Evening journal., 1898-06-20
HAWAIIAN ANNExATioN.
Both Sides In the senate Claim 20 Con
troll the sltnation.

Both Sides In the senate Claim 70 Con-
troll the Situation.
WASHINGTON, June 20.-The Iia-
waiian question comes to the front
again in the senate during the present
week, but under somewhat different cir
cumstances from those which attended
lbs presentation at the beginning Of the
session. The purpose was then, as 1t is
now. TO secure the annexation Of the
islands to the United States, but the
effort at that time to secure this result
was by means OF a treaty whereas the
present course is through the instru-
mentality Of joint resolution. on the
first occasion the matter was considered
in executive session, with the public ex-
cluded. while now the doors are to be
thrown open and the world invited.
What the outcome Of the discussion
will be or when a vote will be reached
no one viii undertake to say positively.
The leaders on both sides are fun Of
prophecy, but there is such discrepancy
between their opinions as to render it
necessary to discard one in order to ac-
cept the other. The friends of annexa-
tion assert that there is no possible
doubt of their ability to pass the reso-
luton and say they have 46 senators, OF
one more than a quorum, pledged to re-
main in the senate until the question
can be decided, while the opposition
leaders declare that 4S senators have as
sured them that they Will vote to ad-
journ in preference to remaining in ses-
sion indefinitely for the consideration
of the Hawaiian question. The support
ers OF the proposition express confidence
that action will be secured within ten
days, while the opposition contend that
il win be found impossible to secure a
vote during the present session Of con-
gress. The advocates of annexation de-
clare they will make no speeches. leav-
ing the opponents to occupy all the time
to be consumed by this means. The op-
position say they are willing to make
the speeches If compelled to do so, but
IL forced to do this they will insist that
the friends of the measure shall main
tain a constant quorum in the senate
chamber. They also predict that the
annexatlonists will find themselves
compelled TO participate in the proceed
ings. as they expect to advance points
which viii demand refutation or at least
reply.
In view of this generally contradicto-
ry condition, one can only base predic-
tion upon general conditions. There is
no doubt, in the first place, that the an
nexationists have a majority in the SEN
ate IL vote can be reached. If a vote
could be had now the result would be
about 81 for annexation to 30 against in
a full senate. OF these 54 senators there
are, however, quite a number who are
not jealous and in whose minds all
doubt as to the policy of the acquisition
of outside territory has not been over
come. The senators as a rule are indis-
posed to remain In session for any
length of time during the whole sum
mer months to carry Hawaiian ahnexa-
/ tion. Most Of the senators of this class
are Republicans and there are proba-
| bly, a sufficient number of them under
normal circumstances to join with the
/ Democrats to force an adjournment
/ They find themselves confronted, how
I ever. with the request Of the admins
tration to remain and pass the resolu-
/ tion as war measure, and some are
disposed to sink their own preferences
( in obedience to the presidential wish
The gossip as to the probability of a
postponement until fixed day in the
next session increases. and many per-
sons are predicting that this viii be the
outcome of the contest. A test vote
probably win be secured today on the
taking up of the resolution, as it will be
necessary in order to get It up to dis
place other measures on the calendar.