The times., 1898-02-08
A BILL FOR ANNEXATION
Both Houses Of Congress May
Pass UponIHavaii.
N.Y.
trtFsp
SENATOR MORGAN'S PLAN
1t Seems to Be the Most Feasible
Method tor m Early Admittance
of the Islands and May Be Adopted
-Mr Teller Makes a Speech III
Behalf Of the Treaty


The debate on the Hawaiian anneXa-
ton yesterday developed the fact that
| perhaps, within few days, the con-
sideration of the treaty will be with
drawn, and the subject taken up in the
form of bill requiring the joint action
of the two houses, as provided in the
bill introduced by Senator Morgan, of
Alabama
| Mr.. Teller in his speech yesterday,
| limited at this, and it IS said tEat at
the meeting of the Committee on For
eign Relations tomorrow the advis-
ability of doing this will be considered.
As has been stated in The Times
| from the beginning, the friends of the
| treaty have not been able to count with
absolute surety the requisite sixty
votes necessary to make the two-thirds
essential To ratify annexation in this
form.
The debate does not develop any
! change of sentiment to materially af-
! feet the result and the debate is being
unduly protracted. 1t may happen
! therefore that this means of accom-
/ plishing TIE result will be adopted. 1t
I has already been pointed out in The
/ Times that the subsequent legislation
, will have to be discussed by the two
! Houses, and the same matter can be
/ considered at one time if the anneXa-
/ tion project is considered as matter
/ of legisla ton instead of a treaty, with
which the House has nothing whatever
! to do.
The only objection to this means is
! the fact that the absence of rules in
: the Senate will prevent the taking of
! the vote until the opponents of the
/ treaty are ready to permit ii to come To
a vote. The same objection, however,
/ applies to the consideration of the
treaty in executive session. g the same
rules operate there. The friends of an
nexation do not fear but that they can
get the final vote just az soon If the
matter is considered as piece of legis-
lation as they can in executive ses-
sion. There is no danger about the
action of the House, for annexation is
an Administration measure, and the
; Committee on Rules gMilfebe compelled
to permit it to go through that body
despite the we'll knoRn opposition of
Speaker Reed.
The debate yesterday MAS partici-
pated in chiefly by Senator Teller who
spoke for upwards 81 tW3 and half
hours in favor of antexatfon.
Mr.. Teller contended that there would
be no wrong committed on the natives
of the island by its annexation to this
country, but that, on the contrary, it
would be better forfthei1 from every
point of view. As a matter of fact.
he said the history of the' Island show
ed that the natives Would soon be eN-
tinct. and he predicted that within for
ty years there would not, with the eX-
ception of the mixed bloods, be a Kan
aka on the island. The mixed bloods
might prolong the race. but that was
due entirely to the infusion of white
blood. Senator Teller contended that
even the royalists admitted that they
could not hope to maintain themselves
as a nation without the protecting arm
of the United States and these royal
lists had said that il their queen was
restored she would request protecto-
rate from this Government.
OF the foreign population on the ISL
and Mr.. Teller said all We're anxious for
the American Government to take pos
session with the single exception of the
English, and even ~ per cent. of that
nationality We're willing for this Gov
ernment to carry out its intentions The
only reason the English were opposed
was the wish on their part that Great
Britain might step in and capture the
island, and that, Mr.. Teller sad. would
be the result if this Government re-
! fused to bring about annexation
Annexation had always been the poll
cy of the American Government, he
said. and years ago English leaders and
statesmen had stated that the manifest
destiny of the islands was to become
part of this Government domain. Mr..
Teller went over the arguments that
had already been advanced with re-
spect to the military importance of the
islands, and showed how Imperative it
was for this Government TO possess
these islands if it expected to expand
its commerce in the Pacific Ocean, and
if it intended To meet the aggression of
European nations in the Orient. where
they We're now preparing to portion
China among themselves and shut
America out from the advantages she
now enjoys. and destroy the constantly
increasing trade that had been built
up with the people of that part Of the
world.
When Senator Teller had concluded.
Mr.. Kyle read a letter he had just re
ceived from Capt. Mahan, of the navy.
the we'll known writer on Sea Power
and other naval text books. In that
letter the captain spoke of the ease
with which Hawaii could be defended
from attack. He admitted that the ISL
ands might be taken from this Govern
ment, but this was the chance of war
If trouble ever came, however, he said
that this Government would have to
take the islands if the attack was made
on this country from the Pacific
No nation, he said, could hope to at
tack America from that coast if 1t did
not hold the Hawaiian Islands as base
of supplies, for no man7ofWar could
sail from any Asiatic port and steam
three thousand miles and hope to con-
duct successful naval struggle. The
supply of coal vessel could carry was
too limited to permit this to be done.
must first take Hawaii. If that were
done this Government would gain by
the amount of time consumed in taking
the island and the warning thus given
her.