The San Francisco call., 1898-01-22
TAKE A VOTE.


 fered by Senator Bacon is trip hammer blow
 l It follows precedent in the Texas case, in which 1t was provided that admission as State should be voted on by the people, and the San Domingo case for the treaty to annex that country demanded sub mission to the people.
 The close corporation which the oligarchy has maintained in Hawaii has from the beginning calmly ignored the I4ooo voters who had the ballot before the conquest of 1893. Of the 2Soo permitted to use the ballot by the ogarchy very large num- Der are adventurers who have been domestcated in the islands during the last four years.
 The Georgan's amendment begins right. Before discussing issues of expediency and consttutonalty it is necessary to find out whether the people want annexation. That is the American way of proceed ing and the method Is based on fair play and a de cent regard for human rights When the native born Hawaiians of legal age and the lawfully naturalized citizens have voted the question it will be time to discuss the other phases of the subject.
 But must be understood from the start that there must be free ballot and an honest count When the Dole Government formed its new constitution it ap- pointed majority of the members of the consttu- tional convention. It then dictated that instru ment provision for annexation to the United States Its stove already hot to hold and it wanted to let it drop. It provided also that no should vote without taking oath to support this annex ation constitution, that any Hawaiian who not willing to confirm the oligarchy's power to sell the country to the highest bidder could not vote all
 This neat juggle has enabled the oigarchy's lobby tsts to deny that anybody is disenranchsed and to declare that the electors of the islands unanimous for annexation
 The Bacon amendment smashes this scheme at one blow It steps outside the Hawaiian constitution and refers annexation to plebiscite of the whole people
 But there must be no further juggle. The amend ment must not permit proclamation either from the President of the United States or the ruler of the Hawaiian oligarchy to the effect that "duy const- tuted electors upder the Hawaiian constitution only shall vote because that brings the matter right back where it is now inasmuch under that constitution every elector will have take oath vote for nexation before he vote at all This oath the tives will not take.
 The Senate of the United States cannot afford to defeat the Bacon amendment. It cannot afford to make the open record of republic refusing to sub init to people change in their sovereignty. Such refusal puts this country in the catalogue of autocracies We go then further down in the class than the constitutional monarchies and take place alongside of the Asatic absolutisms, where Shahs, Ameers and Khans are the lords of life and death.
 We have heretofore counted ourselves much supe- rior to Thbet and have been classed higher by the rest of the world
 The chief of the o1garchy is on his way to Wash ington to talk about Hawaiian republic" and the of assinilating the two governments which are similar in form. Let ii he will prove himself republican by assenting to the Bacon amendment If he do 1t will become the duty of American cit- zens to see to it that trick is played upon the voters of the islands. People who thank God fer vently that they have country to sell are not to be trusted The islanders must be saeguarded against IaIJ h,, armed force thus increasing debt which they now ask us to pay. That election must be guarded from the casting of the first ballot talying the last out of the box.