The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-06-17
OF THE HAWAIIAN
ISLANDS.

The dispatches from Washington, pub
lished in The Statesman yesterday, reveal
Cd what we consider the most ominous
pews in regard to the annexation Of the
Sandwich Islands 10 the United States. 1t
will be remembered that one Of the last
acts Of the Harrison administration was
the Inauguration Of measures by which
Hawaii would become a part and parcel
Of the United States, but these measures
were wisely and wholly ignored by the
democratic administration fiat followed,
in accordance with the well settled doc
trincs Of the democratic party 10 avoid all
foreign entangltag alliances.
But now we are informed that the plot
has been renewed, and that measures have
beer retarded IN this respect only from the
facs that Mr.. McKiDles has been very par
ticdlar aborZ all the details Of the pro-
p, sed matured plan - annex Hawaii, one
detail Of which is fiat the islands shall
not come into the Union clothed with all
she rights Of state, but in some other
form, which may not be revealed until the
treaty 81 annexation is submitted TO con-
gress fpr final sation and ratification.
Whilst the whole thing is obnoxious TO
patriots, who see embarrassmeDts and for
cigl ears in the acquisition Of territory 80
distant from our domain and inha bited by
a people so unlike our people, the peculiar
rcla1ve position that Hawaii is intended
to hold TO the ether states Of the Union and
federal government by the terms Of annex
alton as betrayed by the dispatches, is
calculated 10 give additional alarm be.
cansc il is o menace 10 the perpetuity Of
our form Of government.
If Hawaii is annexed to the United
States, and il not to enjoy the same rela-
Il;ons to tho federal government enjoyed by
every other state in the Union. it means
that the present administration intends 10
cngraft Uron our form of government some
other kind of government, that carries with
it change in our fundamental system Of
government. We have no provision in our
organic laws for any other relation 10 the
other states and to the federal govern
mcnt hpt that, first, Of a territorial form
Of government, and then, as population
! warrants, a state government with all the
rights and duties Of other states of the
Union 1t seems that it is intended by
the present promoters of this annexation
scheme TO provide some other form of gov
eminent for Hawaii than that heretofore
established as the only form of a republi-
can government. The form Of government
| by which the present administration pro
poses to govern Hawaii is not yet revealed
| by Its promoters. IL must be original and
unique as well as paradOXical. What II
is we can not itnagnc, but we imagine it is
| the sugar coating to the Hawaiian bill in
order to induce the people of this country
| Ia swallow il.
Whatever il is, we protest most emphat-
irally against it, because it must embrace
fundamental change of our organic sys-
tenn of government. We have enjoyed a
| form of government for over hundred
years, the machinery of which has worked
ynost admirably and satisfactorily. and
both theoretically and practically 1t has
proven the most perfect and best form of
| a republican government. The movement
| of every wheel in it is understood by every
| intelligent voter. Its organism has been
\ the only successful form of republican gov
\ eminent ever established, and putting 9TH
\ or wheels within the wheels that have al,
10.
\ dangerous to try. Any new wheel mcon'
sistent with the other wheels. will be sure
\ to disturb the harmony of the running geal
\ and smash the whole machine. 1t would
\ be dangerous TO annex Hawaii as one OF
\ the states of this Union. " would be
much more dangerous to annex 1t under
any form inconsistent with our present
\ long tried form of the relative rights of the
4 state and federal government