Evening star., 1898-06-21
0 P p SITION w EA K
Test of Hawaiian Annexation Sentiment
Disclosed in the Senate.
1t Came on a Motion to Adjourn, De-
feated IL to 44-Pofnts in
the Debate.

| The Senate remained in session last even
| ing until nearly 6 o'clock. The day had
| been devoted to a discussion of the Ha-
| waiian resolutions, and late in the after
| noon test vote was secured. This vote
| was recorded when Mr.. White moved to ad-
| journ, and, like a flash, Mr.. Davis de-
| manded the yeas and nays. The motion,
the vote upon which was a test of strength
between the friends and opponents of an
nexation, was defeated by A to Is. The
| vote was as follows:
| Yeas-Bacon, Bate, Berry, Butler, Chill
ton. Clay, Cockrell, Jones (Ark), Mallory.
| Pasco, Pettigrew, Roach, Turley, Turner
and White-15.
Nays-Aldrich, Allison, Baker. Burrows,
Cannon. Carter Clark. Cullom. Davis.
| Elkins, Fairbanks, Foraker, Frye, CALM
ger, German, Hale, Hanna, Hansbrough,
Harris, Hawlsy: Hsisfeldt I hoaT, .nt,;,s hyie'
| Money. Morgan, Penrose, Perkins, Pettus.
| Platt Comm. Pritchard, Rawlins, Sewell,
| Shoup. Spooner. Stewart, Teller. Warren,
| Wellington, Wetmore. Wilson-H.
Weakness of the Opposition.
This vote developed great weakness of
! the opposition, and having secured it Mr..
Davis readily agreed to enter a motion for
an executive session. The proceedings of the
day indicated clearly that there is to be no
oSpdtS upol Tie I1dWdlidH QueSlioH III the
| ordinary acceptation of that term. 1t is
! not the purpose of the friends of annexation
| to consume time in making speeches. Be-
Heving that the Senate has already, in ex-
ecutive session, thoroughly discussed the
question, they will permit the opponents of
the project to occupy all of the Time.
After The Stars report of the Senate
proceedings was closed yesterday after
| noon Mr.. Teller spoke briefly the par
He cd hal M
senator had the right to farm out the time
| of the Senate, saying that the consent of
no senator making speech was necessary
for interrupting him when that speaker
has taken his seat. As for himself he was
prepared now to vote for the Hawaiian an
nexatlon resolutions. but he recognized the
| right of all to be heard on the subject, and
| he pleaded for a proper regard FOR the
amenities of the Senate in considering
the question.
Resuming, Mr.. Bacon addressed himself
to the Legal and constitutional questions of
the issue. He contended that the joint
resolution row before the Senate was q di-
rect blow at prerogatiVe OF the Senate
in that the only proper method of annex
ing foreign territory by means of
treaty. He urged the Importance of main
tanning the constitutional method in so i'm
portant an undertaking. In this connec-
ton he deprecated the suggestion that the
President could seize the Hawaiian Islands
without the concurrence of the Senate.
He had, he said, been grieved to hear seE-
ators suggest the propriety of such a rro-
ceeding, and he had been more than graft.
fieauat the failure of the President TO act
upon this unwise suggestion. The Presi-
dent would have no more right thus to
seize Hawaii than he would have to seize
Jamaica. Still such a seizure would be
legal as would annexation by joint resolu-
ton.
Some Questions Asked.
In the course of his remarks Mr.. Bacon
was frequently interrupted by senators with
ln it,lti o.
point he was arguing.
Mr.. Platt Comm inquired whether If the
Hawaiian government made a cession of
territory to this country without treaty the
Congress could not accept 1t.
Mr.. Bacon in reply maintained that such
acceptance would require the assent of the
treaty-making power.
Mr.. Spooner (Wis.) read the first line of
the resolution, that said cession is accept
ed, ratified and confirmed and then in
quired, What cession?"
There has been an offer to cede,' replied
Mr.. Platt.
Yes said Mr.. Spooner, "but an offer to
cede is not a cession.'
Mr.. Foraker inquired of Mr.. Bacon
whether it would not be competent for Con-
gress to prescribe by law certain terms and
conditions on which any independent gov
ernment could become part of the United
States, and whether, the terms having been
complied with, Congress might not declare
the territory annexed.
Il answer the senator, yes" replied Mr..
Bacon, "'if you absolutely nulify the Con-
stitution of the United States"
'If q foreign power were to concede to us
a part of its territory" continued Mr.. For
aker, 1T might be necessary to effect the
annexation by treaty, but where as in this
case the whole foreign country comes in it
is not SO properly matter for treaty, but
may be accomplished by act of Congress-
In reply Mr.. Bacon maintained that any
change of sovereignty, except as war
measure, could be accomplished legally only
by treaty, and he could see no force in Mr..
Forakers argument. He argued that such
action would be an absolute surrender by
the Senate of its power to ratify treaties.
In concluding his speech Mr.. Bacon said
that If the Senate passed the pending reso-
luton Congress would enter upon revolu-
tion which would raise the flag of the Unit
ed States over country whose people We're
entirely and essentially different from our
own people-a revolution, too, in which the
Senate, because the majority has the pow
er, would surrender its treaty-making
power.
Mr.. TelIer's Reply.
Mr.. Teller said while he had no desire
to discuss the question at length, he want
ed to call attention to the false assump-
ton of Mr.. Bacon that there was some
constitutional barrier to annexation by
act of Congress. He was not afraid, he
said. that the common sense and patriot
ism of the American people would lead the
government TO acquire undesirable terrl-
tory. 1t was reflection upon the people
to intimate that they could not trust them
selves.
II do not know" said Mr.. Teller, what
the present war will bring to us. ] con-
fess that 1 would not have been urlsind-
ly disposed toward postponement of this
discussion until we could ascertain what
the issue Of the war is to be and what
other questions may be presented to us.
But, Mr.. President, you cannot make the
American people believe that the govern
ment of the United States is not capable
of exercising the powers of control in the
Philippines or in any other part of the
world, or that we cannot give to that
people government infinitely better than
they have had there for 200 years. You
cannot make the American people believe
that freedom and liberty will be means
of harm to the people who ask to take
their share in it.
'I don't know what the war will bring
to us but I do believe that wherever our
flag flies by right of conquest, or by the
consent of the people, there it will remain.
And the party or the men who propose to
take it down will have to reckon with the ,
American people
Mr.. White inquired of Mr. Davis IL he
desired to proceed further with the debate.
Mr.. Davis expressed the wish that the