The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-01-30
DANGERS OF ANNEXATION.
Prof. Won Hoist of Chicago Points
Them Out


Chicago, Jan. 29.-At the annual ban
quet of the Commercial club, which was
held tonight at the Auditorium. Professor
Won Hoist Of Chicago University delivered
the principal address of the evening. his
subject being Annexation of Hawaii
His remarks which were greeted with
every manifestation of approval, were, in
part, as follows:
What is the criterion for deciding the
question. Ought Hawaii to be annexed by
the United States?' Not the wishes or in
terest OF the islands. 1t is not only the
right, but also the imperative duty of the
American people to be guided solely by
their own interest.
The great fertility Of the islands no.
body gainsays. But this is the less reason
to annex them. because all the economical
advantages to be derived from them are
secured already.
AS TO the military side of the question.
Captain Mahan, our leading naval author
ity, has exploded the naive notion that
the islands confer by themselves control
over a body OF water. TO be OF military
value. We must have an adequate navy,
and 10 be adequate, our navy would have
10 De much larger when Hawaii Is ours
for il would have. to protect not only our
coasts and our shipping. but also Hawaii,
which would surrey be a principal object
u dLttttk IL Il MdE WIN Il I-LSt-CldSS LlaNel
power. Now We are practically lnVulner-
able. Is ii rational 10 acquire, without any
need, Il spot at which an enemy can hit
US infinitely harder than anywhere else?
We would annex not source Of Streng n,
but OF weakness. And IL would be a step
that could Tot be retreced. To make the
best OF a bad job would be all that is left
to US.
That we act under compulsion. because
some other power-probably either Eng
land or Japan-wOuld take the islands if
we refused the gift. Is an assertion which
Is not and can not be subSJantiated-aS il
has never before been substantiated,
though the cry has been raised every time
We were after some territory. We can al
last afford TO think high enough of our
power, as well as OF our dignity, not to let
the cry, England have the effect upon
us that the red cloth has upon the bull.
Ever since 1875 the declaration of the
United States that they viii not allow or
permit certain territories to be taken by
any other power has proved a sufficient
curb upon the cOVetOuSneSS of the leading
states of Europe. Does it then permit of
any doubt that their peremptOry hands
OF would now be respected An even
graVcr consideration than those mention
ed thus far is that the anneXa ton of Ha-
wall would not mean the anneXing merely
OF Hawaii. We would annex temptation
and it is because of this that annexation
is 50 enthusiastically urged upon us-the
temptation to annex other outlying terri
tories. and the tempta ton to pass behind
US the warning cOunseis of Washington in
his farewell address and enter upon a
new era as to our international policy.
Weighty as all these objections are, they
dwlndle almost into insignifcance com
pared with the two that have thus far
not even been alluded to. In the declara-
ton OF independence. the nation has Off
cialiy based its existence on the principle
that governments derive their just power
from the consent of the government. If
is effected in the manner pro-
posed. this fundamental principle will be
trampled under foot the unanimous rati-
hcation Of the treaty by the Hawaiian
senate Notwithstanding. For the over
majority of the population has
virtually had no voice in instituting this
government; though now the lawful gov
eminent. it actually represents only less
than 1900 out OF about 10000. Even if the
remaining 10000 were to pray as ardently
as the 4.Q00 for annexation. we ought to
shut our doors against them, because ac-
cording to the unanimous emphatic testi-
nony of the small minority posing as the
the 1060 coo are utterly and per-
unfit for self-government. which
S more than the life-breath. which is the
very structural principle of this repub-
ic'