The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-07-02
The MESSENGER: FRIDAY, JULY 2, 1891.
PUBLIC OPINION.

Mr.. Morgan has introduced in the
senate a bill 10 annex Hawaii. which Is
designed to bring the Sandwich islands
under the dominion of the United
States, treaty-or no treaty. by March
4, 1898, or earlier If so decides.
Mr.. Morgan says hat his bill Is in
tended to carry the annexation treaty
into execution in case it shall be rati-
fed by the senate. or to provide for its
ratification by the joint action Of the
two houses in case the senate shall re-
fuse to act. The treaty" he says
can be ratified in this form, by a ma.
jority vote in each of the two houses,
thus avoiding the necessity for secur-
ing two-thirds Of the senate, as would
be required IL the matter should be
passed upon by that body lone" So
far as procedure goes. Mr.. Morgan
would seem quite justified in his at
tempt. There is nothing in the consti-
tuition which says that countries must
be annexed by treaty.-New York
Evening Post.
1t is undoubtedly true that the geo.
graphical position of Hawaii is such
that it concerns the interest of the
United States to prevent her forming
any connection with any other foreign
power. And our government announ-
ced to the world at a very early period
that while itself ~scrupuiously regard
ing the independence Of the Hawaiian
islands, ii could never consent to see
those islands taken possession of by
either of the great commercial powers
Of Europe. nor could it consent that de-
mands manifestly unjust. ~derogatory
and inconsistent with a bona fide in
dependence should be enforced against
the Hawaiian government. This was
the position advanced by Mr.. Webster
when secretary Of state in 1912, and
again assumed by him when he was
secretary of state in 1851. Neverthe-
less, the administration of General
Pierce, while stOutly prociairning that
it would be the duty of the United
States to prevent Hawaii from becom-
ing the ~appendage of any other foreign
power, looked with a certain favor up
on the islands becoming a part of our
own territorial sovereignty. But the
question Of annexation found no favor
with any subsequent administration
until the administration Of General
Observation-Disclosures Record.
| The threatened manipulation again of
the prices of meat by the beef trust is
another of those constituencies and
heartless actions by the big combines
that arouse and intesify the popular in
dignation against these mOnOpOlies. 1t
matters not to the trusts that the ar
ticles upon which the prices are raised
by ShreWd manlpulatlOnS are the 1OOu
products of the country. AS great and
far reaching as is the meat business
of the United States four men, the big
four" practically control it. They viz
tually control the sources of supply
and it is possible for them at almost
any time to put the price Of cattle and
hogs down and the prices of dressed
meat up. In the present instance, it is
stated that the cattle are to be bought,
or have already been bought, in large
from the western producers,
preparatory to tieing up the market
and and then by holding the supply
back run up the prices of meats of all
kinds. By concerted action between
Armour, Swift, Hammond and Morris,
the scheme is comparatively easy, and
the manipulation of prices both for cat
tie and dressed meats a fOregOne con-
clusiOn. This is a dismal time, indeed,
in which to increase the cost of such
an article as meat to the poorer classes
of the country. While thousands of
people are in distress these heartleSs
beef trust spectators would render it
even more difficult to obtain the neces-
sary foOd!-HOustOn Post.