The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-02-03
WHITES ATTACK ON TREATY
SCHEME BASED ON
 SENTxMENTALITY AND SUGAR.

SENTIMENTALITY AND SUGAR. California Senator Also Sets Forth the Con- l
 dieting Opinions of Admiral Belknap |
 and General Schofield as to Practicabllity |
 of Fortifying HonoIulu-Senator Tillman l
 Takes Hand in the Discussion.
 Washington, Feb 2.-Senator White | of California continued his speech in l opposition to the Hawiian annexation treaty in the executive session of the senate to-day amid many Interruptions and much cross fire. He undertook to show that for reasons of commerce and defense the acquisition of the islands was unwise Previous to Mr. Whites speech the senate spent about three quarters of an hour in legislative ses- sion, with the doors closed, trying to decide whether Senator Pettigrew's resolution concerning the acquisition of territory which it would require navy to defend should be debated in open or executive session. When the vote was taken the majority was, found to be against the proposition for open ses- sions.
 When Senator White resumed the floor he continued his citation of au- thorities to show that the policy of this country in the past had really been against the annexation of the Hawaii an Islands. He reviewed most of the documents quoted by Senator Morgan as favorable to annexation of the ls- lands for the purpose of showing that they were all favorable to Hawaiian independence, but not to Hawaiian an neXation. He took up the contention that Honolulu was necessary to the de- fense of the Nicaraguan canal. He said that there was no foundation to support it. and gave figures to show that in case that defense of the canal became necessary by this country it would be defended from either San Diego or San Francisco. and not from Honolulu.
 '"The whole scheme for the annexa- tion of Hawaii" he declared. lis based on sentimentality and sugar." He said that the sugar people, who were net | ting eight or nine million dollars a year under the reciprocity treaty, were back of the annexation project with the hope of making the benefits now derived from reciprocity perpetual. He quoted Admiral Belknap to the effect that Honolulu could be fortified effectually and General Schofield to tTe effect that | it could not be fortified at all for land | s.I. fer He contended that if one of the l islands should be fortified all three of them should be, and that it would re- quire an immense navy to remain there permanently, while the acquisition of this territory would not diminish the expense for Notifications and maintain ing a navy at Honolulu
 To an interruption by Senator Hoar, MT. White replied that the present Ha- waiian government was importing con- tract laborers under a provision which went to the extent of permitting their 1 imprisonment He asserted that since the trouble occurred a few months since which resulted in refusing per- mission to seven hundred Japanese to land on the islands over two thousand had been brought in under contract. This practice he denounced as hypo- critical.
 Senator Tillman of South Carolina came into the debate, making some as sertions shich created breezy stir for few minutes. He referred to the re- cent Hawaiian revolution and to what he termed the effort of the republican party to establish a government in the interest of the white people in the is- lands when they numbered only about one out of thirty of the inhabitants, and referred to the reorganization of party lines in the south after the war. "We were then" he said, lin South Carolina attempting to establish a white mans government. The repub- lican party interfered with us then, or attempted to do so, protesting to hold opinions about the sacred rights of the majority to rule. should like to know whether the republican party has changed its opinion on this subject of the right of the white man to rule. for if it has, and will extend it to the southern states, I will vote for the treaty"
 Probably the most significant occur renee of the day was the fact that Sem ator Merrill. who has during his entire career been exceedingly conservative on the question of executive sessions of open sessions on the Pettigrew res- olution. He gave as his reason that the speeches for and against the treaty
 were liable to cause the press to give
 different account of the session.