The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-14
HARD ROAD AHEAD OF HAWAII.
SENATE ALMOST SURE TO REJECT
ANNEXATION TREATY.

Prospects of the Morgan Bill Equal
ly BAD as 1t Is Declared UncOnSti-
tutiOnnI Because 1t Virtually EN-
bodies In Its Provisions n Treaty.
senator SpOOner Joins the Ranks
of the Opponents of Annexation.
senator Bacon FawOrs Opening the
Doors on the Debate.
Washington, Dec. Ex-senator White of
California and the opponents of the annex
alton of Hawaii are rejoicing tonight over
the conversation of Senator Spooner of
Wisconsin to their belief that the treaty
should not be ratified. This is one of the
hardest blows annexation has received
since congress assembled, for Senator
Spooner is rewarded as one of the ablest
lawyers on the republican side of the cham
ber and his opinions on legal and interna-
tional questions carry great weight among
his senatorial associates. Both sides have
been claiming the assistance of Senator
Spooner in the Hawaiian contention and
the announcement that the senator from
Wisconsin is opposed to annexation is a
dreaded setback to those who have been
urging the ratification of the treaty.
With Senators SPooner and Hoar, two of
the strongest legal minds on the republi-
can side, against it, and with Senator AL
drich of Rhode Island, the political leader
of the republicans, also opposed to it, an
nexation surely has hard road to travel
through the Senate, either by treaty or
by special act.
1t is declared by some of the best law
yers in the Senate that the Morgan bill,
which is proposed to take the place of the
treaty, is unconstitutional because it in
corporates a treaty in its provisions. If
the treay is abandoned, as now seems prob
able, a new bill will have to be drawn with
treaty provisions eliminated. Thus it will
be seen that the annexation forces are con-
fronted with new and discouraging obsta-
cles at every turn, and the longer the sub
ject is discussed the weaker it becoms.
Senator Bacon of Georgia says there is
no attempt to make a party issue of
the question, for while the democrats
are practically unanimous against annexa-
ton, many of the abiest republican lead
ers in both branches of congress are on
the same side of the contest. Senator Ba-
con says he is confident that the treaty
now pending cannot be ratified, and if the
question of annexation is debated in open
Senate it will be talked out of-the capitol
In this connection he says there is no
reason why the discussion should be car
ried on behind closed doors. The text of
the treaty has been published far and
wide, and the Hawaiian government has
formally accepted it. hence there is no
occasion for secret sessions in dealing with
a proposition SO universally known.
Senator Perkins, who does not appear to
be very pronounced, either for or against
annexation, admitted to-day that the
treaty is practically dead and buried. AS
to the fate of the bill on the same line,
he says it will certainly meet with stub
born opposition. 1t is now well understood
that Senator Davis, chairman of the COM
mittee on foreign relations having the
matter in hand, will not attempt to call
it up for consideration until after the hol-
idays.