Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1898-02-03
ANNEXATION TREATY.
Senator Plat Argues in Favor Of
Annexing the Hawaiian Islands
The DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA BILL.
The House Devoted Most Of Its session Yes
terday to the Messure-Protests Of
German Americana Against the
Lodge Immigration Bill.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 2.-NO business OF
Importance was transacted by the SEN
ate in open session yesterday. The
feature Of the short session was
statement made by Senator Clark, Of
Wyoming, as matter Of personal
privilege concerning his vote in favor
Of the Teller resolution. He maintain
ed that his vote was in no way incon-
sistent with his republicanism. The
resolution Of Senator Pettigrew, Of
South Dakota, declaring it to be the
policy Of the United States not to &C.
quire territory TO defend which a navy
would be required went over until to.
day at the request Of the author. Sena.
tor Morgan's resolution calling upon
the president for correspondence and
information relating to the arbitra-
ton Of the British seizure claims was
adopted. The senate then. at l2:4O p.
m, on motion OF Senator Davis, chair.
man Of the foreign relations commit
tee, went into executive session on the
Hawaiian annexation treaty. Senator
Thurston made motion for the post.
ponement of further consideration Of
the treaty until March J.. The motion
was not discussed at length and was
voted down viva yOce.
Senator Plat, Of Connecticut,
opened the debate with carefully ar
ranged argument in favor Of annexa-
ton. He dwelt particularly upon the
Importance Of the acquisition Of the
islands from q commercial point Of
view. He commended that our commerce
would in all cases follow our civiliza-
ton and urged that we should use
every legitimate method to extend our
trade with outside nations, as, by pur.
suing this course. we would also ex-
tend our institutions and ideas Of gov
eminent The Hawaiian islands he re.
garded as essential to the command
Of the traffic on the Pacific ocean. The
nation that controlled the Sandwich
islands would command the key to the
Pacific and we should take them and,
II necessary, fortify them for the pur.
pose Of making sure Of our position in
This most important trade.
Senator Pettigrew took the floor as
soon as Mr.. Platt had concluded, de-
voting himself especially to replying
10 the Connecticut senator's remarks
the present government Of
The islands
Senator White, of California, also
,poke in opposition to the ratification
II the treaty. His was in the main q
constitutional argument, intended to
show that the annexation Of territory
which would require navy to defend
It had been, from the beginning, OPP
posed to our theory Of government.
Senator White had not concluded his,
when the senate adjourned.
THE HOUSE.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1.-The house de-
voted most Of the session yesterday to
The District of Columbia appropriation
bill, but had not completed it at the
time OF adjournment The anti-civil |
service reformers won slight victory |
when Mr.. Perkins, of Iowa, presented
. resolution for printing the hearings
before the civil service commission.
Mr.. Grosvenor antagonized the resolu-
lion. Mr.. Perkins, however, refused |
TO withdraw the resolution until the
house, by a vote Of IS to 90, had re-
fused the previous question. lie then
yielded.
A bill was passed authorizing the
secretary of the treasury to build or
purchase a suitable vessel for revenue
cutter service on the Yukon river to
cost not exceeding $4,000.
At four o'clock the debate drifted
into politics. Mr.. Simpson, of Kansas,
attempted TO show from clippings
from Maine papers that there has been
no return Of prosperity in the lumber
industry in that state He also at
tackled New Jersey as the home of the
trusts.
Mr.. Dingley, in reply, declared that
the Maine papers were full of evidences
of the improvement in the lumber in
dustry
Mr.. Pitney, of New Jersey, defended
his state. He declared that New Jer-
sey had been trust-ridden because for
years 1t had been under democratic
domination.
Mr. Mahaney, of New York, pre-
scented in open house the protests of
10000 German-American voters against
the Lodge immigration bill. He
made an impassioned speech against
the intolerance of those who desire
to close the gates to immigration.
WAS THE NEGRO HUNG.