The Independent. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1895-1905, 1898-02-21
What is the ADMINISTRATORS Dis
tinctiVe PolicyP

ClIlIenS nave 40 lar uau ellRuJ TedsOu
to regard the Mckinley administra-
ton with grateful consideration. A
handful of powerful trusts and pro-
tected concerns generally have been
awarded benefits, but only OF tenn
porary nature, for when the reac-
ton comes, as come it will, all these
advantages will become more than
lost. Altoge Their the administration
so far has seemed to have very little
in view beyond holding Office and
paying the trusts back for campaign
favors with special legislation. But
it seems, If the New York Sun is
good republican authority, that the
administration is not without dis
tinctive measure, and that is the an
neration of Hawnii. The Sun makes
its views quite plain, as follows:
at is well for every republican
senator to remember that the only
distinctive administration measure
now before congress is the Hawaiian
annexation treaty.
"There is nothing else OF any i'm
portance that comes straight from
the executive to congress, marked
with the presidents recommends
tion and attended by his earnest and
anxious desires. Even the plan for
greenback retirement which was of
fered in the annual message relates
to future time; the time when the
income OF the government shall
equal its expenditures Mr.. McKin-
ley has put his annexation treaty in
the first place Of urgency.
Annexation itself is much more
than an administration measure;
much more than a party measure.
The demand for it is the expression
of an Americanism which is high
above any consideration Of partisan
ship. But this treaty in particular,
designed to effect the annexation OF
Hawaii at once and in the manner
preferred by the president and his
secretary OF state, is peculiarly iden-
tilted with the present administra-
ton, and its success or failure will
stand in history as the most auspi-
cious event of Mr.. McKinley's term
in the White House.
"Its success or failure will depend
upon republican votes. Its rejection
by republican votes in the senate
would be direct reputation OF the
foremost measure Of administration
policy by the republican senators so
voting"
And so the success or failure of
the administration is supposed to
depend upon the manner OF dealing
with The Hawaiian question. If the
republican campaign of 1896 is re-
called it will be remembered that
Hawaii was a very Insignificant is
sue. The st. Louis platform did
mention the control OF the Hawai-
ian Islands, but did not demand an
nexation, and, furthermore, not a re-
publican campaign orator mention
ed the matter on the stump. The
great money question upon which
the election hinged seems now to be
a small item; the imperative neces-
sity for revenue is being jammed
into one of the most secluded hooks
of oblivion; the pension monstrosity
still smells with undated rankness;
unfortunate labor conditions are i'm
pending in certain sections; the
spoilsmen are diligently intent TO
get wedge into the merit system
Of the civil service; more jobs and
bigger jobs than ever before are con-
fronting the treasury balances, and
yet the annexation of small group
of islands out in the Pacific ocean,
1000 miles away from American
shores, inhabited by heterogeneous
assortment of kanakas, japanese,
Chinese and Portuguese, together
with handful of Americans, Eng.
lishmen and Germans-about 100,-
600 people all told, with less than
5000 square miles of ground and
couple OF volcanoes-this, we are