The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-01-19
Senator Morgan Occupies the Entire Ses-
sion In Favor Of Ratification.
Predicts That IL the United States
Does Not Take Advantage of the
the Islands There VIII he War
Between This Country and
Some Other Power Within Ten
Weeks.

WASHINGTON, Jan. Ex-senator
Morgan occupied the attention of the
Senate during the entire time of the ex-
ecutive session to-day III the presenta-
ton of his views on the subject of an
nexation of the Hawaiian Islands. This
was the second installment of the Sena-
tors speech, and when he concluded, u
few minutes after five o'clock, he had
not reached the end.
He spoke for about three hours to-day,
and his speech was a general presen-
tation of the Importance of the islands
to the United States. lie dwelt especi-
ally upon the military Importance of the
islands, quoting General Schofield and
Captain Mahan at length in support Of
his position that the islands were a nat
ural outpost for the United States, and
necessary to the protection of our West
ern coast, and OF our general commerce
in case of war.
Morgan predicted that If the United
States did not take advantage of the
present opportunity to acquire the is
lands there would be war between this
country and some other Power within
ten weeks. 1t was not, he said, within
the bounds of possibilities, in view of the
present European competition for ter
ritory in Asia, that the Hawaiian Is
lands should be allowed to remain indie
pendent for any length of time after
the United States should finally an
nCunce their determination not to make
them a part of American territory.
Does the Senator from Alabama
mean to say" interrupted Senator Pet
tigrew, that the Hawaiian Govern
ment would voluntarily seek protection
of some other Power, and thus forego
the great advantage those islands now
enjoy in their reciprocity arrangements
with the United States, which results in
our renting to them annually not less
than $4,000, 900"
To this question Senator Morgan re-
piled that the reciprocity treaty had
been negotiated for the purpose of Civ
ing this country cheap sugar. He said
that it had been OF greater benefit to the
United states than it had been to Ha-
wall. because it had accomplished its
purpose of making cheaper one of our
great commodities and of the necessities
of every household. Eve want he said,
mot only the sugar from Hawaii, but
cheaper coffee as well, and that and
many other necessary articles could be
grown on those islands,
The Senator displayed a number of
large maps, from which he contended
that the islands were in the roadway of
commerce between our western coast
and the Orient, and said that all ships,
whether laden with articles of COM
merce or the munitions of war, must ne
cessarily pass them in going from and
to this country and the Asiatic Coast,
and thus, he said, the nation which con-
trolls Hawaii will control the commerce
of the East.
In closing, he said that failure to an
mex the islands meant inevitable blood
she'd and the responsibility for that
bloodshed would rest upon the Senate
of the United States for its failure to
perform it's duty at this critical hour in
the history of the two countries.