The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-02-15

r
the Dole Government Urged Against
the Treaty-Time of Voting Rather In
definite.
Washington, February 14-The .Senate
devoted almost four hours in executive
session today to the consideration OF the
Hawaiian treaty. The principal speech
was made by Senator Pettigrew, this be-
ing the third installment Of his remarks
on the subject. Senator Pettigrew today
devoted himself 5 largely to the adminis-
tration of President Dole showing how
the government cot Queen Lilloukalani
had been overthrown and to presenta-
sion of his views of this government
participation in the revolution. He con-
tended that the downfall of the Queens
government was due to a conspiracy on
the part of Minister Stevens, represent
ing the United States, and few citizens
OF Honolulu, of whom President Dole
was one, who were backed by the ma
rines from United States battleship. He
argued that at that time there was no
armed force in the island opposed to the
Queens government except the United
States marines, "and, said the Senator,
'if the islands were as rich as the dream
Of avarice and their acquisition as de-
sirable as that of Louisiana, we could not
take title from government set up there
by ourselves without submitting the
question of annexation to vote of the
Hawaiian people.
''To do this" he concluded, with en-
phasis. would be an International crime
which would place us on level with
Great Britain in her subjection of the
weaker nations of the earth, and which
would be an abandonment of the posit
ion and policy of our government from
it's earliest history"
A government, he said, which declared
as did this government in its constttu-
tion, ''that all government derives it's
just powers from the. consent of the gov
erned,' could not afford to deposs a
friendly government, set up a usurping
the country without first obtaining the
consent of tbs people of that country.
MIR. Pettigrew read letter from Hon.
J. G. Carter, formerly of Queen Iiliuo-
kalani's privy council, giving his view
OF the revolution.
Mr.. Pettigrew also contended that the
passage of the Mckinley tariff law had
y
which the Queen's government was over
thrown, the motive being to secure The
bounty of 3 cents per pound on domestic
| sugar which that law provided. He
| quoted o letter from Minister Stevens,
saying that the provision for this sugar
bounty had ruined the sugar business Of
the island unless they could be annexed
to the United States, and cited from other
authorities to maintain this contention.
Mr.. Pettigrew discussed briefly the
character of the present population of
Hawaii. He stated that two thirds of the
people there were males and that this
| fact applied to all nationalties, includ-
| ing Americans and other Anglo o-Saxons.
| This circumstance, he contended, went
| to show that the Anglo-Saxon does not
90 to Hawaii as he does to any other
| tropical country to make n home. The
man capable Of government, he said,
must wear wooden clothes. part of the
year and for some mon6ns 1eeI Une IroSts
| in his blood.
Summing up, Mr.. Pettigrew said that
the opponents Of annexation clsimed to
have established four points. They had,
| he said, shown first, that the route to the
Orient via the Aleutian island was 1000
miles shorter than that VIA Honolulu
second, that no Lattleship coaling ON the
Hawaiian island could reach the United
States in condition to fight and that on
this account The possession of the ISL
ands would be an element of weakness
rather than Of strength, which was in op-
position to the theory that the islands
were necessary to defense; thirdly, that
the commerce which had been claimed to
| be one important reason for their annex
alton, was constantly declining and was
less than that of an ordinary county Of
| the United States: fourth, that one of the
| Aleutian islands would afford q more Sc
cure footing and by shorter route for q
cable to Asia than would the route via
Honolulu.