The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-12-02
|ThEHAWAIIAN BILL
Early Action Predicted by Senator
CQlOm Of Illinois.
WILL PRESS THINGS SHARPLY
TaVors a Territorial Government
TaVors a Territorial Government
for These Islands But Not for
Other New PossS ssions.

| WASHINGTON, Nov. 20-Senatol
Cullom, who was chairman of the Ha.
waiian Commission, has. announced his
intention Of reintrOducing on the open
ing day of the Fifty-sixth Congress the
bill providing a territorial form OF
| government for Hawaii. He will urge
| action upon this measure, insisting
that it should be disposed of before
Congress gives serious consideration to
any legislation for other insular pos
sessions.
The Hawaiian BILL" said the Sen
ator tonight, has precedence, and, in
my judgment, there ought to be early
action upon it. Congress during the
coming session certainly ought TO pro-
vide a form of government for both
Hawaii and Porto Rico, but Hawaii
should come first. Congress could
have adopted a form of government for
Hawaii at the last session, and prob
ably should have done so. The Hawaii
an Commission. consisting OF Senator
Morgan, myself and Congressman Hit
having made a full investigation of
conditions in the Islands. had reported
a bill to Congress providing form Of
government, but the Weighty matters
which pressed upon Congress in cOnse-
quence Of the war with Spain prevent
ed the Hawaiian bill from being taken
up. The people of Hawaii have now
waited a whole year upon Congress
without a murmur. They are loyal,
patriotic Americans, and they appreci
ate the causes for delay in giving them
a representative government. These
causes no longer exist, and they have
a right TO expect early action.
do you think committees Of Con-
gresS should be sent to Porto Rico and
the Philippines before any bill creating
a form of government for those islands
is considered by Congress-"
Il think it might be well to do so.
But probably in the case of Porto Rico
it may not be necessary. The Porto
Ricans are thoroughly loyal to the
United States. There has never been
any disposition among them to ques-
ton our sovereignty. 1t may be that
Congress can legislate satisfactorily for
them without Congressional commit
tees visiting the island. That will ap-
pear later. But whether it is neces-
sary to send a committee of Congress to
the island or not, some form of govern
ment for the Porto Ricans ought to be
provided before the conclusion of the
coming session"
will the bill reported by the Ha-
waiian Commission for the govern
ment of the Hawaiian Islands serve as
model for form OF government for
Porto Rico?"
1T may be of some use, but | doubt
if it would answer in all particulars.
The Hawaiians are very different sort
of people from the Porto Ricans. The
Hawaiians are fully Americanized and
have demonstrated their capacity for
They speak the Eng
lish language for the most part ana
understand American institutions.
With the Porto Ricans it is different.
They have never had any experience III
Their training under
Spain has not been such as to qualify
them for it. Few of them speak the
English language, and few have, as yet,
a proper appreciation of the principles
of our republic. In the beginning,
therefore, they may need Inherent
form of government from that when
we will provide the Hawaiians. Inc
difference will be in details; the under
lying principles, of course, will be the
same"
In reference to the reported lnten-
ton of the President to appoint clVli
governor for Porto Rico Immediately,
It would seem as if the program to ap-
noint Assistant Secretary Allen OF the
Navy Department has been suspended.
The President told Senator Foraker on
Saturday that he doubted now whether
he would make any civil appoIntmeht
in Porto Rico until after Congress naa
had a chance to legislate on form OF
for that island ana nd
wall. 1t would seem from this remark
that the subject has had very recent
at the White House ana
that Senators have advised the Presl-
dent to go slow in the appointment OF
civil governors. The question OF fe'e-
me in Porto Rico to support the ISL
and will be a difficult problem to deter
mine