The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-06-16
WHAT TO DO WITH HAWAII.

Into the huge vortex of corruption
that surrounds the framing OF ;hy
Sugar schedule by any congress. it
would appear that the question of the
relations between the United Sta ties
and Hawaii is now about to be drawn.
The sugar schedule is the legitimate
and perhaps the most perfect fruit Of
| that breeder of abuses called the
| protective system. The sugar trust Is
the most powerful as well as the most
voracious monster that has been raised
up for the American people to fight,
and M body of representatives seems
inclined to break lance against it.
| Not only has it been able to .:ecure all
that it asked from successive ST.. ates;
not only does the new tariff bin en-
/ large its opportunities for taxing the
American people, but it is to have
something to do about Hawaii. What
is to be our future policy with regard
to the Sandwich islands will be deter
mined eventually by the wishes Of the
sugar trust. The fight now on is be-
! tween those who would have
| the Hawaiian reciprocity treaty
| abolished and those who would
retain it under certain condE
lions. In order to settle the condi-
tons and possibly to make the sugar
| trust a still more gigantic affair, there
is probability that some scheme Of
annexation will be approved by con-
gress and ratified by the president.
The advance reports sent out from
! Washington are all indicative of this.
| We hear the. same old rumors about
| foreign intervention in Hawaii; only
! this time it is Japan instead of Great
Britain that is the bugaboo. A few
years ago. when the Republican party
was endeavoring to Justify President
Harrison's interference in the Sand
witch islands, we were told that Great
| Britain was bent upon adding them to
the jewels Of the imperial crown. That
spook having been laid effectually we
now learn that the japanese have vo-
racious designs that can be frustrated
| only by prompt action on our part. All
| this is only the fairy tale Of the poll
tician in search of a pretext. There is
no more danger, under existing ar
rangements, of an attempt by any for
eign power to dominate Hawaii than
there is Of the acquisition of the state
of Virginia by some nation of Europe.
We have no possible use for the
! Sandwich islands. The arguments on
that side are mere fustian and moon
I shine. The way station" and clear
! ing house" talk about the Pacific trade
is worse than silly. Goods in transit
between the American and the Asiatic
| continents are not discharged at some
middle port. Hawaii is Of no earthly
or possible consequence to US. The diff
! ficulties and dangers of endeavoring to
incorporate this distant group of ISL
ands. with their heterogeneous popu-
lation composed mainly Of races that
we regard as inferior, and some of
! whom we exclude from our territory,
ought to weigh with any earnest citi-
zen.
The whole scheme is gigantic job,
and the pressing of it at this time in
dicates that it is now a part Of the
! campaign of the sugar trust. The
| whole world recognizes today the fact
that the United States exercises a vir-
tual protectorate over Hawaii. Every
nation on the face of the earth under
stands that this country would not per-
nit a Hawaiian government to be sub
verted by external force, and our in
terests are as perfectly served by that
as they would be if Hawaii were a ter
ritory, or in whatever other status Is
possible under annexation. AS mat
tiers stand, however, we think it likely
that the annexation idea will be push
ed, as fully in keeping with the work
which congress and the president are
now forwarding in the interest of de-
livering the people Of this country
bound hand and foot, to the great and
aggressive corporation Of a CONNER
cial era.