The times., 1898-06-15
TALKED FOR NINE HOURS
Many Able Arguments in Favor
of Annexation.
HELD A NIGHT SESSION
Representatives Richardson and
Howard Present the Principal
Arguments Against Annexattion-
The Final Vote to BE Taken This
Afternoon.

The Hawaiian debate in the House was
continued through nine hours Of torrid
temperature yesterday and last night.
Fully one third of this time was occupied
by two of the leading lights of
anti-annexation-Afess Richardson, of
Tennessee, and Howard, of Geor-
gia-but they submitted nothing that
had not been touched upon by other speak
ers on the same side. They dwelt upon the
argument that to annex Hawaii meant a
departure from our time-honored national
custom.
Splendid arguments in support of annex
alton were delivered by Mr.. Cochran of
Missouri and Mr. Sulzer Of New York.
The telling points OF the New Yorker
speech, proclaiming the emancipation Of
modern and progressive democracy from
the old-fogy notions Of hide-bound consti-
tutional hair-splitters. were lioerally ap-
pIauded
The first speaker Or the Hawaiian ques-
tion was Gen. Grosvenor. an ardent
champion of annexation.
MIR. Grosvenor said he did not believe
that this could DO made party cues
ton with proprie9y and he should there
fore make no party appeal.
"The same opposition he said. thai is
now being made against the annexation
Of the Hawaiian islands has been made
TO the acquisition of every foot ot our
present territory.
THE Constitution does not provide any
specific way for the acquisition of terri
tory" said Mr.. Grosyenor, land there
fore whenever such a step is contemplate
ed by either conquest or treaty, or in any
other way. arguments are brought for
ward here that the Constitution does not
provide for the method proposed. when in
in fact it does not provide specifically for
any method.
mo political party can turn aside the
clock of the age that is striking that
America is entering on the dawn of a
new epoch in its history; no political party
can turn back the hands on that mighty
dial or turn aside the voice of the Ameri-
can people on this question:
Taking up the statement of Mr.. Dins-
more on Saturday that the distance to
Manila was over 800 miles shorter by way
OF Alaska than by Hawaii Mr.. Grosvenor
stated that while the facts were correct,
the deductions of Mr.. Dinsmore were
open to serious criticism.
He had applied TO the chief of the Hy-
that no commercial traffic ever went that
way, and the reasons given were that
while the route was shorter there were
absolute obstacles that could not be over
come
Mr. Grosvenor then had statement by
Chief Engineer Melville read which set
forth the facts that the port at Unalaska
was most undesirable one; that there was
absolutely nothing there to attract the
- n
solutely no commerce there and nc
means of making repairs. Fog, which
is considered by mariners to be one of
the greatest dangers of navigation, is very
prevalent in that latitude. There are
many rocks and shoals. Chief Engineer
Melville characterized the claim in behalf
the Alaska route as utterly untenable
and simply ridiculous.
He showed that all ship lines take ths
Southern route because OF its many ad-
vantages. Gen. GroSvenor next replied TX
the allegation of AR. Clark of Missouri
that the laboring people OF the United
States oppose annexation because of the
fear that the Chinese cheap labor
would be brought into competition with
them He had statements from all the
leading labor organizations unequivocally
supporting annexation.
Gen Grosyenor said he advocated The
annexation OF Hawaii with out any ref
erence to the pending war: he favored it
| because of the great benefits to accrue tc
our commerce.
He denied that the people of Hawaii
were illiterate and benIS atej; he denied
that the natives were opposed to annexa-
ton and said he would publish in the
Record proof of his assertions.
Democratic antagonism of annexation
was set forth in detail by Mr.. Richardson
of Tennessee. He consumed more than ar
hour in reading carefully written ar.
gument depicting the dangers of terri
torial expansion. Mr.. Richardson
summed up the evils that, in his opinion
would follow the annexation of Hawaii
One Of his distinct counts was that il
would inevitably destroy the policy OF
protection and establish free trade.
This statement, in the nature of an OBJ
lection from an avowed free-trader, lee
the anneXatfonists to conclude that Mr.
Richardson was hard driven for argu-
ments against the Hawaiian resolutions
Mr.. Cochran of Missouri delivered one
of the most interesting and convincing
speeches of the entire debate in suppor
of annexation. He reviewed the history
of the question, saying 1t had been more
or less agitated for fifty years and thai
five Presidents, three of them Democrats
had declared in favor of it.
Mr.. Cochran eontended that the Ha-
waiian question had no connection with
the pending war. He pointed o.t The
necessity of possession of the islonjs to
enable the United States to adequately