The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-02-08
TREATY SHORT OF VOTES
TELLER ADMITS THAT THE NECESSARY
SIXTY ARE MOT IN SIGHT
FOur-HOur Speech On the Subject of
Hawaiian Annexation by the Col
oradO SenatOr-Mr. Davis Says
No Change of Policy Is Under
Contemplation.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7-Senator
Teller (Col) occupied the entire four
hours of today'S executive session in
the senate in discussing the Hawaiian
annexation treaty. During the course
OF MS speech Mr.. Teller took occasion
10 say that he should have been glad
10 dlscuSS the treaty in open session,
and to this remark he added the opin-
ION that the time had almost come
when the question of annexation
should be debated upon a bill looking
to legislation by both houses of con-
gress rather than upon the basis of the
treaty. While he thought there might
be bare possibility Of securing the
sixty votes necessary to ratify the
treaty, he conceded that, under the
present circumstances, this was ex-
ceedfngly doubtful, and he thought the
sooner this fact should be recognized
and change of front made the better
1t would from all points of view.
There were some Interruptions at this
point, and it was suggested by some
senators after the close of the execu-
tive session that the committee on for
eign relations would consider the ad-
visibility of making this change of
policy at its next meeting, to be held
on Wednesday of this week.
The statement was, however, made
by Senator Davis, chairman Of the
committee on foreign relations, that
there had been no intention OF attach
ing the treaty to one of the appropria-
ton bills as an amendment, as had
been stated was the case in some of the
newspapers. He made this statement
in reply to a question put by Senator
White (Cal).
Senator Teller advocated the ratifica-
ton Of the treaty basing his reasons
for this position upon the grounds that
flnn %c I'll.
the interest Of our commerce and in
line with our national policy for the
past half-century
Objections Answered.
He devoted himself very largely to
replying to the objection that had been
raised to acquiring the islands because
of the domination of the native race.
He undertook to show that there was
no foundation for this criticism, or if
there was such foundation now, 1t need
not, he said, long continue to be an
essential factor of the situation.
He controverted the position of Sen
ators Pettigrew and White that the
American could not labor in the Ha
waiian islands. He quoted weather
statistics to show that the temperature
on the island coasts ranges from So to
SIS during the year, which, he said, was
far from being an oppressively hot eli
mate. Farther inland 1t was still cool
er and on the mountains, frosts, We're
not infrequent. If the white man of
this country should not be impressed
with the islands, Mr.. Teller thought
they would make an ideal location for
the colored people of the United States
who might desire to leave present ter
ritory of this country, and who would
find cOngenial employment in the sugar
plantations and coffee fields of Ha-
wall.
Taking up the question of the neces-
sity for the defense of the islands and
of the maintenance of a large fleet in
their waters in case of annexation, he
said that this was a mere bugaboo
and was without foundation in fact.
All that would be necessary would be
to fortify Pearl Harbor for the pro-
lection Of coal and military stores in
times of hostility. With all of our
stores of this character located at one
spot. as they could easily be, and that
particular spot strongly entrenched and
we'll armed, there would be no need to
guard other portions Of the Islands, for
it was not to be supposed that any
hostile nation would for some time send
a fleet thousands of miles across the
waters in order to attack and destroy
any defenseless communities there sim
ply because they were subject to the
government of the United States.
Senator Teller was frequently inter
rupted during the delivery of his speech
by Senators White, Pettigrew, Gear
nd NJ