The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1898-01-20
WORK OF CONGRESS
Condensed Proceedings of the Ma
tiOula Law Mill.

Washington. Jan. 12.--Except for a
Few minutes given to a controversy
over some minor pOstOfficc conflrl1a-
Mons the entire time of the executive
session of the senate was consumed
by Senator Davis of Minnesota in Il
speech in support of Hawaiian annex
alton. Mr.. Davis is chairman of the
senate committee on foreign relations
ami his speech was generally accepted
| as the scmi-otiicial uttcrarce of the
majority of the committee. He spoke
| about two hours. and when the senate
adjourned he had not finished. The
speech was the first on the merits of
the treaty and on this account and be-
cause of the known fact that Senator
Davis had made a very careful inveS-
tigation of the subject he received the
undivided attention of the members
of the senate regardless of individual
views. AZ the speech was delivered
behind closed doors Il verbatim report
could not be secured. The portion Of
the speech delivered consisted of Il re-
view of the relations between this
country and Hawaii during the history
of these islands. and was intended to
show that the United States had cXcr-
ciScd fostering ard protecting care
| over them from the beginning with
many evidences of the intention to ul-
tim&tCly making them an integral pOr-
tiOn OF the American domain. The
senator consumed considerable time i'll
general presentation of the reasons
for annexation. saying that these were
both commercial and strategy" Re
ferrng 10 the commercial relations for
| controlling the islands in the interest
of this country he called attention 20
their location. midway in the Pacfi"
| ocean. and said that any one with
nalf an eye 10 the importance of the
trade of the Orient could discern the
! fact that they must cut n very inn
pOrtant figure in controlling that trade
| for the future.
AS for their military Importance
said the senator. lit has already he
come evident that the opening Of the
| new century which is now SO near
must mark the opening of n new cOndi-
| ton Of affairs in the far East"
He referred then briefly to the opc-
ratiOnS Of the European powers in
China. predicting that the time was
not far distant when the great nations
| Of Europe would. If they were not
| checked, control the entire Asiatic
scabCard.
Washington. jan. Ex-senator Davis
continued and completed his speech III
the executive session of the senate on
the Hawaiian treaty, and was fol-
lowed by Senator Allen of Nebraska,
who spoke in opposition.
Mr.. Davis speech was devoted large
ly 10 Il presentation of the strategic
! features of annexation. He displayed
Il chart in front of the presiding Of
fiCcrS platform showing the location
of Hawaii relative to this country aud
10 Asia. One of the points brought
! out with considerable elaboration was
! the probable effect ON the Nicaraguan
! canal of the occupation of the islands
| by some foreign powers. He illuStrat-
cd by Il reference TO the map, showing
that Hawaii was in IA straight line be
tween the western terminus Of the
canal aud Japan and China. The ma
ton. be said. which controls Hawaii
will control the great gateway of
commerce. as the guns planted on
Hawaii would be pointed directly ut
the mouth of the canal. Mr.. Davis
TidicLlcd the objection made by Japan
that the addition of Hawaii as United
States territory would work a viola
ton Cf Japan's treaty rights in the
| islands. He said in reply to this OBJ
iectiCn that all rights would doubtless
be protected, and instanced the crea
ton of the German empire as showing
the effect of annexation upon the
treaties of various countries which
enter into n consolidation.
The last half hour of Senator Davis
speech was devoted 10 a recapitula-
ton Of the subject, in which he dwelt
mt considerable length and portrayed
in strong terms the origin and close of
great wars, which was Intended to IL
lustratc the probable result of present
operations in Chinese waters.
When Senator Davis took his seat he
was congratulated by almost every
senator present upon the force of his
argument. the thorOughness of his re-
search and the brillianCy Of his pre-
ScntatiOn of facts. Both Senator's
Hoar and Mason were heard to re-
mark that it was Il great pity that the
rules of an executive session prevented
the publication Of the entire document.
Senator Aliens speech in opposition
to the treaty was comparatively brief
Washington. Jan. Is. Tho house
passed an urgency deficiency bill car
rying S1,741. S43. One Of the items.
authorizing n further expenditure of
S320,OOO for the soldiers ono ut Dan
| vile, ILL.,. for which $40 900 was APP
propriated in the last sundry civil bill,
was used by Mr.. Diamond Dem.
Mo- as n basis for bitter personal
attack upon Chairman Cannon. whose
home is at Danville. There was also
n lively debate over the provision in