The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-02-11

II III II CDh"sO
Washington, February 7.-Senator Tel
Ter, OF Colorado, occupied the entire four
hours of today's executive session in the
senate in discussing the Hawaiian trea-
~. During the course of his speech ne
took occasion to say that he would have
been glad to discuss the treaty in open
session and to this remark he added the
opinion that the time had almost come
when the question of annexation would
be debated upon a bill looking to legis.a-
tion by both houses of congress rather
than Upon che basis of the treaty. While
he thought there might be a bare posi-
bility OF securing the sixty votes neces-
sary to ratffy the treaty, he conceded
that under the present circumstances
this was exceedingly doubtful and he
Thought the sooner this fact should be
recognized and a change of front made
the better it would be from all points of
view.
There were some interruptions at this
point, anal it was suggested by some
senators after the CLOSE of the executive
session that the committee on foreign
relations consider the ACCESSIBILITY of
making this change Of policy at it's next
meeting, to be held on Wednesday of this
'"tth. IN SLiICIIItIlI, "d5, L ,
made by Senator Davis, chairman of the
committee on foreign relations, that there
had been no intention of attaching the
treaty to one of the appropriation bills
as an amendment, as had been stated
was the case, in some of the newspapers.
He made this statement in reply to a
question put by Senator White, of Cali
fOrnfa.
Senator Teller advocated the ratifica-
tion of the treaty, baSing his reasons
for this position upon the grounds that
the annexation of the islands was in the
interest of our m and in line with
OUT national policy for the past half CEN
itury. He devoted himself very largely
to replying to the objection that has been
raised to acquiring the islands because
of the domination Of the native race. He
undertook to show that there was no
foundation for this criticism, or if there
was such foundation now 1T need not, he
said, long continue to be an eSSenti fac
tor of the situation. He based this state
ment upon figures which he produced to
show that the natives or KanakaS were
rapidly dying off. as u result of their
commingling with outside races. With the
fierce Strugg that was about to begin
in the orient, for the possession of new
territory among the European powers, it
was indeed n short sighted man, he stat
ed, who would contend that Hawaii, oc-
cLIpying so important a lOcatlOn, as 1t
does, in the middle of the great Pacific
ocean, would he left untouched by some
of the land-grabbing nations of the
WOrld. Under the present clrcu1nS frances
1T was absurd for this government to try
to maintain a system of control without
taking actual possession. He c~ontrovert-
ed the position of Senators PettigreW and
White that the Americans could not
labor in the Hawaiian islands. He quoted
weather statistics to show that the tenn
perature of the island coasts ranges from
SIS to SO during the year. If the white
mann of the United States should not be
impressed with the islands, Senator Tel
Ter Thought they would make an ideal
location for colored people who might de-
sire to leave the present territory of this
country ard who would find congenial
employment in the sugar plantation and
coffee fields of Hawaii.
There is no present purpose in the
house of representatives to consider the
Hawaiian question, and the house lead
ers say there has been no change what
ever in the disposition to ALLOW the SEN
ate to act On the subject before making
any move in the house. Speaker Reed
would make no public comment on pub
liShed reports that he had changed his
views on Hawaii and was now in favor
of prompt action on a joint resolution
anreXing Hawaii. The report caused
much comment among members, and tC
those who made inquiries of the speak
er he replied with much emphasis that
the report was unwarrantede and false.