The San Francisco call., 1897-12-23

BOSTON. Dec. 22.-Two new emf
nent discussers of the Hawaiian ques-
tion, Ex-Governor George S. Boutwell,
and Rear-Admiral George E. Belknap.
entered the forum of the Boston Boot
and Shoe Club at Young's Hotel last
night President Charles P. Shillaber
also had at his table Hon. German D.
Gilman, Hawaiian Consul General for
the New England States, and Moor
field Story
Ex-Governor Boutwell, was the first
speaker. He opposed annexation, say
ing: Since the organization of the
Government there have been four op-
portunities for the annexation of ter
ritory within continental lines, and all
of them have been accepted. In the
same period there have been three
tenders of insular possessions, two of
them without direct consideration of
money; and all of them have been de-
clined."
Mr.. Boutwell, then sketched the facts
regarding the tender of the Sandwich
Islands. st. Thomas and San Domingo.
Mr.. Webster declined the first; the
second undertaking failed, and the
Senate rejected the offer of San Do
mingo, and then he went on: 1.-The
country has accepted continental ter
ritory as a wise public policy, now
fully justified by experience, and it
has uniformly rejected insular posses
sions. The burden of proof is upon
those who demand a change in our
public policy.
THE public policy of the country
tinct proposition resting in the public
mind, but l formulate that policy in
two propositions, namely: First, con-
tinental acquisition of contiguous ter
ritory tends to peace; second, the ac-
QUESTION of insular territory increases
the chances of war, and adds TO the
difficulties in the way of conducting
war.
IF the first proposition is under
question much support may be found
in our own experience and in the re-
cent experience of other countries.
The force of the North was augmented
immensely in our Civil War by the
consideration that two contiguous ma
tions would not remain at peace, ex-
cept during brief intervals between long
and heightened periods of open or
smothered hostilities. Ny second
proposition is not within the limit of
actual demonstration, but it can COM
mand some support argumentatively.
Assume a war with England or
Russia, or Japan or China, a possible
aggressive, warlike power in a future
not far away, and would the possess
sion of the eight tropical islands in the
mid Pacific be a help or a peril?
Would a coaling station or a harbor
of resort at the mouth of the Pearl
River two thousand miles and more
from our Pacific Coast, give security
either in form or in fact to California,
Oregon, Washington, or to the dwell
ers on the shores and islands of
Alaska?
1.-The example of England is not for
us. The field of conquest for appro-
priation is about ali occupied. Our
theory is a theory of self government
Next we demand equality of citizen
ship in the States and equality of the
States in the Union. All this is in
consistent with the acquisition of dis
tant and incongruous populations, and
nowhere can there be found a more in
congruous population than the present
population of the Hawaiian Islands.
THE future of the United States
cannot be predicted, but of unoccupied
territory we have a vast domain. BY
the treaty of 1878 and the amendment
of 1887 we have as full control of the
Hawaiian Islands as we should have
were the islands made part of the
United States BY the treaty of 1887
we acquired Pearl River harbor. the
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