The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-23
JOHNSON SHAMES THE LIMOGES
MAKES 4 SPEECH THAT ELECTRI-
FIES THE HOUSE.

Its FOundation-SeeS IendehcN
TO Enter Upon n scheme of COlOni-
zation and Points out That the
Policy Has Proved the Ruin of
Empires and of NatiOns-1a7Vaii
Taken in the Next Cry Would BE
For Cuba and Then for samoa.
Washington, Feb. 22.-Washngtoh
birthday was celebrated in the House aft
er a motion of Mr.. Bailey OF Texas 10
adjourn had been voted down by a vast
deal of political experimenting, and 1t was
also signalized by the firing of the first
gun in opposition TO Hawaiian annexation
Mr.. johnson, an Indiana Republican, de-
livered a. speech that electrified the House.
and the galleries in denunciation of what
he termed an attempt to cut loose from
the traditional policy of the United States
and enter upon a scheme of colonization
that had proved the ruin of empires ana
of nations He used some very strong IAN
guage, but his remarks were enthusiasm
cally applauded, and the minority ana
many Republicans joined in the demonstra-
ton. He declared that while he had de-
pounced at the time the statement that
the Hawaiian monarchy had been over
thrown with the aid of American citizens
mat he now firmly believed it was true.
The speech. coming entirely unheralded,
produced a deep impression.
The general debate on the sundry civil
bill was concluded to-day, and to-morro"
the bill will be taken up for amendment
Mr. johnson, in opening, referred 10 the
xsFaf-
ian annexation and said the friends ana
supporters of the treaty both inside and
outside of the Senate, were moving
heaven and earth to secure its adoption,
and that the President was laboring to
change the convictions of senatorial op>
moments of the measures. He discussed
the recent visit of President Dole, ana
suggested that the Hawaiian nation, I'M
like the United States, had everything to
gain and nothing to lose. He urged con-
centration of popular attention on the
issue and the disabuse of the minds of the
people of erroneous impressions, and as
serted that once put to the test others IN
the Senate or in the House, the American
people would be quick to perceive the dan
ger involved and TO condemn it,
1T will be buried" he said, beyond the
possibility even of an ultimate resurrec-
ton. (Applause).
II am opposed to the annexation OF
Hawaii" he continued, because / be-
lieve the people of Hawaii are opposed to
it, l am not to be confused by this spec
ious plea that the real sentiment of the
people of the Sandwich Islands is only TO
be obtained from the views of those who
assume to govern them. That sir, is the
merest techncality. There is no room
here for the application of the narrow
doctrine of estoppal"
Whether the present government of
Hawaii was a de facto or a de jure gov
eminent, he declared that it misrepresent-
ed the people of Hawaii, whose rights 1t
was ready to proffer away. when you
was charged in 1893, at the time when the
republic succeeded the monarchy, that the
revolution was aided by the interposition
of American citizens, l did not believe it
was true" said Mr.. Johnson. land l de-
MED it vigorously at the time, but the
persistency with which this treaty of an
neXation is being pressed gives color to
the accusation then made, and l then so
earnestly denounced"
Mr. johnson, continuing, gave some of
the reasons which impelled him to oppose
tion-one was the ignorance of the
population of Hawaii How long had 1t
been, he asked, since we had passed a bill
to keep out the ignorance of the world
that we now proposed to annex territory
In which ignorance was the rule, not the
exception. We had passed Chinese ex-
clusion act Now it was proposed to an
mex territory which contained a large
Chinese population.
He did not favor the holding of terri
tory under the shadow of the American
flag. colonial policy might be adapted
TO the nations of antiquity, but it would
not DO FOR a free country which derived
its power from the consent of the govern
ed 1t would be unwise and short sighted
he said, If we should cut loose from ali
the traditions of the past and rashly en-
bark on the unknown sea of territorial
ACKNOWLEDGMENT. The annexation of Ha-
waii would establish a precedent which
we would be urged to follow at an early
day. The appetite grew by what it fed
apon: To-day the cry was Give Us Ha-
wall. Tomorrow it would be Give us
Cuba" and the next day Give us Sa-
moa."
These appeals would all be justified by
the pleasant sophistries which appealed TO
our vanity and cupidity until at last we
would find ourselves irretrievably commit
ted to a policy unnecessary to the mate
rial happiness of our people hurryine
along path which was strewn with the
wrecks of empires and of nations. (Ap-
plause.) He could not deny, he said. that
the acquisition of foreign territory had
added to the prosperity of nations. But
history showed il to have been ultimately
a source of weakness. Cupidity bred OBJ
position it piled up taxes, it stirred up
strife, 1T shed human blood, it was the
first step toward acknowledgements Let the
nations of the old world pursue this policy
of ACKNOWLEDGEMENT to their hearts cons
tent; let them saddle their people with
debt, equip armies and navies and shed
oceans of blood Let England boast, if
she please, that the sun never sets upon
her territory. But let us remember it new
er goes down upon the misery her policy
has created. Her people starve in India.
Let wars and rumors of war bring anxiety
10 the faces o8her colonists, but let the
flower of her colonies which broke away
from her domination 100 years ago, and
which. by pursuing the opposite policy, has
ohtstripped her. continue to stand as an
example TO the civilized world While
others seek war and its horrors, let us
eaothe our people with enduring peace
Peace hath her victories no less renown-
ed than war"