The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-02-02
TO PUSH ANNEXATION.
Friends Of Hawaii Anxious for a
Vote on the Treaty.
ARGUMENTS FOR AND AGAINST.

ARGUMENTS FOR AND AGAINST.
Senator Platt. OF Connecticut, Urges
Annexation for Commercial Reasons.
Senator PettiRrew Denounces the
Methods OF the Existing Government
Washington, Feb. 2.-No business Of
Importance was transacted by the sem
ate in open session yesterday. The
feature of the short session was state
ment made by Mr.. Clark. Wyoming
Republican, as a matter of privilege,
concerning his vote In favor Of the Tel
Ter resolution. He maintained that his
vote was in no way inconsistent with
his Republicanism, and declared that
he would not permit anybody to read
him out Of the party, as he was sat
isfed the masses Of the party would
not convict him of political heresy.
The condition In the senate respect
ing the Hawaiian annexation treaty
has greatly improved. and the friends
Of the treaty. including Senator Davis.
chairman Of the foreign relations com
mittee, are confldent that 60 senators.
whose votes are necessary for two
thirds majority, will vote for ratifica-
ton. Confidence in the changed con-
dition is found in the determination Of
the friends Of ratification to press for
ward the treaty to final vote.
This feeling was shown when the pro-
ceedings OF the senate on the treaty in
executive session yesterday were OPEN
cd SenutDr Fhurctnp ms la a r1ntipu
for the postponement of further con-
sideration of the treaty until March l.
The motion was not discussed at length,
and was voted down.
Senator Plat, OF Connecticut, opened
the debate with carefully arranged
argument in favor of annexation. He
spoke for about an hour and half and
dwelt particularly upon the Importance
of the acquisition Of the islands from
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 Institutions
and ideas of government. The nation
that controlled the Sandwich Islands,
he said, would command the key to the
Pacific, and we should take thine, and
if necessary fortify them for the pur-
pose of making sure of our position In
this most important trade. Senator
Plat charged that the sugar trust was
opposed to annexation. He said there
were certain parties who had a griev-
ance against the present government Of
the islands, and alleged that they were
Using money isYent the acquisition
of, that cour Re United States
-f4t I'D not nusaiaa that there
was any effort to corrupt congress, but
he thought that some interests had
been unduly influenced
Senator Pettigrew devoted himself
especially TO replying to the Connecti-
cut senator's remarks concerning the
present government of Hawaii. He
made careful analysis of the consti-
tuition under which the Dole govern
ment exists, showing that it had been
adopted by what he termed an alleged
constitutional convention composed, he
said, of 10 members, one of whom was
Mr.. Dole, who had been members Of the
committee Of safety, which played such
prominent part during the revolution
He urged that while these latter dele
gates had been elected by what was
called a popular vote, such was not the
ease. OF 14,000 persons entitled to stuff
rage, lie asserted that only 1000 had
voted for them. This convention Of IS
persons thus chosen had adopted the
constitution. and 1t had never been
submitted to d popular vote. Mr. Pet
tigreW said that Mr.. Dole had had him.
self elected president of the republic,
and that in doing so he had practi-
cally arranged the matter so as to in
sure his permanence in office. He then
attempted to show how the matter was
practically in the control of Mr.. Dole
and of the sugar growers. According
to the terms of the constitution a SEN
atur must possess $4,000 worth of prop
erty or have an income of $1,000 per
year, and d person not worth 81 500 in
taxable real estate or had an income Of
$500 was disfranchlsed from voting for
senator. This qualification practi-
Cally, he said, shut out all persons ex
cepl those connected with the sugar in
dustry from either becoming senators
or from voting for senators. He held
that in view of the facts he mentioned
the government was practically a mon
a,chy.
Senator White, Of California, spoke in
opposition to the ratification of the
treaty. His was In the main consti-
tutonal argument intended to show
that the annexation of the territory,
which would require a navy to defend
1t, had been from the beginning OPP
posed to our theory Of government. He
asserted that most OF the senators who
were popularity believed to be inter
ested in the sugar trust were favorable
to the treaty.
The house devoted most Of the ses-
sion yesterday to the district of Co
lumbia appropriation bill, but had not
completed 1t at the time of adjoufn-
ment. Some politics were injected into
the debate just at the close, the fea-
ture Of which was bitter denuncia-
ton of Mr.. w. A. Stone, Of Pennsyl-
vania. by Mr. Mahany, New York Re-
publican. for the formers position in
favor Of the immigration bill. Mr..
Stone did not see fit to reply. Before
the district bill was taken up several
bills and resolutions of minor import
anCe were passed.