The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1898-08-18

in such disposition of them, pro
vided the transference was affected
by fair means.
Secretary Fish instructed Mr.
Pierce on March 25, 1873, as fol
lows:
The position of the Sandwich
Islands, fronting and commanding
the whole of our possessions on
the Pacific Ocean, gives to the
future of those islands peculiar
interest to the Government and
people of the United States. 1t is
very clear that this Government
can not be expected to assent to
their transfer from their control to
that of any powerful maritime or
commercial nation. Such trans
fer to a maritime power would
threaten the military surveillance
in the Pacific similar to that which
Bermuda has afforded in the At
lantic. The latter has been sub
mitted to from necessity, but we
desire no additional similar out
post in the hands of those who
may, at some future time, use them
to our disadvantage.
There has not been a Secretary
of State or a President of the Unit
ed States, except those of the last
Administration, during fifty years
who have not contended that at
some time Hawaii must become a
part of the United States. We
are not departing from early tradi-
lions nor going contrary to the
wisdom of the fathers. We are
adopting the unanswerable reason,
lngs of Thomas Jefferson, who
wanted Cuba added 10 our terri
tory, and of President Polk, who
wanted Hawaii.
Our mode of getting foothold
upon these islands has been strong
~ criticised. Our minister to
Hawaii was waited upon by GER
,ian prominent gentlemen of Homo
zulu, who informed him that they
intended to establish provisional
government. They requested him
TO land the marines from the Bos-
ION in order to protect the interests
Of the Americans resident on the
islands. They formed the provi
sional government, and the minis
Ter caused the marines to be land
I'd. 1t is said that on account OF
The American sailors being there
The Hawaiians made no resistance
and it is claimed by the opponents
OF annexation that the consent of
The people was not obtained, be-
cause if the marines had not been
landed there would have been de-
termine6 armed resistance. In
other words, Minister Stevens land
ID the troops to protect American
property, and in protecting the
American property he has also
succeeded in ettectually protecting
all property. If his critics are
light, he ought to have refused to
nave landed the marines and let
he revolution proceed. American
property would undoubtedly have
ueen damaged and probably Amerl-
AN citizens killed if he had adopted
mis- course.
Stripped of all useless verblage,
me proposition of the annexation
If Hawaii presents a very simple
business problem. What are we
going to gain and what are we going
70 lose?
The principal productions of the
islands of HAWAII are sugar, coffee,
ga, rice and bananas. The United
otates raises some sugar, but the
.mportations of sugar in 1897
amounted to s9o,o6o,ISI. The
United States raises some rice, but
he importations OF rice last year
amounted to S3,517,3oo. The
United States raises no tea, ana
he importations last year amount
ed to $I4S35,S62. The Unitea
States raises very few bananas,
and we imported last year $4,o6S,-
$50 worth.
Hawail raises no wheat, and no
corn for expectation. Its only