The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-02-02
Its Friends Maintain It's Condition Is
Improved.
WILL PRESS A FINAL VOTE
EiOTIoN TO POSTPONE TILL
MARCH VOTED DOWN.
Debate On Annexation In Executive
Session of the STANDARDIZATION of
the Sugar Trust-Pettigrew In
Opposition, Analysed the Dole
Government

Washington, Feb. 1.-The condition
in the senate respecting the Hawaiian
annextion treaty has greatly i'm
! proved, and the friends of the treaty
including Senator Davis chairman of
the foreign relations committee, are
confident that so senator's, whose votes
are necessary for two-thirds major
lty, will vote for ratification.
Confidence in the changed condition
IS found in the determination of the
friends of ratification to press forward
the treaty for final vote. This feel
| ing was shown when the proceedings
OF the senate on the treaty in executive
session today were opened Senator
Thurston made a motion for the post
ponement of further consideration 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 with carefully arranged
argument in favor of annexation.
senator Platt said the sugar trust
was opposed to annexation. He said
there was certain parties, who he did
not name, who were supposed to be
identified with the trust who had a
grievance against the present govern
ment of the islands, and alleged that
tney were using all the means at their
command to prevent the acquisition of
this country by the United States.
He said that money was being used
to this end. He did not charge. how
ever, that there was any attempt to
corrupt congress, but he thought that
some interests had been unduly infiu-
enced.
Senator Pettigrew took the floor as
soon as Mr.. Plat had concluded. de-
Young himself especially in replying to
the connecticut senator's remarks con-
corning the present government of the
island. He made a careful ANALYSIS of
the constitution under which the Dole
government exists, showed that it had
Deen adopted by what he termed an
Illegal constitutional convention, COM
posed, he said, of 10 members Zone of
winch was Mr.. Dole), who had been
members of the committee of safety,
which played such a prominent part
during the revolution. He argued that |
while these delegates had been elected !
by What was called popular vote such
WIS not the case. OF 1900 persons en-
uned to suffrage, he asserted that only
9,OOO had voted for them. This conven-
ton of 81 persons thus chosen had /
adopted the constitution, and it had
never been submitted to q popular vote
TIE then attempted to show how the I
government was practically in the con-
troll of Mr.. Dole and the sugar growers. |
According to the terms of the constitu-
ton, a senator must posses 81, 600 worth
of property or have an income of 81. 200
per year, and a person who was nor
worth $1,000 in taxable real estate or
had an income of $500 was disfranchised
from voting for a senator. This qualifi-
cation practically, he said, shut out
all persons except those connected with
the sugar industry from either becom-
ing senators or from voting for SEN
ators.
He held that in view of the facts he
mentioned the present government was
practically a monarchy
Mr.. Pettigrew also took up the con-
tention that the Sandwich Islands were
already practically appropriated and
producing, and argued that to annex
the islands would mean the inevitable
destruction of the sugar beet industry
in the United States.
Senator White, California, also spoke
in opposition to ratification of the
treaty. His was in the main a consti-
tutional argument, intended to show
that the annexation of territory which
would require a navy to defend it had
been from the beginning opposed to our
theory of government.
Senator White had not concluded his
argument when the senate adjourned. |
He took occasion to remark, in reply
to Senator Platt'S statement, that the
sugar trust was opposed to the treaty.