The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1898-03-17
Mr.. TAWNEY6REPLIES TO
Mr., JOHNSON,
HOUSE POLITICAL DEBATE
joot Her, SAYS Mr. Tawney. would
- me-Annexation the
settled Policy OF the re
publican Party Post
once Biii Cp

WASHINGTON. March l6.-The House
agreed 10 consider the bill for the re-
lief of the legal heirs OF the victims
and survivors of the Maine disaster rs
soon as the post office appropriation
bill, which was taken up in the House
yesterday, is out of the way.
During the general debate on the
postoflice bill, members eagerly took
advantage of the latitude allowed in
the committee Of the whole ON the
state Of the Union TO discuss various
political questions and the debate ac-
cordingly covered wide range
Messrs Griggs, Democrat, Of Georgia,
and Walker, Republican, Of Massa-
| chusetts, discussed the conditions OF
the cotton industry, and Mr.. Tawney
Republican, of Minnesota, member
| of the ways and means committee, re-
piled TO the speech OF Mr.. Johnson,
| publican, of Indiana, made some
time ago against the advsability of
annexing the Hawaiian isands.
Mr. Tawney said that ever since
the islands of Hawaii have been
factor in international politics, all
American statesmen and all political
parties have regarded their CONNER
cial and military advantages of such
peculiar value TO the United States
that they deemed it necessary to adopt
and enforce the policy Of not allowing
any foreign power to interfere with,
control or colonize them. Since ls42,
nine presidents have declared that no
foreign power should dominate the
islands
Notwithstanding the ability Of the
men who inaugurated this policy,
notwithstanding its continued enforce
ment by all political parties and by
the foremost statesmen in the last
half OF this nineteenth century, aud
Notwithstanding all these men saw
that the fruit Of their policy would
be the ultimate annexation of the
islands, the gentleman from Indiana
tells us the proposition of annexetion
is mere bauble.
Mr. Tawney contended that only
unreconstructed royalists opposed an
nexaton.
He elaborated the idea that annexa-
tion was not opposed to traditional
policy of our government Annexa'
J ton, he argued, would prevent, not
cause, international difficulties In
conclusion, he said: For more thar
half century these islands have beer
r regarded by statesmen and naval au
thorities as the key TO the North Pa
cihc The audible rumblings on the
other side of the Atlantic should warn
us that the spirit of national aggrand
! izement, OF territorial acquisition anC
greed of commercial power is abroad
in the land The eyes of the world
and the navies of the principal ma
e tions OF Europe are now turned to
ward the far off land Of the Celes
tials. The relation Of Hawaii TO theh
great interests in that part OF the
world would promptly demand its an
| nexation II we did not consider n
l worth having.
r ITO eject these islands under thes,
, circumstances, sir, would be a crime
against the American people. Thei
possession by any foreign power woulC
e give TO that power an advantage il
Q the Pacific ocean that would inevita
0 bly, retard the growth of our com
= merce on that sea, and be a perpetua
= menace to that imperial domain lying
e in the morning shadows OF the Rock!
S mountains. The fruit of the polio,
C inaugurated by Webster and lyle
, aud so long maintained by all polit
I zeal parties IS now ripe; IL is ready 4
drop from the tree planted by tn
hands OF American statesmen. w
must accept it or allow IL to fall int
p the hands of some other power. 'Th
a Gem Of the Pacific are to be foreve
0 a buttress and never to tie menac
i to that splendid section OF our coun
q try, whose shores from the northern
D boundary of Mexico, are washed b.
; the surf billows OF the Pacific"
p Mr.. Tawney was warmly congratu
lated when he concluded.