The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-02-02
ARE CONFIDENT OF VICTORY
THE FRIENDS OF THE HAWAIIAN
 ANNEXATION TREATY.

Figure That Sixty Senators Whose Votes
 Are Necessary for Two-thirds Majority
 Will Vote for Ratifica cation-Senator Platt
 of Connecticut Speaks for an Hour and
 one-Ealf in Favor of Treaty.
 Washington, Feb. 1.-The condition in the senate respecting the Hawaiian annexation treaty has greatly improv- ed and the friends of the treaty in- cluding Senator Davis, chairman of confident that sixty senators whose votes are necessary for thirds majority will vote for ratification. Con- fidence in the changed condition is found in the determination of the friends of ratification to press forward the treaty to a final vote. This feeling was shown when the proceedings in executive session to-day were opened. Senator Thurston made a motion for the postponement of further consider ation of the treaty until the first of March. The motion was not discussed at length and was voted down viva voce.
 Senator Platt of Connecticut opened the debate in favor of annexation. He spoke for about an hour and half and dwelt upon the importance of the islands from commercial standpoint. He contended that our commerce would in all cases follow our civiliza- tion and urged that we should use ev- cry legitimate method to extend our trade with outside nations, as by pur- suing this course we would also extend our institutions and ideas of govern ment The Hawaiian Island he re- garded as essential to command of the traffic on the Pacific Ocean. No nation in the worlds history had ever become prosperous or really great that had not assiduously built up its foreign com merce. He commented favorably upon the present tendency in this country toward an extension of our trade with the outside world and said this ten dency should be encouraged by the government.
 The nation that controlled the Sand wich Islands would command the key to the Pacific and we should take them and If necessary fortify them for the purpose of making sure of our control He said that money was being used against annexation. He spoke of the character of the men constituting the present Hawaiian government and said 1t was such that we took no risk whatever in entering upon an alliance with them. At the conclusion of his address Senator Platt was generally congratulated upon the logical charac- ter of his argument.
 Senator Pettigrew spoke next, devot- ing himself especially to replying to the Connecticut senator's remarks. He urged that while the Dole delegates had been elected by what was called popular vote, such was not the case He asserted that only 4,0o0 had voted for them. This convention of thirty seven persons, thus chosen, then made the constitution and 1t was never sub mitted to a popular vote. He dweit upon the fact that MT. Dole had been member of this convention and had himself elected president. He read the constitution to show that MT. Dole was named in it for president and that it was provided that he should remain in that office until the year 1900 or until his successor should be elected. The
 successor was to be chosen by the house and senate sitting together and there was to be no election of any one
 unless he received a majority of the vote of the senate.
 He then attempted to show how the
 matter was practically under the con trol of MT. Dole. According to the terms of the constitution, a senator I must own $3, 1000 worth of property or have an income of $1,200 per year and a person who was not worth $1,500 in | taxable property or had an income of $500 was disfranchised from voting for | 8 senator.