The Independent. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1895-1905, 1898-04-02
Mr.. Dole's Frail Logic.

Hawaiian annexation treaty now
confidently assert that they have,
pledged, the 60 votes necessary to
ratify the treaty, and some go step
farther in their claims and declare
that the number Of those who are
arrayed on the side OF annexation is
even more than the requisite two
thirds. This statement is open to
dispute-it may and it may not be
true. The point of interest in con-
nection with the claim is that the
additional votes are said to represent
the PROSECUTING industry of Presi-
dent Dole, who arrived in Washing
ton only about a week ago. When
the executive head Of the Sandwich
Islands reached California he was
besieged by interviewers who sought
a direct statement as to his motive
in coming here during the tendency
OF the treaty. To each one President
Dole had one reply-that he merely
desired to see the country, and he
disclaimed any intention of direct
lobbying or argument in favor of
the pending annexation treaty. No
body believed the circumlocutory
statement OF Mr.. Dole. The mere
fact OF his presence here during the
debate on the treaty and when it's
fate was hanging in the balance, he
himself being an ardent annexation
list, was sufficiently convincing evil
dence that his visit was not disin-
terested one. Mr.. Dole, however,
keenly as he desires annexation, did
not come freighted with large sup
ply OF argumentative ammunition.
Reduced to a brief statement his
plea is that the United States should
annex Hawaii because il it does not,
some other nation, preferably Eng
land or Germany, will.
This argument pre-supposes that
Hawaii is valuable and desirable
territory. Neither England nor
Germany wants a country OF no
economic value. Mr.. Dole, unfortun-
ately for himself, concludes that it
is already proved that Hawaii is
worth possession and that whatever
traditional or other objection we
may have to assuming her guardian
ship, such objection is valueless
when opposed to the probability
that some other nation will take the
island il we do not. Mr.. Dole COM
mits a serious and foolish error.
There has as yet been deduced no
plausible and convincing proof, in
the first place, that the Hawaiian
Islands are desirable piece of
property. The only contention en-
bodying any claim OF their desirable
ity, has been that they would be
extremely useful, indispensable in
fact, as a naval supply station in the
event of an armed conflict between
the United States and some foreign
power. The truth of the matter is
Hawaii is 2100 miles from our near
est seaport, San Francisco A war
vessel, at her best, would require
four days and four nights to steam
the distance. At such long range it
is impossible to see of what particu-
lar value she would in an emergency.
She is not comparable to the Ber-
mudas of England or the Cuba Of
Spain, which lie at the very doors
of the United States.
What is true of the value of Ha-
wall to us is equally true Of her
value to England or Germany. Her
isolation is so extreme that she can
not honestly be considered naval
factor. 1t matters nothing to us
who, il anybody, gets her. 1t is not
our tradition that lies back OF the
solid American objection to annex
ing the Hawaiian Islands, but the
principle behind that tradition.
The United States has achieved her
prominence by an infexible opposi-
ton to the acquisition of foreign
territory. This position cannot be
reversed for an individual case un-
less it can be conclusively demon.
/ IL II 1 4 L