The record-union., 1897-06-13
It was necessary for the United States

1t was necessary for the United States
to control it.
He entered upon the geographical po-
SitiOn of the islands, and the strategic
Importance of them to this country. The
Ha7vaiian Islands were destined to be an
entrepot and clearing house to a great
extent of the enormous commerce OF
which the Pacific Ocean is destined to
be the scene. He said that since the
treaty American capital had been going
to the islands, and that they were des-
tined to become American could not be
doubted. In fact, Hawaii allowed
Americans to become citizens without
losing their American citizenship.
If we should abrogate the treaties alb
solutely by statute we would be guilty
of bad faith American capital to the
| omovnt of $50, 1000, ,000 had been invest
on the faith of the pern1anency OF
these treaties, of which the United
States would be obi ed to throw away
the stipulation that no special privi-
leges or territory shall be granted to
other countries. If the United States
was honorable it would be obliged to
give back Pearl Harbor and allow HaW-
ali to transfer all these rights to Eng
land or any other nation. The United
States would be obliged to give Up every
policy enunciated by the Presidents
from Tyler to the present time. Ihe
treaty had thrown the carrying trade
into ships of the two nations, the
greater part being ships of the United
States, and its abrogation would be an
injury to this nation.
Senators Chandler, Hoar and others
also spoke for the maintenance OF the
treaty.
Senator Perkins spoke at some length
in support of his proposition, which, as
originally presented, provided for giving
the Hawaians a remission of one thlrd
of the duty on their importatons.
At Senator Thurston's suggestion he
| modified the propos on so as to make
the rate in the future conform 10 the
requirements of whatever treaty might
be negotiated in the future.
Snator Thurston announced himself
as decidedly in favorof abrogation al
though he was, he said, a believer IN
the wisdom of annexing the Hawaiian
Islands to the United States. He said
that if the present arrangement Whlch
gives the Hawaiian sugar trust an an
nual gratuity of $9,OO0,000, was to be
continued in connection with the gra-
tuity yesterday voted to the American
trust. which amounted to not less than
s.. 600, 600 a year. it would be utterly
impossible to defend the course of the
Republican party. He said he had
made his campaign last fall largely on
the charge that the Democratic party
had sold out to the trust, and he dld
not view with equanimity the present
prospect with regard to Republican leg
islation. He contended that Hawaiian
sugar, being the product OF cheap OH
entail labor, as long as it was admitted
free of duty, would render the growth
of the beet sugar industry in this coun-
try impossible.
Senator Hoar asked if he did not be-
lieve that annexation would have prac-
tically the same effect.
To this Mr.. Thurston replied that an
nexation would bring many advantages
of another character, and that he
would forego any scruples he might
have against the free admission of su-
gar in order to secure the Islands as
whole.
The caucus, after considering the Ha
waiian reciprocity provision for an
hour at its second session, decided to
refer the matter together with various
propositions which had been submitted
to the Republican members of the
Committee on Finance to formulate a
proposition which shall be submitted
to a future caucus, if not satisfactory
to all.
There were frequent references in the
Republican caucus of the Senate to-day
to the probability of new treaty for
the annexation of Hawaii, and it seem
ed to be quite generally understood
that such treaty was included among
the possibilities for the near future.
There appeared, however to be no def
mite information as to the details, and
the references were very general in
character No one assumed to speak for
the President on this point but so far
as anything was said it was apparently
based upon the supposition that the
President was prepared for negotia-
tions looking to placing the islands un-
der the protection of the stars and
stripes as a part of the United States.
Senator Frye referred once or twice
to the possibility of annexation and
Senators Thurston and Nelson who
strenuously oppose the continuance of
the present treaty in effect, announced
themselves as prepared to consider ia
vorably the question of an examination
on the theory that an arrangement for
consolidation on that basis would be
reciprocal, whereas they contend that
the present treaty is entirely one-sided
in its advantages.
Senator Thurston contended that the
best way to insure annexation would be
through abrogation of the existing
treaty.