Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1898-02-02
NEW HOPE FOR HAWAII
Test Vote Shows the Treaty
May Pass.
PLATT SPEAKS FOR THE Isl ANDs.
Accuses Sugar TRUST of Fighting Annexa-
ton and Asks senate to Not Give Ear
to the Representations of Monopoly.
Pettigrew and White oppose.

Senator Davis, chairman of the foreign
relations committee. are confident that
so senators, whose votes are necessary
for a two-thirds majority, will vote for
ratification.
Confden@a in the changed condition
is found in the determination of the
friends Of ratification TO press forward
the treaty to final vote. This feeling
was shown wen the proceedings of the
senate on the treaty in executive session
were opened. Senator Thurston made
a motion for the postponement OF fur
ther consideration of the treaty until
March /. The motion was discussed at
length and was voted down viva yoce.
Senator Platt Conn. opened the de-
bate with carefully arranged argu-
ment in favor of annexation He spoke
for about an hour and half and dwell
particularly upon the importance Of the
acquisition of the islands from a COM
mercial point Of view.
Senator Flatt charged that the sugar
trust was opposed to annexation. He
said there were certain parties, whom
he did not name, who were supposed to
be identified with the trust, who had
grievance against the present govern
ment of the islands, and alleged that
they 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, he said, that
there was any effort to corrupt con-
gress, but he thought that some inter
ests had been unduly influenced He
urged upon the senate the Importance
of not giving ear to the representations
of the trust.
He spoke also of the character of the
men constituting the present Hawaiian
government, and said it was such that
we took no risk whatever III entering
upon an alliance with them. At the
conclusion of his address Senator Platt
was generally congratulated upon the
logical character of his argument.
Senator Pettigrew took the floor to
oppose the treaty. He made a careful
analysis of the constitution under which
the Dole government exists, showing
that it had been adopted by what he
termed an alleged constitutional eonven
ton composed, he said, of 10 members,
one of whom was Mr.. Dole, who had
been members of the committee ON
safety which played such prominent
part during the revolution, and of 19
other delegates.
He argued that while these latter dele
gates had been elected by what was
called a popular VOTE such was not the
case. OF $4,000 persons entitled to suf-
frage, he asserted that only 1900 had
voted for them. This convention of 81
persons thus chosen had adopted the
constitution, and it had never been sub
mitted to popular vote. Mr.. Petit
grew dwelt upon the fact that Mr., Dole
had been a member of this convention,
and said that the gentleman had had
himself elected president of the repub-
lie, and that in doing so he had practi-
cally arranged the matter 50 as to in
sure his permanence in Office. He read
the constitution to show that Mr.. Dole
was named in it for president, and that
it was provided that he should remain
in that office until the year 1900, or I'M
til 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 anyone unless
he received majority of the vote of
the senate.
He then attempted to show how the
matter was practically in the control of
Mr.. Dole and of the sugar growers.
According TO the terms of the constitu-
ton senator must possess S., 900 worth
of property or have an income of 81 200
per year. and a person who was not
worth 81 800 in taxable real estate or had
an income of 5000 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 becoming
senators or from voting for senators.
He held that in view of the facts he
mentioned the present government was
monarchy.
Senator White (Cal) also spoke in
opposition to the ratification of the
treaty. His was in the main consti-
tutional argument, intended to show
that the annexation of territory which
would require navy TO defend it had
been from the beginning opposed to our
theory Of government. He quoted eX-
tensively from the works of Thomas
Jefferson TO show that he had never
contemplated the acquisition of terri
tory situated, as were the Sandwich ISL
ands, where a fleet would be necessary
to their preservation. This remark did
not, however, apply to Cuba, which was
so near our own coast that no navy
would be necessary to its protection.
A large part of Senator Whites re-
marks were given up to quotations
from and comment upon Secretary
Sherman's utterances upon the subject
of annexation of Hawaii. Mr.. White
read liberal extracts from Mr.. Sher-
mans book, in which the secretary
dwells upon the wisdom of making the
island part of the United States, and
he laid especial stress upon the secre-