The Independent. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1895-1905, 1897-12-16
HAWAII.
hat the President Has to Say
About It in His Message.

lore the Senate of the United States
treaty signed that day by the
plenipoteutiaries OF the United
States and OF the republic of Ha-
wall having for its purpose the in
corporation of the Hawaiian Islands
as an integral part OF the United
States and under its sovereignty.
The Senate having removed the in
junction OF secrecy, although the
treaty is still pending before that
body, the subject may be properly
referred to in this message because
the necessary action of Congress is
required to determine by legislation
many details Of the eventual union
should the fact Of annexation be ac-
complished, as | believe it should
be-
While consistently disavowing
from very early period any aggres-
sive policy of absorption in regard
to the Hawaiian group, long series
Of discussion through three quarters
of century has proclaimed the
vital interest Of the United States
in the Independent life of the ISL
ands and their intimate commercial
dependency upon this country. At
the same time it has been repeatedly
asserted hat in no event could the
entity OF Hawaiian statehood cease
by the passage of the island under
the domination or influence of an
other power than the United States.
Under these circumstan ces the logic
OF events required that annexation,
before offered but declined, should
in the ripeness of time come about
as a natural result of strengthening
the ties that bind us to those ISL
ands and be realized by the free will
of the Hawaiian state.
That treaty was unanimously rati-
fed without amendment by the SEN
ate add President OF the republic Of
Bawaii on the 10th of septe mber
last, and only awaits the favorable
action of the American Senate to
effect the complete absorption of
the islands into the domains OF the
United States, What the conditions
Of su, h = uuiou shall be, the politi-
cal fyistiOu thereof to the United
States, be character OF tne local
admni4 ration, the quality and de-
gree of the elective franchise of the
inhabitants, the extension OF the
Federal laws to the territory or the
enactment of special laws to fit the
peculiar condition thereof, the regu-
lation OF needs of labor therein, and
all matters which the treaty has
wisely releRated to Congress.
If the treaty is confirmed, as every
consideration of dignity and honor
requires, the wisdom Of Congress
will sea to il that, avoiding abrupt
assimilation Of elements perhaps
hardly yet fitted to share in the
highest franchises OF citizenship and
having dua regard to the geographi-
cal conditions, the most just pro-
visions for self-rule in local matters
with the largest political liberties as
an Integral part OF our nation will
be accorded to the Hawaiians.
No less is due to people who,
after nearly five years of demon
strated capacity to fulfill the obli-
cations of self-governing statehood,
come of their free Yill to merge
their destinies in our body polite.
The questions which have arisen
between Japan and Hawaii by rea
son OF the treatment of japanese
laborers emigrating to the Islands
under the Hawaiian Japanese con
vention of 1888 are in a satisfactory
stage Of settlement by negotiation.
The Government has not been in
vi ed % mediate, and on the other
haud has sought no Intervention in
the matter further than to evince
its kindliest disposition toward such
a speedy and direct adjustment by
the two sovereign states in interest