The age-herald., 1897-12-12
JOHN T. MORGAN
 TALKS OF HAWAII His Recent Visit to the Island Furnishes
 Him With Data. TO DISCUSS THE ATTER As a Stra6etiC Point Its Possession
 Mill Prove Invaluable. THE NATIVES WILL BE BENEFITED n That They Will Have the Protecting Arm of Uncle Sam--Other Nations Covet
 the Prize Which We
 Should Have.
THE NATIVES WILL BE BENEFITED
snecial to The Age-Herald.

Special to The AgeIHerald.
 Washington, Dec u.-Senator John T. Morgan, who spent much. of last sum- mer in company with othef members of congress in the Hawaiian Islands, and who studied the situation and the con dit.on of the people there, submitted to- day. to a somewhat extensive interview on the question of the proposed annex ation of the Islands to the United States
 The publication of the interview is authorized by the senator, and is the first statement he has made for publica- tion of any considerable length since his return.
 Senator Morgan drscusssd the ques- tion from the point of visw as gathered from personal observation.
 Since the days of William l.. Marcey, said Senator Morgan, " who was among the ablest and most. conservative of the democrats who have ever led that great and indes'truotatIle party; and of DarIel Webster, who was, easily, the greatest of the men who led the very conservative Whig party; their recommendation that Hawaii should be annexed to the United States, has been regarded as a certain forecast of that event which only awaited our national conVsn, ,ence, or some favorable opportunity.
 "The statesmen who have followed them almost without exception, and without party influence or distinction, have earnestly supported the.r policy, and the great commercial powers have acquiesced in this important movement as being the result of the natural gravi-- tation of Hawaii towards the United States Hawai- being too weak in popu- Iat1on to maintain an independent ca rear, and being so important to com merce that she could not escape the domination of some great maritime pow CT, and Is compelled to form an alliance With some power.
 Tn following this trend of the national policy of the United States and the steady development of republican, con- stitutional government in Hawaii, and the genuine light of a true Christian civilization among th-se people, the point has been reached that demands of us decisive action. We cannot avoid this duty, unless we resolve to abandon this settled national policy, and the work of Ameracans in those islands, to the forces now actively but furtively at work in the effort to smother the republic of Ha- Waii beneath the increasing hordes of pagan emigrants and, ultimately, to re- turn those islands to monarchic govern ment.
 ''These resul.s will not wait on any slow deliberation on our part. In 1896 there was added 10 per cerI. to the pop ulatlon of Hawaii by lthe influx of Coolie < laborers from the empire of Japan.
 Tn 1897 this per centage has been in- creased and, in ten years or five years, this single nation will have a larger population of loyal subjects in Hawaii than the entire native population, and these people will very soon absorb the property and usurp the industries of the natives.
 ITO some persons who fear that they may sustain some loss of money in any step that may expand the oppor- .tun1ties of others, or that may be taken in the direction of national duty, these considerations appear to be of no. im- portance-the mere outgrowth of senti- ment, and the wild, reckless spirit of jngoism. They do not perceive the fact that the control of the Hawaiian Islands is indr spensa ble ito the success of our commercial pursuits in the Pacific Ocean and is equally so to the naval defense of our own coast on that ocean. that now
 
 extends one thousand miles to the west ward of Hawaii. and is not, at any point, more than 2,50O mi.es distant from Hon. olulu.
 Before commerce and naval warfare had become dependent upon steam power our wisest statesmen regarded the Ha- waian Islands as the key to our future success in war and peace in the North Pacific, and these convictions had firm hold on every earnest mind, even be- fore we had acquired California and while we had no frontage on the ocean except a disputed claim to the coasts of Oregon and Washington Territories.
 Since our title to those territories has been established, and they have grown into states with unlimited resources of commercial wealth we have added Cali fornia and Alaska to our coast possess