The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-15

privy council. giving his views of the revo-
luton Mr. Pettgrew also contended that
the passage of the Mckinley tariff law had
been the direct cause of the revolution by
which the Queens government was over
thrown, the motive being TO secure the
bounty of cents pound on domestic sugar
which that law provided. He quoted a let
ter from Minister Stevens saying that the
provision for this sugar bounty had ruined
the sugar business of the islands unless
they could be annexed to the United States,
and cited other authorities to maintain this
contention.
Mr. Pettigrew discussed briefly the char
acter of the present population of Hawaii.
He stated that two-thirds of the people
there were males, and that this fact applied
to all nationalities, including Americans
and other Angio-Saxons. This circumstance,
ne contended, went to show that the Anglo
saxon does not go to Hawaii, as he does
not TO any other tropical country. to make
home. The man capable of self-govern-
ment he said, must wear wooden clothes a
part of the year and for some months feel
the frost in his blood.
Summing up, Mr.. Pettigrew said that the
opponents of annexation claimed to have
established four points. They had, he said,
SHOWN ilrst that the route 10 the Orient via
the Aleutlan islands was 900 miles shorter
than that via Honolulu; second. that no
battle ship cOaling on the Hawaiian ISLANDS
could reach the United States in condition
10 night, and that on this account the pos
session of the islands would be an element
of weakness rather than Of strength,
which was in opposition to the theory that
the Islands were necessary to defense; third,
has been claimed to be one important rea-
son for their annexation, was constantly
declining, and was less than that of an or
binary county in the United States; fourth,
that one of the Aleutian islands would af-
ford a more secure footing and be a shorter
route for q cable to Asia than would the
route via Honolulu.
At the close of his three days speech Sen
ator PettigreW was cordially congratulated
by many of the senator's, including some or
the opposition, on the thOroughneSS with
which he had gone into the subject and the
ability with which he had presented the
opposition to annexation.
Following Mr.. Pettigrew Senator Teller
made q brief statement, calling Mr.. Petit
crews attention to the fact that the United
States minister was not the only representa-
tive of foreign government who had rec
ognized the Dole government.
Mr.. Pettigrew replied that this was true,
but that the recognition of the other gov
ernments had not come until the day fol-
| lowing the Queens abdication, where as
| Minister Stevens recognition had been be-
| fore that time
Senator Proctor, of Vermont, followed
! with a brief statement in favor of annexa-
ticn. He devoted himself exclusively to the
military phase OF the question. lie cited
the fact that England had strongly fortified
pests all along our Atlantic seaboard, be-
ginning with Halifax and taking in the
Bernddas and the West Indies. He also
called attention TO the strong fortress at
Esquimault, and said that if England
should possess the Hawaiian islands, as she
might easily do in case we let this oppor-
tunity to acquire them pass by her drum
beat would be heard almost entirely around
| the United States and that she would be
able to attack us from her own territory in
any direction. He also cOntended that it
would be a comparatively easy matter for
the Japanese to acquire the islands by pop
ulating them, as they were apparently in
clined to do He said that the United
States failing to make the islands, part
| of this country, could not regard their
| seizure by some other power as an offense
| against this country. We could not play
| the dog in the manger, refusing to accept
| the territory ourselves or to allow others
| to take it, He attempted to controvert the
| statement OF Senator Pettigrew that war
! ships could not carry sufficient fuel from
/ Hawaii to make them effective either for or
against the United States in case of hoSttI-
! ties, and quoted statistics to show the con-
| trary view. He said that if ii were true
| ITSELF coaling vessels could be taken along
! for that purpose. He thought the islands
| of essential importanceto the United States
| both for purposes of offense and of defense
During the session Senator White, of Cali
| fornia, attempted to ascertain from Senator
! Davis, in charge of the treaty, whether
| there would be an early attempt to secure
! a vote upon ii. The California senator
! stated his opinion that there ought to be at
| least three weeks notice of a time for a
| vote for the arrangement of pairs. He
| stated that he would be compelled to be abb
| sent from the Senate for the next three
| weeks, and expressed a desire to know
! something of the plans as to bringing the
| discussion to end. In reply Senator
| Davis simply stated that he could not at
present say when the debate would cease
or when the Senate would be prepared to
take a vote.