The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-06-08
in WASHINGTON
Hawaiian Delegation Watching
Every Point.
TARIFF MEASURE PREDOMINATES
Views of Prominent Club
Men on Situation.
Cuban and Hawaiian Affairs May
Be Brought Up-LaCk of
Promised Prosperity.

WASHINGTON, May 21.-The COM
ing debate on the tariff, and the multi
tude of interests involved still keep
the Hawaiian matter in the back
ground. A crowd of constituents fol-
low every Senator, and each pumps
into him his own grievances.
He who pumps Hawaiian matters,
finds the tank very full at present. At
the same time, Senators are courteous
and listen.
The great newspapers are now fight
ing the Sugar Trust on we'll consid-
cred lines. The New York Herald has
retained eX-Postmaster General Wilson
TO analize the sugar schedule and eX-
pose it's jugglery. 1t is a fight with
facts, and not pyrOtechnics and blind
invective. Those who represent Ha-
waiian interests are doing good service
On these lines. Even if the Sugar Trust
desired to kill the reciprocity treaty
and annexation, it would prefer to
postpone action in that direction until
The sugar schedules are arranged 1t
now has a long line of it's own frontier
TO defend, and hesitates about offensive
movements elsewhere 1t is an excel
lent instance Of the prevalence of false
intelligence that many Legislators here
believe that the sugar planters of the
Islands are controlled by the trust
This arises from the simple fact that
the trust buys Hawaiian sugar. If you
inform a man in the most positive man
ner that such a relation does not eX-
list, he forgets the statement in few
days. The political world here has
many other things to do besides watch
ing Hawaii.
The amendment to the Senate tariff
bill, offered on the 18th, by Senator
McEnery, of Louisiana, protecting the
reciprocity clause is the act of a de-
clared enemy of Hawaii. The, specu
lative explanation is that he and his
associates do not deem it best to at
tack the treaty Indirectly at present.
They would prefer to bring up the
matter of annexation and the abrOga-
ton of the treaty at the next session of
Congress and concentrate their forces
on the sugar schedules. This is prob
ably good politics.
The Evening Star, in an editorial,
calls attention to the letter signed 'Ka
mehameha." published in it's columns
As it is sent from Honolulu, and is fair
and judicial in it's tone, it will be ac-
cepted by it's readers as a truthful &C
count of the Japanese affair. All ex-
travagant statements at once excite
suspicion that the Hawaiian party is
playing a game" The opinion here
is still held that the Senate will refuse
| to discuss the matter of annexation or
reciprocity to any extent in the com
| ing debate. But some hOt-tempered
Senator may tread on somebody's coat
| tails and precipitate a row.
In the Union League Club. of New
| York city. there was, several days ago,
| an informal discussion of the Hawai-
| ian matter among several prominent
members. It indicated the drift of
| thought among conservative men in
| the Eastern States. The prevailing
! idea may be taken from the talk of one
of them, identified with the Republic
an party. He said ''The last election
| and the events of the last few years
| suggest that Republican institutions
are not going to have 'walk-Over'
and that some serious matters are be-
| fore us. We set I'D some new States in
| the West. believing that thew would
| help the party. but they have hit us in
| the face or the silver question. AS TO
anneXing more territory. would it not
! be better to put in order what we now
| have. instead of trying more expert
ments Here is Cuba. just within sight.
! If we annex Hawaii. why not annex
! Cuba? Both places have mongrel
population. Putting American trousers
on Cinnamon don't Americanize them.
Everyone knows that if we annex
either country we must rule by the
! bayonet. That sort. of government has