The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-06-17
CLEAR SAILING.
Hawaiian Treaty to Be Put
Through With a Rush.
Sent to the Senate Last Night
With Message.
LITTLE OPPOSITION.
Senators From Sugar States
Are Against 1t.
1t Has So Votes Assured Leav-
ing Five to Get.
LITTLE OPPOSITION.


reached the senate chamber at 5 o'clock
executive session, and, as soon as the
doors were closed the message of Presi-
dent Mckinley, accompanying the treaty.
and the treaty itself were read to the
senate. They were attentively listened to.
In one part of the chamber there was a
group of sena tors who bitterly oppose the
ratification of the treaty. Among them
were Senators Gray. Mills, Pasco, White,
Caffery, Pettigrew and McEnery-
AS soon as the reading of the docu-
ments was completed, Senator Davis,
chairman of the committee on foreign re-
lations, moved that the message and the
treaty be made public. Senator Gray OBJ
jected to q vote on the motion and under
the rules a single objection carried the
motion over until today. Senator Davis
gave notice that at the next executive
session he would press the motion for
publication, as all the essential facts and
almost a verbatim copy of the treaty had
been published in the press of the coun-
try. There was some discussion as to
when the treaty might be considered and
Senator White asked if it was the inten-
ton to push it at this session, and upon
the reply being made that it was possible
the Californian said:
81 am prepared to stay here all sum-
mer to prevent the ratification which I
consider a very bad proposition
TN adjourn" said Mr.. Pettigrew of
South Dakota.
The presidents message was short. It
dealt with historical facts concerning the
islands and showed that the United States
and Hawaii yearly grow more closely
bound to each other. This was not really
annexation, he said, but a continuation
of existing relations, with closer bonds
between people closely related by blood
and kindred ties. Since 1920, said the
president, the predominance of the United
States has been known. The sending of
the first envoy there brought the islands
in closer relations with the United States,
and their relations grow more firm by
succeeding events. At the time the tri-
partite agreement was made for the gov
eminent of Samoa, he said, Great Britain
and Germany wanted to include Hawaii
in the group over which a protectorate
was established but this was rejected by
the United States.
The president called attention to the
fact that a legitimate and existing gov
eminent of Hawaii offered to annex the
islands to the United States in 1851, but
on account of what was deemed best pol
icy, the annexation was not accepted by
this country. He stated that the United
States virtually exercised a protectorate
over the islands since the first American
mission and guaranteed the autonomy of
the government of the group. The islands
had been largely settled by our own peo-
pie and our people were now interested
in them. American interests predominant
ed and we had grown to consider them
under our own protection. The present
treaty was in the light of a consumma-
ton of what had practically been in ex-
istence for years.
Referring to the treaty negotiated I'M
der the Harrison administration Mr.. Nc
Kinley said the failure of annexation in
1898 while not a subject of congratula ton.
was not wholly without its value, as it
had demonstrated that the existing gov
eminent could maintain itself and no
question could be raised of the authority
of the present government to negotiate
the present treaty or it's right to yield the
sovereignty of the islands.
A paragraph of the treaty reads as fol-
lows:
The government of the Hawaiian is
lands hereby cedes from the date of the
exchange of the Publications of this
treaty absolutely and without reserve to
the United States forever, all rights OF
sovereignty of whatsoever kind in and for
the Hawaiian islands and the independ-
encies, renouncing in favor of the United
as an Independent nation, it is now pos
sessed; and, henceforth, said Hawaiian
Islands shall become and be an integral
part of the territory of the United
States
The Hawaiian government cedes to the
United States the absolute ownership of
all public lands, public buildings. ports.
harbors. Notifications, military and naval
equipment and all other government
oil
ever, that the existing land laws of the
United States shall not apply to the public
lands of Hawaii, but that special laws
shall be made from time to time for their
disposition, the proceeds of any sales of
these lands to be applied to educational
purposes in the islands.
The islands are. for the present, to con-
stitute a territory of the United States
their local laws remaining in force until
new ones are enacted. a local legisla-
ture is provided for but the veto power
is vested entirely in the president of the
United States A committee of FIVE,
three Americans and two Hawaiians to
be nominated by the president and con-
hrmed by the senate, is provided for the
purpose of formulating the mode of gov
eminent for the islands.
The treaties of the United States with
other countries are substituted for the
treaties with Hawaii with the same coun-
tries in the controlling international re-
lations of the islands.
Further immigration of Chinese labor
ers to the islands is prohibited and the
laws restricting Chinese immigration to
The United States are made to apply to
the prevention of Chinese removing from
Hawaii to this country.
This country agrees to assume the debt
Of the island republic to the extent of
"A 900, 600.
The FIVE commissioners provided for in
the treaty are expected to make recon-