Evening star., 1898-06-15
DEMOCRATIC FOLLY
Action of the Caucus on Hawaiian
Annexation.
UNWISELY MAKING an ISSUE
Effect Of Mr.. Bryan's Opposition
to Territorial Growth.
THE VOTE AT ) =. NJ. TO-DAY

! The vote on the Hawaiian resolution
| which Is % be taken at ! O'Clock this after
noon, IL likely TO he of a character to dis
courage the filibustering opposition in the
Senate. Nearly half thn democrats in the
House, ia spite of the caucus action last
night. are expected either TO vote for an
reXation or to refrain from voting The
resolution VIII probably get nearly a two
thi-Ls vote. The indications now are that
the vote will be quite two thirds in favor
of annexation.
The democratic House caucus last even
ing was a farce to the public and d tragedy
to the democratic party. Out of memer-
ship of 12G democrats only "a attend I'd the
caucus, and but "a votes were cast for the
resolution condemning the annexation of
Hawai-: as dangerous and unwise." The
thing was too ludcrous even for these men
to attempt TO make the action binding upon
the party but degree of audaci;y was
shown in proclaiming the resolutions as the
sense OF the democratic party.
Irritation Among the Democrats.
The greatest irritation was manifested
among democrats this morning and many
of the utterances are almost despairing of
any future for that party if it is to be held
committed to retrograde policy and in op-
position to all things progressive. The
party is horelessly divided in the House
row, and it is foreseen by the strongest
man In it that the division will become
more and more serious the situation de-
velops. The action of fifty democrats who
voted to commit the party TO a policy of
stagnation is not aimed at Hawaii alone,
but is designed to curtail and TO circum-
scribe both the influence and the dev alop-
f.f % l.
reference to colonial aggrandizement" in
the resolution adopted is aimed at the
Philippines and Porto Rico. and is design
ed to controvert the idea of this government
having any interest in the so-calIed eastern
question. The men who give utterance to
this resolution are the same who have de-
nounced on the stump the Chinese wall OF
protection" and their proposition now is 10
erect Chinese wall of their own of pro-
vincialism.
Mr.. Bryan Against Colonization.
simultaneously with this action of a mi
nority of the democrats in Congress ap-
Iears an interview with Mr.. w. J. Bryan,
N which he is quoted as deprecating "the
colonization of the orient" This is regard
ed as a deliberate attempt to make an is
with the administration the policy
of settlement of terms of peace at the con-
clusion of the war. 1t is denounced by
many of the best d democrats in Congress
folly, amounting almost to madness. The
republicans, of course, are not concerned.
While no: attempting to make a partisan
issue of the question themselves, they feel
that they have nothing to lose by the DEM
ocrats committing this folly. The short
sightedness of the thing is so apparent
that many democrats IN Congress find 1t
difficult to restrain their expressions of in
dignation, and speak of the action Of The
caucus as not only unwse from a political
point of view, but antagonstic to the patri-
otic sentiment of the people and against
the best interests of the country.
The men feeling this way numer-