Hawaiian Islands is
Among the Possibilities.

WASHINGTON, June 1.-THE Re-
publican Senators We're in caucus fol-
Two hours to-day, and devoted the en-
tire time to an effort to agree upon a
course of action to be pursued with re-
gard to the Hawaiian reciprocity trea-
ty in connection with the sugar sched-
ule of the tariff bill. The meeting OF
the Senate at II o'clock forced an ad-
journment before there was time tC
reach a conclusion, and the caucus dis
persed to meet again at 4:30 in the af-
ternoon.
There were half a dozen different
propositions submitted to the caucus
the principal of which were the follow
ing:
BY Senator Frye-To leave it abso-
1utely to the President to say what
shall be done with the treaty, and pro-
viding against any interference with
the provisions of the treaty pending
any action he may take.
By Senator Allison-A proposition
very much the same as Senator Frye's
but intimating clearly to the President
tn opinion of Congress was that the
treaty should be modified.
BY Senator Perkins-A provision Civ
Ing notice that unless something is done
within year to continue the treaty in
force it shall be abrogated.
Senator Nelson of Minnesota led the
fight in favor of the abrogation of the
treaty. In support of his proposition,
he presented many figures showing that
the imports from Hawaii to this coun-
try were much greater than the exports
to Hawaii, and he claimed that the
reciprocity was in favor of the Ha-
waiians. He took the last report of
the Minister of Finance for the year
ending December 81, 1896, and said
that the business of American vessels
with Hawaii was about one-third as
much as that done at the port of Dull
nth, in Minnesota.
Nelson declared that the whole treaty
was a very one-sided bargain for the
u. led States. Taking the sugar i'm
ported from Hawaii in 1896, he said
that under the Wilson law the exemp-
tions from duty by reason of the trea-
ty would be 81, 535, ,294; under the
House bill SS, 163, 962, and if the new
Senate schedule was equivalent to ~
per cent. ad valorem (and it was pos
sibly so per cent?, the exemption would
be $S,504 023. This, said the Mime
sofa Senator, was a donation to the
sugar men. For the fiscal year ended
June 80. 1894, the last year of the Nc
Kinlye law, the importations from Ha-
waii had been $10,065,317, while the
exports to Hawaii from the United
States were So, ,306, 1871
Nelson said that the claim that we
owed it to Hawaii to coNtinue the reci-
procity treaty because of the acquisi-
tion of Pearl Harbor was not well
founded, as Pearl Harbor had been
acquired under the first treaty an am
pie price having been paid for the har-
bor. He said that the United States
mad paid S15,000,0 900 only for the Louis
lana purchase, yet in the tariff remis-
sions on sugar alone there had been
paid S31,000,000 for Pearl Rarbor. He
said that the gift of $S,5O0.00O that
would be given to the sugar trust under
the present bill had better be given as
a bounty to the sugar producers Of the
country, which would soon enable this
country to produce its own sugar. as
Germany and France were doing.
Senator Nelson said that an attemnt
AAS0 OONAi A44clAC " SHOW IfldC the trnS1
was trying to have the treaty abrogat
ed. This was contradicted by the fact
that the Senator from Maine (Frye)
the most earnest advocate of the reten-
ton of the treaty in the previous eau
Gus, had moved that the differential in
favor of the refined sugar be made one
quarter of a cent, the highest differen-
fial advocated by anyone
Senator Frye emphaticauy resented
the inference of the Minnesota Senator
and said the two subjects could in nc
way be coupled together in that way,
Senator Frye said that the House pro-
vision was ample on the Hawaiian
question to meet the demands of equity
with an additional provision authoriz-
ing the President TO open negotiations
for a modification of the treaty. He
stated that President Mckinley was
prepared to enter upon such a negotia-
tion. and added that he Hawaiians were
willing TO meet him half way in the
work He made a vigorous defense ol
the treaty and of the policy of main
tanning the closest sort of relations with
Hawaii, which had been settled and
civilized by Americans.
Senator Davis also spoke in defense
of the treaty, going into a detailed ar
gument to show that the relations be-
tween this country and the Hawaiian
Islands should be maintained upon the
present reciprocal basis. He especially
deprecated the effort to practically alb
rogate the treaty in any but the pre-
scribed form of proceeding in such
cases.
Mr.. Davis went into the relations be-
tween this country and Hawaii at some
length. He held that the President
should be empowered to act in the mat
ter, and that beyond this no action
should be taken. Meantime the exist
ing treaty should be continued in full
effect.
In discussing the treaty of 1879, Sen
ator Davis said that Pearl Harbor was
a special consideration given by Haw-
ali. for which We gave no equivalent
and another special consideration was
that Hawaii agreed not to dispose OF
territory or grant any special privilege
of reciprocity to any other power The
. value of those considerations had in
creased from the date of the treaties
This Government could not allow any
foreign Government to acquire Hawaii