The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-05-19
ON ANNEXATION
How the Situation is Viewed in
washington.
POLITICAL ASPECT PARAMOUNT
Asiatic Population
Drawback.
President Determined to Carry
Out Policy of Control
of Hawaii.

WASHINGTON, d. c., May 5.-The
publication yesterday of the Senate
Committee report on the tariff bill,
striking out the clause protecting the
reciprocity treaty, SURPRISED the friends
of Hawaii both in and out of Congress.
At the same time, it surprised the enc
mics of Hawaii. The action taken was
sudden and entirely unexpected. AT
the present moment it is difficult to
state with accuracy the motives or
causes which effected this result.
Up to the moment the report was
made public yesterday, Senators
friendly to Hawaii, but not on the
committee declared that the danger
signals might be taken down, so far
as the committee was concerned. The
representatives of Hawaii, also, had
the most reliable information" that
the House bill would not be disturbed.
This information came from many and
Independent sources Senator Frye
.''Ten days ago l should have replied
| that there was very great danger of
the abrogation of thef treaty. 1 say
now that do not think that the abro-
cation is possible" There were other
authoritative statements. 1t was con-
coded, of course, that an amendment
would be offered in the Senate, strik-
ing out the reciprocity clause. The
feeling was growing stronger every
day that the abrogation of the treaty
OBJ I< %oI
independent matters, and not indirect
ly.
The bill reported is, therefore, a
complete surprise. But the Hawaiian
community must keep in mind that
many thousands of people in the Unit
ed States, vastly exceeding in number
the people of Hawaii, are equally sur
prised and disappointed in the action
of the Senate Committee, as it works
havoc in many industries. The leather
industry, which has great interests at
stake, as well as the wool manufac-
turing interest, will be badly crippled
if the bill reported is adopted. Unless
there is a compromise on very radical
lines, there will be long and bitter
debate on the report. The wide di-
vergence of the Senate and House may
prevent the passage of any bill what
ever. The winds from the four quar-
tiers are now Embossed. The antagon-
ism between the Western and Eastern
protectionists is more aggressive than
ever, and the knowing men predict
fierce locking Of horns.
The Democrats will not obstruct,
but will stand by, and, as one of them
said yesterday, "See the Republicans
skin each other in a protection fight"
The best and most impartial analy-
sis of the situation today is this: There
were strong differences of opinion in
the Senate Committee upon the treaty
clause, and any discussion would have
delayed the presentation of the bill,
when the whole country is shouting for
relief The members of the committee,
who desired notifications of the
| treaty, not abrogation, on the ground
| that Hawaii had too much of a good
| thing out of it, did not wish to COM
nit themselves to the House bill, as it
stood. If they had, the members as
| senting to it could not afterwards in
| debate suggest notifications of it,
such as that suggested several weeks
ago by Senator Perkins. In order to
keep the way clear for their own in
dividual action, the method of strik-
| ing out the clause was adopted.
| POLITICAL ARGUMENT STRONG.
1t is pretty clear now that the po-
| litical Argument for annexation is
vastly stronger than the purely COM
mercial one, so far as the country at
! large has any interest in the matter.
| The feeling is strong and growing, and
it is strongly fostered by the sugar
| beet interests and the Sugar Trust be-
| hind it that Hawaii has the best of
! the bargain. The arguments against
| this view are regarded as clever, in
genious, but not sound.