Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1898-01-14
THE HAWAII TREATY
SENATOR DAVIS SPEAKS IN FAVOR
OF ANNEXATION.

The Chairman Of the Committee on For
eign Relations Opens the Debate and
Gives Reasons why We should Have
the Islands.
Washington, Jan. 12-Except for a
few minutes given to a controversy
over some minor postofice confirma-
tiont the entire time of the executive
sessi IN of the senate was consumed by
Senator Davis of Minnesota in a speech
in support of Hawaiian annexation. Mr..
Davis is chairman of the senate com
mttee on foreign relations, and his
speech was generally accepted as the
semiofficial utterance of the majority Of
the committee He spoke for about two
hours and when the senate adjourned
had not finished. The speech was the
first upon the merits Of the treaty, and
on this account and because of the
known fact that Senator Davis had
made a very careful invest cation of the
subject he received the undivided atten-
tion of the members of the senate re-
gardless of individual views.
The portion of the speech delivered
consisted of a review of the relations
between this country and Hawaii dur
ing the history of these islands and was
intended to show that the United states
had exercised a fostering and protect
ing care over them from the lNAinnng,
with many evidences Of the Intention
ultimately of making them an integral
portion of the American domain. Il ap-
proach this question" the senator be-
gan, with, l hope, a due sense of the
responsibility imposed upon me in be-
ginning a debate the result of which
may be of momentous consequence to
the future welfare of both this country
and the Hawaiian islands. The ques-
ton" he continued, 'is one of impor-
tance so vast that one must Of necessi-
ty approach 1t with a certain degree OF
tfmidlty, because 1t is very difficult to
present all the points involved as they
should properly be presented, however
much care and attention one may have
given to the subject"
one strong point which Mr.. Davis
dwelt upon at considerable length was
the desirability of these Islands, not
only to this country but to all the lead
ing powers of the world. I'VE" he said,
SHOULD take the islands while we have
the opportunity. and if we do not want
them it will be a very easy matter for
us to get rid of them on our own terms"
He showed that they would be very
important territorial acquisition to ell
ther Japan, England or Russia and ex,
pressed the opinion that either of those
powers would take the islands off our
hands at any time we might make
known our desire to be rid of them. 1t
would be easy. enough, he said to turn
them over to some other country in
case we find them to be an undesirable
Int xxrhp ttTf11 that n
will be so easy for us to take them at
some future time in case we voluntarily
deprive ourselves of the present oppor-
tunity?
civil Service Debate Ended.
The civil service debate which was
inaugurated in the house a week ago
ended yesterday It opened with row,
but ended very tamely. There was not
even a vote on the appropriation in the
legislative, executive and judicial ap-
preparation bill. The Republicans who
are seeking to modify or repeal the law
decided to let the debate come to a
close, but it required the casting vote OF
the speaker to accomplish this.
There are conflicting statements as to
the situation in which the future con-
duct of the war against the civil service
law is left All the Republican oppo-
nents Of the law agree that the fight ls
to be kept up and it is positively stated
by Mr.. Pearson (Rep.) of North Carolina
that assurances have been received
from those in authority in the house
that an opportunity will be given in the
future for the consideration of bill to
modify the law. But from other sources
the statement cannot be confirmed.
The debate yesterday was quite dull
until the closing hour, when Mr.. Simp-
son, the Kansas Populist, enlivened It
with some references to the Ohio sena-
torial election. Mr.. Bailey, the Demo-
cratic leader, made clear statement
of the minority position, which indi-
Gates that the minority will vote to re-
peal but not to modify the law. The
principal speech of the day was medJ
by Mr.. Brossius chairman OF the civil
service committee, who defended this
law in two hour speech.
Mr.. Davidson of Wisconsin Introduce |
bill to incorporate the Maritime Canal
company of North America, to be SUBJ
ject to the control of the interstatJ
commerce commission and to begin op-
erations within five years. The compa-
ny is authorized to construct and op-
crate a navigable channel, channels OF
canals connecting the great American
lakes and navigable waters tributary
to the Atlantic ocean, of a depth of q
feet. and the locks, which are not Ia
exceed ten in number between the great
lakes and the Atlantic tidewater, arc
required to be large enough to admit
craft $50 feet long, Go feet wide and 2l
feet draft