Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-02-02
HAWAII ANNEXATION
FRIENDS OF rnE TREATY c0xFIs
DENT or VICTORY.
SIXTY VOTES FOR al7IPIclllOl.
This Number Believed 10 BE Assnrea,
and This the Two-Thirds Majority
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS in Ezecusivs
session.

WASHINGTON. February 1.-The con.
ditions in the Senate respecting the Ha-
waiian annexation treaty have greatly
improved, and the friends Of the treaty.
including Senator Davis. chairman Of
the Foreign Relations Committee, are
confident that sixty senator's. whose
votes are necessary for two-thirdz
majority, will vote for ratification. Con-
fidence I'm the changed situation IS found
in the determination Of the friends OF
ratification TO press forward the treaty
to a final vote. This feeling was shown
when the proceedings of the Senate on
the treaty In executive session to-day
were opened. Senator Thurston made a
motion for the postponement OF further
consideration of the treaty until the last
Of March. The motion was not dis
cussed at length, and was voted down,
viva voce.
Senator Platt, of Connecticut, opened
the debate, with a carefully arranged ar
gument I'm favor OF annexation. He
spoke for about an hour and half. ana
dwelt particularly upon the importance
commercial point OF view. He contended
that our commerce would in all cases
follow civilization. and urged that We
should use every legitimate method to
extend our trade with outside nations.
as by pursuing this course We would also
extend our institutions and Ideas. The
Hawaii Islands ne regarded as essential
to the command Of traffic on the Pa
cific Ocean. No nation I'm the worlds
history had ever become prosperous or
really great that had not assiduocsiy
built up it's foreign commerce.
Senator Platt charged that the sugar
Trust was opposed TO annexation He
said that money was being used to de-
feat annexation. He did not charge. he
said. that there was any effort to cor
rupt Congress. but he thought that some
interests had been unduly influenced.
Mr.. Platt spoke at some length upon
the overthrow OF the monarchy and the
establishment of the republican form OK
government now in existence.
senator Pettigrew took the floor as
soon as Mr.. Platt had concluded, de-
voting himself especially TO replying to
the Connecticut Senator's remarks con-
cerning the present government OF the
islands.
THE DOLE GOVERNMENT
He made a careful analysis OF the Cons
stItution under which the Dole 0overn-
ment exists. showing that II had been
adopted by what he termed an alleged
constitutional convention, composed. ne
said of nineteen members, one OF them
Mr.. Dole, who had been member OK
the Committee OF Safety which played
sueh prominent part during the revolu~
tion and eighteen other delegates
He argued that while these latter dele-
gates were said to have beer elected by
what was called a popular vote. sucn was
not the case. OF 14,0oo persons entitied
10 suffrage, he asserted, only so,Vo haa
voted for them. This convention OF
eighteen persons, thus chosen. haa adopt
ed the Constitution. and IL haa never
been submitted TO popular vote.
Mr.. Pettgrew dwelt upon tho TACT tnat
Mr.. Dole had been member OF this
convention. and said that gentleman mad
had himself elected president OF the re-
nublic. and that I'm doing so he bad prac-
ticallv arranged the matter so as 10 m
sure his permanence In office. he tneh
attempted to show how the matter was
practically i'm the control of Mr.. Loie ana
the sugar-growers.
Senator White. Of California. also spoke
in opposition 10 ratification OF the treaty
His speech was in the main consutu-
tional argument. intended 10 snow that
the annexation OF territory which woulu
require a navy to defend 1t had been from
the beginning opposed TO our theory o,
government.
SHERMAN'S POSITION.
Mr.. White read liberal extracts from
Secretary Sherman's book, In which the
Secretary dwelIs upon the unwisdom OK
making the islands part OF the United
States, and he laid especial stress upon
the secretary's remarks In the iat'er pa's
of his book, TO the effect that he hopeo
there would be no further effort TO an
mex the Islands during his time:
senator White had not concsoded MS
arguments when the Senate ADJOURNED.
He took occasion 10 remark. In repay 10
senator Platt's statement that the Sugar
Trust was opposed to the treaty tnes
most of the senators who were most popa-
larly supposed to be in opposition to ths
Sugar Trust were opposed 10 IN" uoa'''