The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-12-03
PERKINS STRANGE POSITION.

ME Examiner has promptly to the support of Senator
Perkins and argues for his obedience what it calls the
will of the people, in the matter of annexation. 1t
navey conesses that principle involved his proposed
action would ustifabe Admitting that morally an.
nexaton very unpncpIed indeed deny that such
serious transaction has relation to American policies and
the principles of Government 1t matter of the high
est principle and the expression the popular will concerning
only be taken in that method provided in our system for
the exercise of that will The idea of the Examiner is that
legislation its highest function is to be controlled and die
taed not by expression in the baotbox by the sobey
debated and we'll considered conclusions legal
bodies commissioned by the people for that purpose by
sidewalk and seetcorner veemence and newspaper vouI
biIity
We have had, far Senator Perkins concerned the
form of expression this subject by which the popular viii
legally and consttutionay made known. The Legislature
which sent him to the Senate refused to ndose annexation
That the last orderly and formal voice on the subject that
has been heard in this State The has SO persist
emily promoted the reversal of judicial naes by
ings under nammaory and defamatory appeals against
judges that its notion of generally has
corrupted
The doctrine which sets up for the guidance of United
States Senator is destructive of government ITSELF
If admit the proprey of such method of determining
his duty by Senator deny the conclusion reached by
Senator Perkins and his organ We deny that it is true that
twothds of the people of this State for annexation or
that majority of them minded The speculative
classes interested and the Hawaiian planters domescaed
here and the papers which they have ample means for con-
trolling of active and noisy but the vast mass of
our busy people who the ultimate foundation sane and
safe public opinion and before whom public men come to final
Judgment not in favor of such wide departure from our
national policy These the citizens who see through the
fmsy petexs the appeals pseudo patriotism the pretense
that some other nation will take the islands and the hypocrisy
which pats Does ogarchy its weak back and halls it as
republic
Does Senator Perkins comprehend the full extent of his
idea about the duty Senaor7 Next year the Demo
Gratis of this State will denounce protection in their platform
they the election, what will Republican Senator
come out for free trade, will he resign If he do none of
these things, then he will stand in the position of dsegardng
expression of the popular will the balot-box in the
constitutional manner provided for such expression while de-
cang that he is the slave of popular expression by mass
meetings, mobs streecorner interviews In other words
his position haforma and legal expression no expression
at ALL and that constitutional government is not government
at ALL and its methods mistaken and unworthy of his re-
spect, while resolutions of mass-meetings and cursory
interviews and the vehement appeals people with purely
personal and selfish interests the proper methods for deter
mining what the government is and shall do.
He should then change the oath Senator and instead
of swearing protect and defend the constitution the char
tered grant and limitation of all governmental power and
authority he should take oath obey the resolutions of
massmeetng and defend declarations of every
interview.