The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-06-20
FORECAST OF CONGRESS
Hawaiian Question at the Front
In the Senate.
DIFFERENCE OF OPINION
Contradictory Assertions by Friends and
Opponsnts Of tho Aeasure-Forty-
eix Senators VIII Stay
In Session

washington, June l9.-The HaWaiiah
question to the front again In the
senate during the present week. but un
der somewhat different circumstance
from those which attended It's presenta-
ton at the beginning of the session. The
purpose was then. as 1t In now. TO secure
the annexation OF the islands to the
United States, but the effort at that time
was TO secure this result by means Of a
treaty, whereas the present course IL
through the fundamentally Of a joint
resolution. On the FIRST occasion the mat
ter was considered In executive session
with the public excluded. while now the
doors are TO be thrown open to the world.
What the outcome OF the question may
be or when a vote will be reached. no one
will undertake to say positively. The
leaders on both sides are full of prophecy.
but there is so much discrepancy between
their opinions as to render 1t necessary
to discard one In order to accept the oth-
err. The friends of annexation assert tnat
there Is no possible doubt of their ability
to pass the resolution, and say they have
l6 senators, or one more than a quorum,
pledged to remain In the senate until the
question can be decided, while the oppos-
ing leaders declare that Is senators have
assured them they will vote to adjourn I'm
| preference to remaining In session inden-
nitely for the consideration OF the Ha-
waiian question.
The supporters of the proposition ex-
press confidence that action will be Sc
cured within 10 days. While the opposition
! contend that II will be found Impossible
to secure a vote during the present session
Of congress. The advocates of annexation
declare that they will not make any
speeches. leaving the opponents to occu-
py all the time to he consumed by this
cnAans The cpnnUitlan say they are will
ing to make the speeches IL compelled to
do so, but that IL forced to do this they
will insist that the friends of the meas
ure shall maintain a constant quorum IN
the chamber. They also predict that the
annexationists will find themselves com
PEELED to participate in the proceedings
as they expect to advance points which
will demand refutation. or at least re
ply.
In view Of this general contradictory
condition one can only base prediction
upon general conditions. There is no doub
in the first prsce that tho annexationist
have a majority in the senate II a vot'
can be reached. II a vote could be gottei
now the result would be about "a for an
nxation to IS against In a full senate. o
these "a senators there are, however
quite a. number who are not zealous. an
in whose minds all doubt as to the acaui
sition OF outside territory has not bee
overcome.
The senators as a rule are indispose'
to remain I'm session for n length o
time during the hot summer months I
. consider Hawaiian annexation. Most o
the senators OF this class are republican
and there are probably a sufficient mum
Der OF them under normal circumstance
To force an adjournment. They nm
themselves confronted. however. with tn
request Of the administration to renal
and pass the resolution as a war measure
and some of them are disposed to sin
their own preferences in obedience to tn
presidential wish.
The talk as TO the probability Of post
ponement until a fixed date In the mex
session increases and many persons ar
predicting that this will be the outcom
of the contest. A test vote probably wi
2 be secured on Monday on the taking u
of the resolution, as II will be necessar
to take IL up to displace other measure
[ on the calendar.