The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-10-01
Many People Listen tol
His Arguments !
AS Residents Of United States Ha-
waiians Will Have Same Rights
as Americans.

When Senator Morgan, shortly after
1880 o'clock last evening, ascended to
the platform at Kawaiahao Church, ac-
companied by Judge Wilcox as inter-
prefer, 700 people. of whom fully 275
at least were native HawaiiansS greet.
ed him with applause. Members of the
congregation, both annexationists and
anti-annexationists, had requested the
pastor to allow the use of the church
for the meeting. The church was filled
all during the hour and half while
Senator Morgan was speaking. There,
were about 100 people in the galleries,
many of whom were Hawaiians. There
were many who were unable to f1J0
seats in the church, and they gathered
about the doorways. The crewd there
shifted during the eveningsssA one
thine there were HawaiiaqG, .AnlerH an
Portuguese and solitary Chinaman
looking within and listening to the dis
tinguished speaker, who has devoted
his energies, and his forceful argu-
ment, in the United States Senate, to
the cause of annexation.
The Senator's language was simple
and plain. His arguments were con-
vincing. He was ably interpreted by
Judge Wilcox, and the applause, with
which his remarks were received were
indications of the appreciation of his
audience Senator Morgan gave first a
short history of annexation from the
time when it was first. perceived that
the Islands could not exist as an inde-
pendent Government. He traced the
relations of the United States to the
Islands during the past 100 years and
showed the influence exerted by the
United States to prevent the Islands
from being absorbed by any other pow
er.
The influence had been all the time
eXerted towards securing higher civil
lization, until now the United States
is willing and ready to receive the Ha-
waiians as citizens, all enjoying equal
privileges and rights with American
citizens. 1t was to show just what the
status Of the Hawaiian will be in the
event of annexation that Senator Nor
gan was asked to address them.
When it was first announced that
the meeting would be held, it was
stated that only Hawaiians would be
admitted But others wished to hear
the Senator as well, and for this rea-
son many Hawaiians who stood about
the doors were unable to find seats.
Senator Morgan's speech in full was as
follows:
Ladies and Gentlemen:-I suppose
no American Senator ever had a more
important duty to perform than /
have Since I have been in Hawaii
have felt as though | were in part of
America to which i had never been
before. This is an American country
1t is not European country. 1t is an
American country, and when annexa-
ton takes place, its people will be
merely coming to their own.
We had just completed a great war
with our mother country-Great Brit
ain-for the purpose of preserving the
liberty of our race, when we first be-
came interested in these Islands, as
they were then termed-the Sandwich
Islands. We went into this war of
liberty with a population of less than
8 100000 of people. now the same peo-
plenumber Is, 100000 The reason of this
great increase was. not by natural
means alone, but by the immigration
into the country of numbers, WHO rec
ognized in our Constitution the prin-
ciple of liberty.
In the beginning our States number
ed 13, containing. as / said, less than
Is -
States, and several other Territories
ready to go into the Union. The South
American States, under the rule of the
Spanish at one time, have, after sue
.cessful revolutions, followed our ex-
ample. and are today prosperous and
free Republics. Our greatest interest
in the Hawaiians is that they shall
not relapse again into that condition