The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-12-08
NEUTRALITY.

The Bulletin has for some time pes
tered the Advertiser with requests for
the opening of the neutrality question.
This, we assume, il does as the organ
of the now frantic Special Agent, who
has been, and now is, SO far as We can
learn, the only candidate for COVER
norship that does not exist.
Since the hour when the Special Agent
provokingly destroyed the solemnity of
the annexation proceedings by uttering
a messy and ffl-advised stump speech
an act like that of marring a, pretty
landscape by spreading an advertise
ment of Rising Sun Stove Polish in
front of 1.-THE Advertiser has studi-
ously avoided any allusion to the pitt
full incident. But as a cordial challenge
seems to be extended by the S. A. TO
revive ,nis subject and others con-
nected with it, the Advertiser will gen
erously cast away its reserve and from
time to time, inform its readers about
the movements of this central figure in
the political farce now on the boards,
Man Fit to Govern
The question of neutrality has now
no practical value, but will remain one
OF historical Importance for many
years, as an incident in the close of
our national life. Only as such is it
alluded to. Our treaty with Spain pro-
vided by Article "a that:
'Tf from concurrence of un-
fortunate circumstances, differences be-
tween the contracting parties should
cause an interruption of the relation of
friendship between them and after
having exhausted the means of an
amicable and conciliatory discussion,
the object of their mutual desire should
not have been completely attained, the
arbitration of a third power, equally
the friend of both, shall by a common
accord be appealed to, in order to avoid
by this means a definite rupture"
The interruption of the relation OF
friendship between the parties,' was
caused by no differences whatever
There We're none. Our Government
after due deliberation. abandoned its
neutrality In the Spanish war, without
any provoeation from Spain, not even
a complaint on either side. 1t simply
broke it's contract with Spain. It's de-
tense is that it did only that which
Great Britain has done repeatedly, and
that it closely followed the United
States in it's practice of breaking trea
ho "A
was under moral obligations to the
United States to abandon neutrality
she was under moral obligations tC
observe her treaty with Spain. She
choose, naturally enough, to follow her
interests. and abandoned neutrality. II
But wisdom and justice are not always
partners.
The Special Agent, now the only can
tlidate, took occasion on Annexation
day in his stump speech to call the mer
selfish and timid,'' who had hesitatet
to break the treaty with Spain, because
the moral responsibility was upon
them.
The Special Agent and his organ con
tinue TO take pride in this act of rep
ndiating treaty obligations.
The incident calls up one OF Lin
coins stories:
A preacher who loved sport saw TIVE
little birds .alight on the decayed car
cass of dead dog in. a field. Afte
eating a meal from it, they flew ava.
to a fence rail, and began to sweet.
MARBLE their thankful notes. TIL
preacher brought them both down witt
one shot As he picked them up he re
marked TO himself: THE moral is jus
this, don't eat dead dog and then fl
off and sing about it.
The less singing that is done over tn
broken clause of that treaty, the les
danger we are in from the double bar
relied guns of the political morallsts.