The record-union., 1898-02-23

the Ruin of Empires and of
Nations.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 22-Washng-
tons Birthday was celebrated in the
House. after a motion of Bailey to ad-
journ had been voted down. with vast
deal of political speech making, and it
was also signalized by the firing of the
first gun in opposition to Hawaiian an
nexation.
Johnson OR) of Indiana delivered q
speech that electrified the House and
the galleries in Genunciation of what ne
termed an attempt TO cut loose from the
traditional policy of the House, and
further a scheme of colonization that
had proved the ruin of empires and of
nations. He used some very strong lam
guage, but his remarks We're enthusi-
astically applauded, and the minority
and many Republicans joined in the
demonstration. He declared that while
he had denounced at the time the state
ment that the Hawaiian monarchy had
been overthrown with the aid of Ameri-
can citizens, that he now firmly be-
lieved it was true. The speech, coming
entirely unheralded, produced a deep
impression.
The general debate on the sundry civil
bill was concluded to-day, and to-mor-
row the bill will be taken up for amend
nent.
Johnson (R) of Indiana. in opening.
referred to thecontest now on in the SEN
ate over Hawaiian annexation, and said
the friends and supporters of the treaty.
both inside and outside of the Senate,
We're turning heaven and earth to secure
its adoption, and that President Nc
kinley was laboring to change the con-
yictions of the Senatorial opponents of
the measure.
He discussed the recent visit of Pres
ident Dole, and suggested that the Ha-
waiian nation, unlike the United States,
had everything to gain and nothing TO
lose. He urged concentration of popu-
lar attention on the issue and disabuse
of the minds of the people of the err
roneous impressions. ana asserted that
once put to the test either in the Sen
ate or in the House, the American people
would be quick to discover the danger
involved, and so condemn it. 1T will
be buried" he said, beyond the possi-
bilty of an ultimate resurrection. Cap
plause)
L am opposed to the annexation Of
Hawaii he continued, because / be-
lieve the people of Hawaii are opposed
to it. l am not to be confused by this
special plea that the real sentiment of
the people of the Sandwich Islands is
only to be obtained from the views of
those who assumed to govern them.
That, sir, is the merest technicality.
There is no room here for the appliea-
krf
Whether the present Government If
Hawaii was a de facto or jure Gov
ernment, he declared that it misrepre-
sented the people of Hawaii, whose
rights it was ready to proffer away.
When it was charged. in 1893, at the
time when the republic succeeded tha
monarchy that the revolution was aid
ed by the interposition of American
citizens. l did not believe it was true,
said Mr. Johnson, and l denied it very
vigorously at the time. but the persist
ency N'th which this treaty of annex
alton is being pressed gives color to
the aCcusa tion then made, and which
| then sn earnestly denounced
Mr.. Johnson, continuing. gave sop,s
of the reasons which impel'ed him to
opposition to annexation-one was the
ignora1c Of the population of Hawaii.
How long had it been, he asi<eu, since
we had Tessed bill 70 keep ont thf.
ignorance of the old world. that We
now proposed to annex territory in
which ignorance was the rule, not the
exception We had passed the Chinese
Exclusion Act; now it was proposed %
annex territory which contained . large
Chinese population.
He d.d not favor the holding OF ter
ritory under the shadow of the Ameri-
can fag. A colonial policy might be
adapted to the nations of antiquity but
it would not do for free country.
which derived its power from the con-
sent of the governed 1t woUld be un-
wise and short-sighted, he SAID. II 'e
should cut loose from all the traditions
of the past and rashly embark o1 the
unknown sea of territorial agsraniiZe-
ment. We had confined our expansion
to contiguous territory in the acqusi-
ton If Florida, Louisiana and Texas.
In 1853. under F'illmore's Presidency.
we had been wise enough and sensible
enough to reject these very islands
We rai also rejected the proffer oi the
mob of St Thomas, and under the ad-
nlinistration of General Grant congress
had voted down a proposition TO pur-
chase San Domingo.
Only once had we departed from our
ruIe-,n the purchase of Alaska from
husband only the future could de-
termine whether that had been wise
move.
Possession of extraneous territory
meant a constant source of irritation.
The history of the world proved this.
1t was urged that the Sandwich lslands
were the key to the Pacific. Its str:tte-
gle Importance was emphasized AS if
guns mounted there could command the
Nicaragua Canal and the Pacific Coast,
thousands of miles away. The annex
alton Of Hawaii would establish n2d
precedent. The appetite grew by what
it fed uLon To-day the cry Give US
Hawaii: tomorrow it would be Give
us Cuba" and the next day Give -
Samoa" These appeals would all be
justified by the pleasant sophistries
which appealed to our vanity and GU
pidity. until at last we would find our
selves i'm etrievably committed to poll
vsorl,t IDox