The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1898-12-09
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/ Its Iui.siin bee iaf som, t.us ~
tfsi che Advef 80 via requests d.
BE- opsnlns ~ ths nsutIAlliy question
be-. We assume Do does as the organ
~ ths n0s franiie Special AGENT. sh,
az been, and noe is 20 far ~ We can
earn. the only candidate fof q eoyer
norsh.p thai dos not exist.
Since The hour when The special kg.ni
r"vokinrly destroyed the solemnlty Of
| BE- annexation Proceedings by utierine
messy and lll-sdyised stump speech
art Ike thst " marrlng a pretty
landscape by spreading an advertise
ment Of Rising sun Stove Polish" In
front Of it-the Advertiser has studl-
ously avoided any allusion TO the pitt
ful incident. But as a cordial challenge
seems TO be extended by the s. a. to
revive ,ais subject and others con
nected with Il, the Advertiser will gen
erOusly east away its reserve and from
time 10 time, inform It's readers about
the movements of this central figure in
the political farce now on the boards
titled the idiots OF the Pacific or No
Man Ft to Govern"
The question OF neutrality has now
no practical value, but will remain one
.of historical importance for many
years, as an incident In the close OF
our national life. Only as such is 81
alluded TO. Our treaty with Spain pro-
vided by Article "a that:
IF from a concurrence of I'M
fortunate circumstances, differences be-
tween the contracting parties should
cause an interruption Of the relation Of
friendship between them and after
having exhausted the means of an
amicablc and conciliatory discussion,
the object OF their mutual desire should
not have been completely attained. the
arbitration OF third power equally
The friend of both, shall by a common
accord be appealed to, In order to avoid
by this means definite rupture"
The interruption of the relation OF
friendship between the parties" was
caused by no differences" whatever.
There were none. Our Government,
after due deliberation, abandoned its
neutrality in the Spanish war, without
any provocation from Spain, not even
a complaint on either side. IL simply
roke its contract with Spain. Its de-
tense is that II did only that which
Great Britain has done repeatedly, and
that II closely followed the United
States In its practice OF breaking trea-
ties with the Indians While Hawaii
was under moral obligations to the
United States to abandon neutrality,
sue was under moral obligations to
bserve her treaty with Spain. She
hoose, naturally enough, 10 follow her
interests. and abandoned neutrality. 1t
was the wisdom OF the hour TO do 30.
But wisdom and justice are not always
partners.
The Special Agent. now the only can
idate. took occasion on Annexation
day In his stump speech TO call the men
selfish and timid," who had hesitated
TO break the treaty with Spain. because
the moral responsibility was upon
them.
The Special Agent and his organ con-
tinue to take pride" in this act OF rep
udiating treaty obligations
The incident calls mp one OF Lin
coins stories:
A preacher who loved sport saw two
little birds alight on the decayed car
cass OF dead dog In a field. After
eating a meal from 1t. they few away
to a fence rail. and began to sweetly
Warb.e their thankful notes. The
preacher brought them both down with
ne shot. AS he picked them up he re-
marked to himself: THE moral Is Just
this, don't eat dead dog and then fly
n and sing about it."
The less singing that is done over the
broken clause of that treaty. the less
danger We are in from the double bar
elled guns OF the political moralists.