The herald., 1897-07-06

palities are taxed to their utmost to feed
the great armies of hungry men who
seek in vain to earn their bread; when
Cuba is virtually on our hands, so that
a foolish or injudicious act may any day
embroil US in a costly war with Spain;
when the demands Of the people for re-
lief are met by Republican congress
with a proposition to increase taxation
and squander more millions of the pub
lie treasure for the benefit of trusts an6
syndicates already overgrown in pub
lie plunder-at such a time comes the
president of the United States with a
treaty proposing the annexation of a
group of emibarbarous islands on the
other side of the world, which but yes
terday were the homes of cannibals and
today are the shields under whose pro-
lection cunning and adroit Adventures
and self-seeking carpet-baggers are
conspiring to enrich themselves out OF
the treasury of the United States. Is
not the time rather inopportune for the
proposed excursion in the business of
colonization in the Sandwich islands?
But we are reminded that San Fran
cisco favors Mr. McKinley's scheme OF
annexation, and we all know that San
Francisco considers herself the concer-
trated state of California. Perhaps the
time may come when South California
!, - q nj q i'm wi h
territorial limitations at or about Te-
hachepi Until that contingency occur,
however, the fair city by the northern
bay should curb her pride nor demand
that the government Of the United
States reverse its time-honored, safe
and conservative policy, simply in order
to advance the commercial interests Of
San Francisco. Descanting upon this
question, a late issue of that conserva-
tive journal, Harper's Weekly, editori-
ally says:
On negotiating with the Hawaiian
government treaty of annexation Mr..
Mckinley has taken a step of the first
Importance, involving nothing less than
a possible revolution in our foreign
policy. Since Washington advised the
country against entering upon entan-
Cling alliances with foreign powers, the
prevailing sentiment of the American
people has been opposed to the annexa-
ton of distant territory. Gen.
Grant set the precedent which Mr.. NC
Kinley is following by attempting to
gain foreign territory by treaty.
1t is devoutly to be hoped in the in
terest of the peaceful policy which has
thus far governed this country, and
which has done so much for the pro-
motion of its prosperity. that this later
effort will meet the fate of the former
and that the present senate will be
guided by impulses as patriotic as
those which determined the action of
the senators who followed Sumner.
The sentiment embraced in the above
quotation will be found to embody, in
the long run, the sober second thought
of the American people. AS to the reeo-
lutions passed by the late legislature of
California 'instructing" senators in the
premises-of which our esteemed con-
temporary, the San Francisco Examiner
as a medium, doubtless, of discipline
of Senator Stephen M. White, made such
display in its columns-as to these 1t
should be borne in mind that they were
more or less the individual expression Of
opinion of few hundred gentlemen con-
tb1 Nd
not, in any proper sense mandatory"
or any other kind of instructions of the
sovereign people of the state Of Califor-
MIA in convention assembled. Judging
by the record which the above referred
to distinguished body Of men made at
Sacramento last winter, 1t would be
hard to tell what kind of resolution they
would not have passed If appropriately
managed therein. The spirit Of jingo-
ism got into the legislative halls with
the other spirits-"black spirits and
white blue spirits and gray"-which so
abounded at the state capital last Win
ter, and, doubtless, the gallant members,
not being prepared just then to sail over
in a body and take the Hawaiian
islands vi ct armis, baculis, cultellis, ar
cubus ct sagittis, they resolved that
their senators at Washington be in
structed to see that the United States
take the job off their hands.
Thep people of the state of California, as
a rule, abide in the wisdom and discre-
ton of the men who look after the gen.
eral interest, state and national, at
Washington, and do not deem it neces-
sary, unless the occasion is exception
ally important, to instruct their senators
or request their representatives to do
this or that. The Herald believes that
the congress of the United States will
dispose Of this Hawaiian question wisely
and with patriotic regard to the welfare
of the whole country and not in the in
terest of any particular city or the per-
sonal fortunes of any ambitious states
man.
A SHALLOW PRETExT
During the late presidential campaign