The San Francisco call., 1897-12-09


The Washington Post, which has not
yet announced any positive convictions
editorially, but which seems inclined to
support the annexation movement, will
say tomorrow: at is now practically
conceded on all sides that there are not
sufficient affirmative votes in the Senate
to ratify the Hawaiian annexation
treaty."
Senator White of California, who is
one of the most active opponents of an
nexation, wants public discussion, and
will be supported by all the anti-annex-
ationists, who believe that open debate
will help their cause, while many Repub-
lican friends of Hawaii are equally
anxious for public consideration, because
they think that their arguments will
prove convincing.
No programme for the fight has yet
been made, but it will be arranged as
soon as the friends of annexation force
the issue. A careful poll of the Senate
shows that fifty Senators will probably
vote for annexation. This is ten less than
two-thirds, but eleven more than ma
jority. Party lines will be closely drawn,
all the Democrats, except Messrs. Nor
gan, German and Pettus, the latter Mr..
Morgan's colleague, will vote against
annexation; while on the Republican side
every Senator, except Mr.. Morrill,, Mr..
Hoar and Mr.. Wellington, will probably
vote for it. The Populists are against
annexation. Mr.. Kyle, as independent,
is for it, and the Silver Republicans are
generally with the annexationists. The
standing of the Senate is as follows:
For annexation - Aldrich, Allison,
Baker, Burrows, Cannon, Garter, Chan
dler, Clark, CulIom, Davis, Deboe,
Elkins, Fairbanks, Foraker, Frye, Gal
Iinger, Gear, German, Hale, Hanna,
Hansbrough, Hawley, Jones of Nevada,
Kyle, Lodge, Mcbride, Mcmillan, Mant-
lem, Mason, Morgan, Penrose. Perkins,
Pettus, Platt of New York, Platt of Con
nectcut, Pritchard, Proctor, Quay, Sewell,
Shoup, Spoonsr, Stewart, Teller, Thurs
ton, Turner, Warren, Wetmore, Wilson,
Wolcott. Total 50.
Against annexation - Allen, Baker,
Bate, Berry, Butler, Caffery, Chiffon.
Clay, CockreIl, Daniel, Falkner, Gray,
Harris, Heitfeld, Hoar, Jones of Arkan-
sas, Kenny, Lindsay, McEnerv, Nc
Laurin, Mallory, Martin, Mills, Mitchell,
Money, Morrill,, Murphy, Pasco, Petit
grew, Rawlins, Roach, Smith, TilIman,
TurIey, Turpie, Vest, Waltham, White.
Total. go.
The Post is a conservative newspaper,
and the poll above given was made by H.
L. West, whose information is always
regarded as reliable, but the anti -anexa-
tionists confidently believe that the votes
of five or six of the Senators mentioned
as annexationistS will ultimately be found
recorded in the negative.
The announcement of the opposition
of Speaker Reed and Representative
Bailey CD of Texas to the annexation
project does much to clear the situation.
They represent respectively the conseva-
tive Republican and the silver Demo
cratic elements of the House. Mr.. Bailey
predicts that the Democratic vote in the
House, should the project come before
that body in the form of joint resolution,
will be cast almost solidly against an
neXation. If that proves to be the case
the task of securing thirty Republicans,
or thereabouts, to oppose annexation
might not be difficult.
The whole controversy, as the time for
reaching the vote draws near, focuses
about the sugar industry. The cane
growers of Louisiana and the beet-sugar
people of the Middle West and the Pa
cifc Coast do not want Hawiian competi-
ton. They feel that they can never meet
it. Louisiana is little too cold for cane
sugar to flourish, and its production is
conducted much more WastefulIy than in
Hawaii and Cuba. Then Asiatic coolies.
who form the laboring population of Ha-
waii, are altogether cheaper class of
workers than the Southern planters can
obtain. Therefore, Louisiana interests
are bitterly opposed to annexation, and
through sympathy with their industrial
needs the other Southern Democrats are
joining with them in opposition.
To the beet-sugar people the prospect
of unrnding competition with Hawaii is
still more displeasing, for the cane of the
tropics is much easier of growth than the
sugar beet. While the Hawaiian product
is small it is increasing rapidly, and could
not fail to interfere with the price stand
ards which the Louisiana cane-growers
and beet-sugar people would otherwise be
able to maintain.