The Independent., 1898-03-22


"Ths Hawaiian annexation treaty is
dead" On tho day those lines were
printed, the Senate COMMITTEES hay
ing the treaty in charge met to dis
cuss the discouraging outlook The
committee, which is anuexatouist
in tone, evidently realizes that the
treaty is killed, for they decided not
to bring the matter to q vote. There
was 6tful discussion OF springing
vote on the Bacon amendment,
which provides for popular vote
of the Hawaiians before the treaty
can be ratified. But even this was
postponed, aud nothing has been
decided upon. 1t is our belief that
the Senate annexationists will allow
the treaty 20 be pigeon-holed by tho
Committee on Foreign Relations,
and that it will slumber there uu.
disturbed. That settles the treaty
1t settles the annexation question
for this session. We think that it
will settle it for all time
1t is perhaps as well, For tha an-
nexationists, the best way out OF
this impasse is silence aud oblivion.
Some nine months ago, when Presi-
dent Mckinley sent the annexation
treaty to the Senate, they annouuc-
ed with a flourish that 10 would be
ratified at once. II was not ratified
at once. is not ratified yet. When
the Flfty-Fith Congress met last
December, the annexationist5 again
announced that the treaty would be
ratified in week, 1t is not ratified
yet. Then Senator Morgan, Sen
ator Davis, and other annexation
leaders, fearing failure, introduced
joint resolution by which they
hoped to annex the islands if the
treaty failed of ratification. AL
though annexation by joint resolu-
tion is unconstitutional, a little mat
ter like that did not deter them
But the House has shown plainly
that it is opposed TO annexation
Speaker Reed is opposed to annex
alton, and he is a power in the
popular House, The speech Of
Representative johnson, a stalwart
Republican and hitherto an admin
istration man, shows that the power
OF the administration can not hold
the representative in line, even If
the power of its patronage may hold
the senators, The annexatiouists
will not dare to bring up their leso-
luton in the House even il it should
pass the Senate, and the fast-crum.
bling phalanx Of senatorial annex
ationists shows that it may not even
pass the Senate.
Further, the House leaders soy,
and with reason, that no such meas
ure should ha introduced in the
House until it has been settled in
the Senate. They say that annex
alton has been before the Upper
House for nine months;. that it has
been debated there in secret session
for two months; that for the annex
ationists to ignore this Obvious fail
ure to pass the Upper House,
and to introduce resolution Tor
initial annexation in the Lower
House. would he indecent. We
think that their standpoint is cor
rect They will adhere to it. No
initial annexation resolution can be
passed in The House. Therefore, it
looks as If the matter would die, as
we said, in the Foreign Relations
pigeon-hole Of the Senate,
This is perhaps the best ending
of the annexation scheme. A lining
up OF forces and direct vote on the
question would result in it's defeat.
That would mean the defeat OF
many leaders in the Senate, Of many
leading Republican newspapers,
mostly administration organs, Of
many Republican political leaders,
and of the administration, II would
be a slap in the face to President
Mckinley, 1t has never been a Re
publican measure, and the Repub.
lican platform at St. Louis did not
pronounce for annexation. But it
has bsen wrenched into a party