The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-12-08
Purpose Of Congress to Give Good
Government.
THE CONSTITUTION is SILENT
Will There Be Special Session Of
Congress?-Precedents-Sup--
RENE Court Opinion.

WASHINGTON, d. c.. Nov 2a.-The
question as to whether or not there
Will be special session of Congress
called Immediately after the regular
session, which expires on March 4th.
is already being very seriously dis
cussed and is considered with greater
interest than almost any other uues-
| ton arising out of the very important
new conditions which now confront
the country
| Men who usually know what thew
are talking about say that there will
be a special session, while other men
equally well informed state very posi-
Itiyely that there will not. The annex
alton of Hawaii has brought about a
Icondltion of affairs that is anomalous
in the history of the United States. 1t
is even more SO than it would be at
Ithe annexation of the Philippines. The
United States has heretofore had ex-
perience in district form of govern
ment over uncivilized tribes at a dis
tance from the main continent, but it
progressive people separated by a long
stretch of water from the other States
and Territories. The Hawaiian Islands
have been we'll governed during the
last four years and their people have
shown themselves to be progressive
They desired annexation to the United
States in order to be better governed
than they were already. If the United
States should fail to give them at least
as good a government as they already
had it would create a general discon-
tent. 1t is realized, therefore, by all
of the leading statesmen that the
happy -go-lucky, haphazard way the
United States has governed the district
of Alaska must not be repeated in Ha-
waii. Unfortunately the Constitution
is virtually silent upon the subject.
the only clause which directly relates
to it having been entirely ignored as
the district of Alaska and the district
of Columbia, which is the clause guar
lanteeing to each State "a republican
form of government. The United
States Supreme Court has distinctly
held that in this sense the word State
includes the Territories. 1t is admit
ted on all hands that Alaska has not
and never has had a Republican form
lof Government and the United States
has signally failed to carry cut the
guarantee. Any attempt
to place the same kind of government
in Hawaii would meet with determined
opposition in the Islands and at home.
Such an attempt will not be made.
AT the time the slavery question
was at its height and the matter of
the extension of slavery into the ter
ritory came before the United States
Supreme Court that tribunal held that
the United States could not govern COL
onies as such and the citizens OF terri
tories were entitled to exactly the
same protection as the citizens of
States. This clause of the COnStltu-
| ton has not been passed upon since
that time 1t has a very important
| bearing upon the kind OF government
which under the Constitution the
| United States can give to its newly
acquired possessions.
The leading statesmen are, there
| fore somewhat at sea as to just what
| TO do and how to do it. As the United
States has entered upon new policy
of territorial expansion beyond the
limits of the continent a great many
men advocate an amendment to the
limited States Constitution which Will
/ set at rest all questions concerning the
govern nlent of the new possessions. If.
however such an amendment was pro-
lDosed and failed OF ratification it would
muddle things very much worse than
they are now.
| There will be a determined effort to
admit as States the three territories
lnow within the borders of the United
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