The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-07-15
PRESS OPINIONS
Difficult to State if Majority Fa-
VOr Annexation.
YET NUMBER OPPOSING is SMALL
Asiatic Labor is No Long.
er the Slogan.
Traditional Policy of United States
is Favorable to Ha-

WASHINGTON, July 1.-The pro-
posed treaty of annexation between
Hawaii and the United States has prob
ably been noticed and discussed by
every newspaper in the country, dur
ing the last two weeks. In several
days travel covering some hundreds
of miles, in the Middle States, 1 have
noticed the discussion in all of the
local papers, to- be obtained on the
trains, and a further examination of
the exchange lists of one of the great
dailies in New York city, shows the
large extent of interest in every sec
ton.
To sum up the general sentiment,
impossible, because, after all, only a
fraction of these papeAs are available
for reference, at any one point. If the
question is asked: rs the press of the
or is it unfavorable?" the reply must
be: 1T is impossible to say AS an
opinion, based on a variety of data.
but subject to revision. I would say
that a large number of the leading
papers are enthusiastic about the
treaty and so are many lesser papers.
One reading these would infer that
there was a preponderating sentiment
in favor OF annexation. At the same
time, many able journals like the
Springfield Republican and rhe Boston
Herald oppose it on the usual grounds
taken by conservatives, which is that
the people of this country should cu1
tivate their own land before taking in
more. A friendly Senator said yester-
day, in conversation, that several of
his colleagues remarked: What do
we know about colonies? How can we
govern them? Must we upset the uni
formity of our laws, in order to govern
matter that there is little bitterness or
anger in the general discussion of the
subject
The traditional policy Of the United
States, which holds Hawaii within
''the sphere of their influence" is a
deep ground swell, which almost i'm
perceptibly carries the people towards
annexation Moreover, the number of
papers that advocate the cutting Of
the hawser, which the United States
has extended to Hawaii, is small.
The financial depression at the pres
tiDnp ic I1nfOUnra h1o n nnyU
lures A general feeling of prosperity
and hopefulness would make thou
sands, even millions, more enthusias-
tic about national expansion.
The people of Hawaii may congrat-
ulate themselves on the fact that near
ly two-thirds of the Senators are in
favor of the proposed treaty, although
the tWo-thirds is not assured. Some Of
these are enthusiastic. Some have
grave doubts, but believe, on the whole
that the treaty should be made, and
will so vote. Many of them feel that
''the dog-in-the-manger" policy is un
just, and all trif1ing with Hawaii
should cease. The positive action of
the President in negotiating a treaty
brings the Republicans into line Sen
ator Perkins must fall in or step out
Whether the negotiating of the treaty
at the present time was judicious
act remains to be seen. The President
was not entirely satisfied that it was
the best move to make, as he knew
that it would. not be acted upon dur
ing the present session. Timorous men
fear that the enemies of the treaty will
now spend the next six months in con-
triving schemes to defeat it, and there
are many rumors about the active hos
tility of the trust, and the sugar-beet
men Oxnard, the agent of the sugar
beet men, is seen in many places, like