The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-06-29
Hawaii In the Senate,

recent test vote, lead by Jones OF Ar
kansas, White of California, Allen of
Nebraska and Pettigrew of South Da-
kota, are c%onfederates in a plot to hold
up the Senate and prevent a vote on
the Newlands resolutions annexing the
Hawaiian islands. And this gang of
c~onspirators, a small minority of the
upper branch of Congress, is egged on
by the Mugwump and Bryan press of
the country, and urged to continue
their obstructive tactics to defeat, or
postpone till December, action on a
measure that is imperatively and i'm
mediately demanded by the military
requirements of the country, and has
already received the sanction of more
than two-thirds of the members of the
branch of Congress that represents the
people.
A small knot of obstreperous dema-
gogues is arrayed against seventy mil
lion people. The argument for and
against the measure is exhausted. If
these men were real statesmen and
pure patriots, c~onscientiously opposed
to the annexation of Hawaii, having
made their protest and employed every
honorable means to impress their con
victions upon their colleagues, they
would be content to submit to the will
of the majority. There opposition to
the orderly course of legislation would
end. There it ended in the case of
Speaker Reed, and there will end the
opposition of Senator Morrill,.
If factional opposition is carried to
extremes the power of the basic princi-
pie of this government, the supremacy
of the majority, will be invoked to put
down opposition; and the indications
are that, as a last resort, the President
of the Senate will i%nterpose his lawful
authority to uphold the government.
The opposition the obstructionists are
making drew from Senator Morgan of
Alabama rebuke as scathing as Cicero
addressed to Cataline and his fellow
conspirators. Of the dilemma in which
the opponents of annexation are COM
pelling the government to place Hawaii
the Senator said:
We are taking advantage Of Hawaii simply
because we know that she is bound to us
with hooks OF steel, or rather with stronger
hooks OF affection, and that she is as Amer
lean as we are. We kno that, and be-
cause she is in that situation, for mere po-
litical purposes, for the mere sake Of con-
trolling the November elections, the Senate
Of the United States is permitting itself here
to stand and higgle and to put the President
OF the United States to shame in the pres
ence Of the nations OF the world and of in
~ternational law. That is what we are do
ing. = Hawaii is sacrificing her
independence, her autonomy, the SOW
ereignty OF her islands for the purpose OF
exhibiting her friendship to the people Of
the United States, her love for the people OF
the United States, without any Interior con.
sideration moving her; for the political sit
uation, 80 far as Hawaii is concerned, has
been that OF annexation, and the treaty OF
annexation was ratified by her Senate be-
fore the war started. 1 should like to know
now whether these fine, silken, glossy ar.
guments about the constitution of the
United States and about the rights of the
President of the United States to coal his
ships and stop and refresh his troops in
Hawaii and in Cuba are to stand for a mo-
| nant in tho nraaanoa NJ the aUanta that ore
confronting this people n causing them tc
lay their ives down at our command, and
whether we can afford to stand here and
bubble about a little point like this and OBJ
struct the war and put to peril the troops
that we have sent out upon the high seas
I should like to know it. We nave got t.
face it, and 1 am delighted to find that there
is a majority here willing to do it; and I an
delighted to act with them, though they art
not my friends politically. 1 will stand by
them through thick and thin for my country
and its flag.
Mr.. President, we shall presently be hav
ing wounded men and men sick with al
manner OF tropical diseases coming bacl
from the Philippines. Are they there un
lawfully Are they there without our com
mand2 Are they there in some unholy OK
plot, from which we are not willing to re
lieve them or aid them while they are Their
and those who 60 to reinforce them, mark
ing up on the records of history the highes
tribute to American power and American
character that has ever been drawn by tn
hand of man with the sword? These me
will be coming back presently, many c
them; and Senators are here on this foo
flibustering to prevent those men fror
having a friendly welcome and a landing III
der their own flag and in their own countr
at Hawaii as they come back, saying, w
will make you sail across the Pacific or els
| die while you are trying That is the sitr
, alton we are in, No, sir, l repudiate i