Evening star., 1898-06-01
HAWAIIAN ANNEXATION.
The Senate Votes Not to Consider 1t
in Open Session.

The secret legislative session of the SEN
ate yesterday afternoon lasted three hours
The entire time was given to a rather free
discussion of the Hawaiian question based
on a motion declaring it to be the sense of
the Senate that the question of annexation
should not be discussed in open session. At
the conclusion of the debate the Senate
voted viva voce not to pursue the subject
further except behind closed DOORS
Senator Lodge Gid not press the subject
of his speech after the public was excluded
but other Senators declared themselves in
favor or prompt action, the speeches OF
MessrS. Chandler and Morgan being the
nost pronounced in this direction. Sena-
tor Morgan expressed the opinion that
under the circumstances the annexation of
the Hawaiian Islands was as much a war
measure as any step that could possibly ne
taken, and he thought that Congress- should
remain in session long enough TO pass ali
war measures. He paid his respects to those
VINO preferred adjournment to remain
ing here to attend to the country's busi-
ness. A large portion of his speech was
made in reply to Senator White who had
antagonized the theory that the islands
Were IN any way essential to our success
N the conflict with Spain
Military Neccssity.
Senator Chandler contended that the pos
session of the Islands was military neces-
sity He dwelt upon the fact that Hawaii
afforded practically the only stopping place
in the dreary waste of water be-
tween our shores and the Philippine
Islands. He mentioned the fact that we
now have 12,N0 tons of coal stored AT
Honolulu, and said that IT, in view of the
existing war We should be shown any ia
Vorltism whatever the little republic would
be held to a strict accountability by otha,.
countries. He called attention to the Cen
eva award, and said that under its terms
we would, by forcing Hawaii to violate
neutrality, render that country liable for
all damage that might be done To neo,,lc
OF other nationaities by ships which had
stopped in the islands wherever that dam
age was done. This was d principle for
which the United States had contended,
ana IL would be a veritable traVesty upon
Justice to render this friendly and helpiess
power the subject of the principle The
only proper way out of the difficulty ne
argued was to annex the islands and thus
serve our own convenience and save them
from the vengeance of other powers and
ne thought no time should be lost in TAX
ing this step " ''n
other speeches favorable to annexation
were mace by Senator's Stewart and FL
kins and Senator Allison acting chairman
OF the nnaHce committee. intInated a will
lnshess TO take up the Hawaiian question
ai'er az the passage of the war revenue bill
Let US, said he. finish this bill and
then, II necessary take up the Hawaiian
question He made a plea against invoIv-
ing the one subject with the other.
taeonlstic to annexation and Senator Hale
announced himself favorable to final ad
1orrnment after the passage of the war
revenue Dill and necessary appropriation
bills.
Mr.. Pettigrew's Opposition.
Mr. Pettgrew devoted himself especially
To Senator Chambers declaration that the
acquisition of the islands was a necessity
OF war. He contended that such was not
the case, and argued that Unalaska a
town within our own borders, was a far
more desirable stopping point for shins
bound to the orient from San Francisco
tran Honolulu could be- He said Honolulu
and Cnalaska were each about 2, 100 miles
from San Francisco, but that while Homo
iuiu was more than 1890 miles distant
from Manila. Unalaska was only little
over A. 100 miles -
Why he asked. did not our govern
ment, in view of this diff erence in distance
and in view of the saving of two davs'
time, store her coal at UnaIaska instead of
Honolulu? Why, If it was not in anticipa
ton of the raising of this cry of naces
slty IN order to force us into acquiescencc
IN the acquisition of the islands as n war
measure when 1t was known thataanuex.
tioh could not be accomplished In time of
peace?'
Senator White thought he saw in the ef
tort 10 secure Hawaiian annexation at this
time desire to establish a precedent for
similar proceedings in other cases and
said the matter should be postponed until
after the war and all efforts at annexation
considered together. He thought that II
our principal object had been that of se-
curing coating station we should have
iortihed Pearl Harbor, but as this had not
been done 1t was evident that we must
have other designs.
Senator Lodge said after the conclusion
OF the secret session that he had accom-
piished his purpose in calling attention