The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-06-24
TREATY REACHES THE SENATE.
Several Prominent Democratic SEN
ators VIII Bitterly Oppose 1t.

Several Prominent Democratic Sem
ntors VIII Bitterly Oppose 1t.
Washington. June 16.-The treaty of
the annexation of the Hawailan lslanas
reached the senate chamber at O'Clock.
The senate at once went into executive
session and MS soon as the doors were
closed the message of President Mckin-
lev accompanying the message and the
treaty itself were read to the senate.
They were attentively listened to. In
one part of the chamber there was a
proup of senators who will bitterly OPP
pose the ratification of the treaty.
Among them were Senators Mills, Gray:
Pascoe, White, Gallery, Pettigrew and
McEnery.
AS soon as the reading of the docn-
ments was completed, Senator Days,
chairman of the committee on foreign
relations, moved that the message and
treaty be made public.
Senator Gray objected to a vote. on
the motion and under the rules single
objection carried the motion over until
tomorrow.
Senator Davis gave notice that at the
next executive session he would press
the motion for publication, as all the
essential facts and an almost verbatim
COPY of the treaty had been published in
the press of the country.
There was some discussion as to when
the treaty would be considered and Sena-
tor White asked if it was the intention
to push it at this session and upon the
reply being made that it was possible
the Californian said:
II desire TO announce that | am pre-
pared to stay here all summer to pre-
II. .Ean xtrIt nh |
very bad proposition"
"Ili join you" said Senator Petit
grew of South Dakota.
The message of the president was not
very long. 1t dealt with historical facts
concerning the island and showed the
United States and Hawaii yearly grew
more closely bound to each other. This
was not really annexation, he said, but
a continuance of existing relations. with
closer bonds, between people closely re-
lated by blood and kindred ties. Since
1920, said the president, the predomi-
nance of the United States had been
there brought the islands in closer re-
lations with the United States, and
those relations had grown more firm
by succeeding events. At the time the
tri-partite agreement was made for the
government of Samoa, he said, Great
Britain and Germany wanted to include
Hawaii in the group over which a pro-
tectorate was established, but the sug-
gestion was rejected by the United
States because this government held
that there already existed relations be-
tween the United States which placed
the islands under the especial care of
this country and this government could
not allow any other country to interfere
in tba ffo inc Of IJn wnii Tho onnnyo-
ton of the islands, said the president,
and making them part of the United
States was in accordance with the es-
tablished policy of this country.
The treaty proved to be a simple dOcu-
ment of six articles, based in its essen
tial details upon the treaty negotiated by
Hon. John w. Foster during the adj
ministration of President Harrison. The
Islands are ceded practically without con-
ditions. leaving the United States TO pur-
sue its own course with reference to
their management.
The first article reads:
"The government of the Hawaiian
islands hereby cedes from the date of
the exchange of notifications of this
treaty, absolute and without reserve, to
the United States forever all rights of
sovereignty of whatsoever kind over
the Hawaiian islands and their de-
tendencies. renouncing in favor of the
United States every sovereign right
of which, as an Independent nation, it is
now possessed and hencefOrth said Ha
waiian islands shall become and be ar
integral part of the territory of the
United States"
The president called attention to the fact
that legitimate and existing government
of Hawaii offered to annex the island tC
the United States in 1853 but it seems il
was deemed unwise and the annexation
was not accepted by this country. He
stated that the United States virtually eX
ercised a protectorate over the islands
since the first American mission, and guar
anteed the autonomy of the government
of the group
The islands had been largely settled by
our own people, and our people were now
interested in them. American interest;
prdominated, and we had grown to con
slider them under our own protection. The
present treaty was in the light of a con
Summation of what had practically been il
| existence for years.
Referring to the treaty negotiations TN
| der the Harrison administration Presiden
Mckinley said the failure to accept tn,
proffer of annexation in 1893. while not ;
| subject of Capitalization, was now who'll!
| without its value, as it had demonstrates
that the existing government cOuiu Hdii
| tain itself. and no question could be rails
ed of the authority of the present govern
ment to negotiate the present treaty or o
it's right to yield the sovereignty of tn
islands.
The Hawaiian government cedes to tn
United States the absolute ownership o
all the public lands, public buildings
ports, harbors, Notifications, military an
naval equipments and all other govern
ment property. 1t is specifically pre-
vided, however. that the existing Ian
laws of the United States shall not az
| ply to the lands of Hawaii, but specia
laws shall be made from time to tim
for their disposition. the proceeds of an
sales of these lands to be applied t
| educational purposes in the islands.
| The islands are for the present to cor
stitute territory of the United States
their local laws remaining in force unit
new ones are enacted. A local legisla
ture is provided, but the veto power
vested entirely in the president of tn
| United States.
| A commission of FIVE persons. consist
ing of three Americans and two Ha
] waiians, to be nominated by the pres