The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-09-10
TERRITORY OF HAWAII
NAME DECIDED ON FOR THE NEW
CHILD or THE REPUBLIC.
The Islands to Have Local SeIf-Gov-
eminent and Are to Set an Example
for Trial in Porto Rico.

name which the annexation committee has
decided to recommend to Congress for the
islands. Thus will be preserved in the
political nomenclature of the United States
the distinctive origin of this part of the
United States. The history and traditions
of the islands, and the associations that no
resident here wants forgotten will go on in
unbroken union with the name. The form
of the government will be modelled on that
of existing Territories. There will be no
further departures from this form
than local conditions and national political
considerations make necessary. 1t is proba-
BILE that in working out the details the form
of government will hot approximate so
closely TO that of state government as the
ordinary form of government does But the
ultimate possibility of statehood will not be
barred. There will be no District of Column
bia or Alaska form of government proposed.
Local self government will be given
through the extension of the municipal idea.
The islands will be divided into municipal
districts, having control, under restrictions
and limitations, of purely local affairs.
Honolulu. for instance, will be municipal
district embracing the whole of the Island
of Oahu.
Hawaii may be divided into two districts
and Molokai, Lanai and Niyahu may be at
tached to some other municipal districts.
The question of territorial legislature has
been fully settled. There will probably be
one, but with limited powers. All the at
tributes of sovereignty, however, will be ex-
ercised by the national government of the
United States.
The people of Hawaii will be called on to
consider themselves Americans, looking to
the national government as a source of ma
tional power In local affairs they will
have the opportunity of exercising the high
est attribute of American citizenship, local
self-government. The form of government
the commission will recommend will
be one calculated to do away with the as
sociations of national independence which
have grown up in the last eighty or ninety
years and to create associations and the
feeling of union with the United States of
America.
1t is pretty clear from what has been said
by members of the commission from time
to time in framing a form of government
for these islands, they have also been
charged by the administration at Washing
ton with forming a model which can be
adapted to Porto Rico and other new pos
sessions the war has brought the United
States.
The commission is trying SO to shape it's
work as to be able to conclude its labors
Sept 20. The visiting members will, in that
case, be able to return to the main land
by the steamer the 23d of September.
This will be in plenty time for the prompt
presentation of the bill which will be draft
ed, right after the opening of Congress on
the first Monday in December.
The commissioners visited Pearl harbor
on Sept. l. Admiral Miller, who is thor
oughly Informed as to Pearl harbor from a
naval point of view, pointed out the advan-
tages which originally induced the United
q
naval station. Professor Alexander, who is
thoroughly converSant with it from the
point Of view OF a geodetic surveyor, point
ed out the geological structure and the inn
provementS that will be needed to make it
the ideal naval rendezvous. The Pacific
cable may go around Honolulu altogether,
as shorter route by way or Alaska mas
been figured on.
Gen A. S. Hartwel said this morning:
munication from the company concerning
the cable. General Scrymser writes me that
his company is annoyed at the delay re-
Quired by the clause in the Hawaiian con-
tract which gives the secretary of state six
months in which TO signify his approval or
disapproval of the contract. He states that
he has had some correspondence with Sec
rotary Day on the, matter, and has asked
him to come to a final conclusion at as
part of the year the secretary had ex-
pressed his diSapproval of any contract be-
ing being entered into at this end, and 1T
was, i'll consequence of this being so, that
the condition was inserted in the Hawaiian
contract requiring the approval of the sec
rotary of state. / am now informed that
the answer of Secretary Day to the COM
municatiOn has been received to the effect
that. owing to his relationship to Colonel
Spalding, he has taken no part in the at
fair, and that he would hand it over entirely
to his assistant, Mr.. Moore. However,
have no doubt that Secretary Day will not
hesitate to inform the company OF his opin-
ion on the contract at once.
IF the company shall not avail itself or
the Hawaiian contract it contemplates
adopting the shorter Alaska route General
Scrymser informs me that cable with a
landing in Alaska, thence to Japan, con-
Meeting with the established lines to China,
Manila and Australia, could be built for
less than $5,0O0OOO, as against $12.0OO,OOO via
the Hawaiian islands,.
There is a clash here between Colonel
military quarters. The Hawaiian govern
ment, as is known, at the end of August
withdrew it's garrison of troops from the
executive building and grounds. 1t was
deemed that, with the presence of United
States troops at Honolulu, there was no
more need of troops to guard the public
buildings. The paid military of Hawaii sim
ply went out of existence. In the mean
time the Hawaiian government NAG IN
that after the 31st of August it would not
be responsible for the official military cour-
tesies of this port. 1t is now an American
port The United States military authorl-
ties then signified their intention of occupy
ing the late Hawaiian military headquar-
tiers. including the mems barracks under
the executive building and the ofticers
quarters in the bungalow To this intention
the Hawaiian government objected IL
claimed that the buildings and grounds va
Gated by its military are purely civil in their
character and their purposes entirely re-
lated to the administration of Hawaiian al
fairs. In speaking OF the trouble, ATTORNEY
General Smith said:
''There is no friction nor has there been
any, The matter has been discussed by Gen.
Merriam Colonel Barber and Minister
Cooper The military authorities would like
to move one company into the quarters va
Gated by Companies r and + OF the Natlon-
al Guard and the officers would like to use
the bungalow as their quarters. Inc govern
ment has objected to this for the reason
that it is our earnest desire to keep the
civil and military departments in future en-
tirely separate. We desire to reserve the eX-
ecutive buildings and grounds entirely Tor
civil purposes and to convert the basement
of the building into the necessary offlces as
thew NAV be required. We have proposed
that Colonel Barber be given an ONCE IN
the bungalow and the men may be quar-
tered in the other barracks. We have Of
fered to assist Colonel Barber in securing
anxious to disassociate the military from
the executive building and reserve 1t for
civil offices. There has been no demand or
refusal to comply with any demand as has
been reported. The matter has been dis
cussed and a decision has not been
reached
Ii is the present calculation to send the
United States steamer Philadelphia back TO
San Francisco very soon. as Admiral Miller,
having completed the mission on which he
was sent by the United States government.
is anxious to return. 1t is close on his time
of retiring from the active service and be-
sides that Mrs. Miller is in San Francisco
awaiting him.
Various officers Of the Philadelphia are so
sure that their ship will return to this port
often landing Admiral Miller in San Fra