The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-25

Washington or Honolulu?
When Secretary HAY courteously init
mated to President" DOLE OF Hawaii
that 1t might be we'll for him to go slow in
the matter OF selling public lands in the
islands now belonging to the United States,
Mr. DOLE published al interview rebuking
the Secretary OF State OF President Nc
KINLEYs Administration for ignorance and
presumption.
In this interview Mr.. DOLE described Mr..
HAYS polite letter as quite vague" Mr..
HAY" as the former President" pro-
ceeded to explain to the American citizens
in Hawaii. "is new in his Office, and evil
IDENTIFY is not familiar with the lines upon
which we have been working here since
last August His letter showed that he
was not thoroughly informed on the sub
ject of public lands"
In all OF the literature produced by the
Hawaiian question since LYDIA LILIUoKA-
LAM was dethroned, not even excluding
the reports and manifcstoes of Paramount
BLoUNT, probably there is nothing more
extraordinary than this utterance of Mr..
DOLE Indeed, it appears as IL Mr.. DOLE
imagined that by some mysterious process
Of Inheritance he has become invested with
the paramountcy bestowed by Mr.. CLEvE-
LAND on Mr.. BLoUNT, and that his para
mountcy is large enough to cover President
MCKINLEY and his Cabinet.
For he not only brushed aside the Secre-
tary OF States letter as piece Of imperti-
nent meddlng by a fresh person ignorant
OF the lines upon which eve have been
working" since the Stars and Stripes we're
raised over Hawaii, and therefore grossly
incompetent to deal with the subject OF the
public lands, but he also undertook to over
rule the distinct and positive opinion off,
cially rendered by the Attorney-General OF
the United States.
The question of the sale Of public lands in
Hawaii by the temporary, tde-over Gov
eminent OF Mr.. DOLE had been referred to
Mr.. GRrGas. In July last the law officer OF
Mr.. MCKINLEY's Administration had ex-
pressed the opinion that these lands "can-
not be disposed OF except by special act OF
Congress" Mr.. HAY, ignorant and pre-
Bumptuous as he may seem to Mr..
DOLE, was perfectly aware OF this
opinion when he wrote cautioning the
Hawaiian Executive against unlawful sales
OF United States property in the islands we
have annexed. Upon the receipt OF Mr..
HAYS letter. the Dole Government merely
altered the date OF the advertised land
auctions in Hilo. 1t did not call off the sale.
1t postponed 1t until November 4, full
month before the meeting Of Congress, the
body declared by the Attorney General to
be the only authority competent to dispose
Of these same public lands.
There is nothing vague in the legal status
Of the public lands in Hawaii. Nor Is there
the slightest ground for questioning the
soundness Of Mr.. GRIGas's opinion, much
less for defying its obvious mandate.
The joint resolution annexing Hawaii.
commonly known rs the Newlands reso-
luton, provided definitely for the cession
to the United States OF 1.-THE absolute fee
and ownership Of all public lands, Govern
ment or Crown lands" In the islands
annexed. This had been the proposition
of the Republic OF Hawaii, Mr.. DoLE's
own Government. then Independent and
competent to cede such property. Tho
cesslon was accepted and ratified by
our Government when the Newlands
joint resolution. having passed the Sem
ate and the House OF Representatives,
was signed by President MCKINLEY and
became the law OF the United States.
President DOLE OF the defunct republic
formally yielded to the representative OF
the Federal Government, on August H.
1893, the sovereignty and public property
OF Hawaii. Therefore, when the Newlands
resolution became law the Hawaiian public
lands became pnrt Of the public domain Of
the United States; and when the flag was
raised in Honolulu on August12 OIL last year,
the United States Governments absolut o
and exclusive ownership OF these lands,
among other items OF public property in
Hawaii, was asserted and proclaimed Mr..
DOLE and his land agents have no more
power now to sell this Government prop
erty, and no more right to advertise it for
sale, than they have to dispose Of Govern
ment land in Idaho, Utah or Arizona.
The sole authority is In Congress, as Mr..
GRIGdss opinion clearly declared The
Neulands resolution expressly reserved the
question OF the Hawaiian public lands for
legislative determination in the future.
Here is the exact language Of the act:
THE eIiIting laws of the United stat.s relative
to public lands shall not apply to such lands In the
Hawaiian Islands, but the Congress Of the United
States shall enact special laws for their
and disposition"
No such special laws have yet been
enacted; but Mr., DOLE, working on lines :"
concerning which he accuses Mr.. HAY Of