The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-06-18
THE CLIMAX OF THE FARCE,

THE CLIMAX OF THE FARCE.
The sobriety of counta2an:e with
which Republican senators discuss the
Hawaiian treaty and will discuss the
annexation treaty, in the relations of
both to the protection they wish to ac-
cord to the beet sugar industry Of this
country and the American labor occu-
pied with its production, indicates that
either they are not aware of the gro
tesque figure they cut or that they are
superb comedians, able to restrain their
risibilities in the most trying parts of
| their farce comedy There are several
actors and each bears his part admir-
ably Very prominent among them for
freshman is our own Nelson, with
his amendment to the Aldrich- Jones'
Dingley- caucus conglomerate, propos-
| ing the abolition of the treaty at the
expiration of notice of one year The
senator bases his contention on the ne
| cessity of shielding the tender beet
sugar infant from the competition of
the Chinese coolie labor now, with JAP
| anese, solely employed in working the
cane and making sugar in the Sand
witch islands. They work for next to
nothing a day and board themselves
and how can American labor compete
| with that? From California came the
wall Of pauper labor competition with
| their beet baby in support of the de-
| mand for the abrogation of the treaty.,
! Back Of the abrogators was the sugar
| trust, which, in it's relation with Ha-
| wall, is Spreck1es, who was working
| the sentimental senators merely to
| scare the Hawaiian planters into MAX
| ing more favorable contract with the
| trust as to the terms on which it would
| handle their sugars SpreckIes behind
the scenes, pulling the strings, and Mel.
| son, Thufston and the others before the
! curtain, responding to the pull, plead
| ing the cause of the American sugar
| baby, while. still responsive to
/ Spreckles' yanks on other strings. other
| senators from Eastern states contended
| for the maintenance Of the compact
Meanwhile the Hawaiian scheme Of
| annexation, minus the pension to ex-
| queen Lii, is resuscitated, this time
| with the condition that the debt in
| Cured by the sons-of- four missionaries
! government of 100000 be assumed by
| the United States. The fact that it is
| sent TO the senate at this iunc-
ture when the sugar schedule is under
| consideration, indicates that Spreckles
has either brought the Hawaiian plant
ers to terms or abandoned the effort.
The latter is probably the case, as Ha-
Waiian advices of recent date were that
the planters We're showing no alarm
over the talk of the annulment of the
| treaty
| But the conjunction of the sugar
schedule, the Nelson amendment and
| the treaty served to bring the move
| ment of the farce to it's climax, in a
| situation that would force a grin on
the statues in statuary hall. Thurston.
in the caucus held last Saturday night
| for the purpose of forcing an agree
ment on something, backed Nelson In
his demand for the adoption of the alb
rogating amendment. More f1owery and
imaginative than our Knute, he paint
! ed the beet sugar industry of Nebraska.
it's birth, growth, vigor, the American
labor that found employment in the
refineries at wages that enabled it to
maintain the high level Of it's dignity:
the farmers who grew the beets roll
ing in the wealth gained; contrasted
this condition with the pauper labor
| imported by the planters of Hawaii
from China and Japan, working for a
few cents a day and living on rice
and rats, and wound UP with pa
| thetic appeal to his fellow Republicans
to save the Nebraskan from the ruin
which such competition is sure to
bring.
Then some senator dropped the init
nation into the discussion that the adj
ministration had about completed a
treaty that would annex Hawaii to the
| United States, planters coolie labor ard
all, and the Nebraskan was asked if.
in view of the unrestrained competI-
ton that would result, he could sup
port the treaty. Very facilely Thurs
ton responded that in view Of the other
great advantages resulting from an
nexation, he would give it his support.
He did not crack smile himself, nor
is it stated that there was any laugh
ter in the caucus to indicate that the
senators appreciated the ridiculous alb
surdity of the climax. What Nelson
said is not reported, but we shall have.
in few days, knowledge of whether
he, too, is willing to pay $4,000,0OO to
have our infant beet sugar imperiled
by the pauper labor of the District Of
Hawaii.