The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-02-02
Condition Of the Treaty in the Sen
ate Greatly improved.
Its Friends Confident They viii Get the
Necessary TWo-Thirds Vote.
The Question Discussed in Execu-
tive Session Of the Senate, Plat
of Connecticut Opening the De-
bate in Favor of Ratification of
the Treaty-A Motion by Thurs
ton to Postpone Further Con-
sideration Voted Down.


WASHINGTON, Feb. 1.-The cordi-
ton in the Senate respecting the Ha-
waiian annexation treaty has greatly
improved and the friends of the trea-
ty, including Senator Davis, Chairman
of the Foreign Relations Committee,
are confident that sixty Senators,
whose votes are necessary for two
thirds majority, will vote for ratifca-
ton.
Confidence in the changed condition
is found in the determination of the
friends of ratification to press forward
the treaty to a final vote This feel
ing was shown when the proceedings
of the Senate on the treaty in eXecu-
tive session to-day We're opened. SEN
ator Thurston made motion for the
postponement of further consideration
of the treaty until the first of March.
The motion was not discussed at
length and was voted down viva voce.
Senator Platt of Connecticut opened
the debate with carefully arranged
argument in favor of annexation. He
spoke for over an hour and half, and
dwelt particularly upon the Importance
of the acquisition of the islands from
q commercial point of view. He con-
tended that our commerce would in all
cases follow our civilization, and urged
that we should use every legitimate
method to extend our trade with out
side nations, as by pursuing this
course we would also extend our insti-
tutions and ideas of government. The
Hawaiian Islands he regarded as es-
sential to the command of the traffic
on the Pacific Ocean.
Senator Plat said the sugar trust
was opposed to annexation.
Senator Pettigrew .ook the floor as
soon as Mr.. Plat had concluded, de-
voting himself especially to replying to
the Connecticut Senator's remarks
concerning the present Government of
the island. He made a careful analysis
of the Constitution under which the
Dole Government exists, showing that
it had been adopted by what he term
ed an alleged constitutional conven-
ton, composed, he said, of nineteen
members, one of whom was Mr. Dole,
who had been members of the Commit
tee of Safety, which played such a
prominent part during the revolution,
and of eighteen other delegates.
He argued that while these latter
delegates had been selected by what
was called q popular vote, such was
not the case. OF 1900 persons emit
tied to suffrage, he asserted that only
1000 had voted for them. This con-
vention of thirty-seven persons thus
chosen had adopted the Constitution,
and it had never been submitted to a
popular vote.
Mr.. Pettigrew dwelt upon the fact
that Mr. Dole had been a member of
this convention. and said that gentle
man had had himself made President
of the Republic. and that in doing so
he had practically arranged the matter
so as to insure his permanence in office.
He read the Constitution to show that
Mr.. Dole was named in it for Presi-
dent, and that it was provided that
he should remain in that office until
1900, or until his successor should be
elected. The successor was to be
chosen by the House and Senate sit
ting together, and there was to be, no
election of any one unless cs received
a majority of the votes of the Senate.
He then attempted to show how the
matter was practically in the control
Oh MF. JOle anu Vi Tie sugar STOWeTS
According to the terms of the Consti-
tuition, a Senator must possess 81. 1000
worth of property or have an income
of 81, 200 per year. and a person who
was not worth $500 in taxable real
estate or had an income of 5000 was
disfranchised from voting for Sena
tor. This qualification practically. he
said. shut out all persons except those
connected with the sugar industry
from either becoming Senator'S or from
voting for Senators.
He held that in view of the facts he
mentioned the present Government
was practically monarchy
Mr. Pettigrew also took up the con-
teption that the sugar lands in the
island were already practically appro-
priated and producing, and argued
that to annex the islands would mean
the inevitable destruction of the sugar
beet industry in the United States.
Senator White of California also
spoke in opposition to ratification OF
the treaty. His was ir the main a con-
stitutional argument intended to show
that the annexation of the territory
which would require a navy to defend
it had been from the beginning opposed
to our theory of Government. He quot
ed extensively from the works of
Thomas Jefferson 10 show that he had
never contemplated the acquisition OF
territory situated, as were the Sand
wich Islands, where q fleet would be
necessary TO their preservation. This
remark did not. however apply to
Cuba, which was SO near our own coast
that no navy would be necessary to its
control and protection.
Mr.. White also read from President
Tyler's message, which he said was
popularity supposed to have been writ
ten by Daniel Webster. practically
maintaining, as the Senator said, the
same point.
A large part of Senator Whites re-
marks were given up to quotations
from and comment upon Secretary
Sherman's utterances upon the subject
of annexation of Hawaii Mr.. White
read liberal extracts from Mr.. Sher-
mans book in which the Secretary
dweils upon the unwisdom OF making
the islands part of the United States,
and he laid special stress upon the
Secretary's remarks in the latter part
of his book to the effect that he hoped
there would be no further effort to an