Red Lodge picket. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1889-1907, 1897-12-11
HAWAII Is TO COME in
Every Consideration OF Dignity and
Homer Requires Confirmation
of the Treaty.

By a special message. dated the 18th
day OF June last. l laid before the san9ta tl
OF the tmted States a treaty signed thar
dy day by the plenipotentiaries of the United
states and of the republic of Hawaii. hay
ing Tor its purpose the Incorporation of
the Hawaiian islands as an inteeral mari
OF the United States and under its SOW
ereignty. The senate having removed The
INJUNCTION of secrecy. although The trearv
is still pending before that body the sl1h,
Ject may be properly referred to in this
message. The necessary action of the
congress is required to determine by leg
islation many details of the eventual M
ion, should the fact of annexation be ac-
comp!lshed, as ! believe it should be.
While consistently disavoWing from =
very early period. any aggressive policy
of absorption in regard to the IilW.,ji3o
sroup.a long series of discussions through
three-quarters of a century. has proclaim
ed the vital interest of the United States
in the Independent life of the islands ana
their intimate commercial dependency up
has been repeatedly asserted that. in no
event. could the entity OF Hawaiian state
hood cease by the passage of the islands
under the domination or influence of an
other power than the United States. Tn
der these circumstances the logic of
events required that annexation before
offered but declined should, in the ripe
ness, of time. come about the natural
result OF strengthening the ties that bind
free re, will Of the Hawaiian state; ::
president of the republic of Hawaii IA
the 10th Of September last aud only
awaits the favorable action Of the Amer
ican senate to effect the complete abb
sorption of the islands into the domain
OF the United States. What the conGi-
tons of such a union shall be. the poll
teal relation thereof to the United States
the character of the local administration
the quality and degree of the elective
franchise of the Inhabitants. the extern
J1n nf no t11nt
the enactment of special laws to fit the
peculiar condition thereof. the regulation
of needs. Of labor therein. and all matters
upon which legislation is required, the
treaty has wisely relegated to congress.
If the treaty is confirmed. as every con-
sideration of dignity and honor requires,
avoiding abrupt assimilation cf elements
peEnops yet hardly fitted to share in
the highest franchises of citizenship. and
having due regard TO the geographical
conditions. the most just provisions for
self-rule in local matters with the largest
political liberties as an integral part of
our nation. will be accorded to the Ha-
waiians. No less is due to a people who,
after nearly five years of demonstrated
capacity to fulfill the Obligations of self
governing statehood come, of their free
will. to merge their destinies in our body
polite.
The questions which have arisen be
tween Japan and Hawaii by reason of
the treatment of japanese laborers emf
Waiian-Japanese convention of 1888. are
in satisfactory stage of settlement by
negotiation. This government has not
been invited to mediate and. on the other
hands has sought no Intervention in that
matter, further than to evince its lzindli-
est disposition toward such a speedy and
direct adjustment between the sovereign
states in interest as shall comport with
equity and honor. 1t is gratifying to
learn that the apprehensions at first dis
played on the part of Japan, lest the ces-
sation of IIawaii's national life through
annexation might impair privileges to
which Japan honorably laid claim. have
gwen place to a purpose to deal with ali
possible ulteror questions IN the broadest
spirit of friendlinesS.