Evening star., 1898-06-21
WEAK AND IMPOTENT
Review Of the Senate Opposition to
Hawaiian Annexation.
SIGNIFICANCE OF YESTERDAYS Vote
A Ballot Expected by the Middle
of Next Week.
FIBIBUSTERING UNLIKELY

The vote on adjournment taken in the
Senate just before o'clock gave some in
dication of the weakness of the opposition
to the Hawaiian resolutions. The question
was presented in way calculated to bring
out the full strength of the opposition. On
the proposition to prolong the session of
the first day Of the discussion while the op-
position were protesting that they were not
ready to proceed at that hour, none would
vote to go ahead except those who are de-
termined to have a vote on the resolu-
tions. A lukewarm friend of Hawaii
would probably have voted with Mr.. White
to adjourn. Yet under such circumstances
the vote stood A to Is against adjourn
nent, making display of weakness on the
part of the opposition which deprives
them of any possible justification for a
filibuster, under the practice of the Senate.
Moreover, it is known that some of the
fifteen who voted with Mr.. White to ad-
journ will not join in a filibuster. 1t is
doubted whether there are ten men in the
Senate who are willing to join in the ef-
fort to delay action, and of this number
not more than half dozen are earnestly
in favor of resorting to such methods.
Vote Expected Next Week.
vote will be had not later than the middle
of next week. The opposition have begun
their filibuster methods too early in the de-
bate to leave them much chance of being
able to sustain the fight long.
There Is some talk of a proposition to be
made to adjust the matter by agreeing on
fixing a day when a vote on the resolutions
shall be taken at the beginning of next
session. This suggestion comes from men
who profess to want to relieve themselves
from the embarrassment of having to vote
against annexation at this time, when they
would probably be in position, they say,
to vote for it next session.
Sufficient Votes Assured.
Neither the suggestion nor the reason
for it appeals to the friends of Hawaii
There are sufficient votes for annexation
without these of men who are now in a
doubtful state of mind, and the need for
immediate action is such as to preclude the
Idea OF delaying the vote merely on the
chance of gaining a few more supporters.
Moreover, the circumstances surrounding
the case do not appear to admit of such
delay. The war necessity for annexation
exists now and is regarded by the military
and naval authorities as urgent.
Attitude of the Administrations,
The administration feels it to he so i'm
port1nt that it is well understood that if
Congress should adjourn without action on
the resolutions the President would call an
extra session. The House, too, which mus;
be party to an adjournement will not agree
TO an adjournment resolution until a vote
has been had on Hawaii. This would seem
to bar ANY agreement for postponement
even with the time for a vote definitely
fixed.
The friends of annexation are determined
10 have vote at this session of Congress
and the idea of agreement on any diff
ferent line is out of the question. The sit
uat1on would not admit of their agreeing
to a postponement, however desirous they
might be of accommodating colleagues who
find themselves embarrassed by the necessi-
ty of voting at this time.
Resistance is NonsensicaI.
Even those opposed to annexation, ex-
cept few of the most extreme, recognize
that it is nonsense to resist the inevitable
and are insisting that the opposition should
be content to have vote after their side
of the case mas been fairly presented. From
anti-annexation sources a statement was
made today that a filibuster would not be
fully developed and that vote might be
looked for by the close of this week or the
beginning Of next. This Is based on the
absolutelycertain knowledge that nothing is
to be gained by prolonging the contest un-
duly, and that long delay would simply con-
tribute to the discomfort of the senators
to no purpose. The extreme opponents of
annexation are actually aiding in defeat
Ing their own purpose by calling for the
presence of a quorum during debate and
thus reminding senators thus early in the
hight OF the Inconvenience of flibuSter.
No PostpOnement Possible.
Yesterday there was a call for a quorum
made by Mr. Jones of Arkansas, which de-
prived senators from the privilege of TAX
ing their comfort in the cloak ROOM To-
day again Mr.. Jones repeated the same ac-
ton.
Senator Frye, speaking Of the sugges-
ion Of postponement, said to a Star re-
porter today:
Il have heard of no such proposition
and know of no friend of annexation who
is in favor of any postponement even
with day fixed for vote"