The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-04
THE HAWAIIAN BILL UP
Debate on the Senate Measure Be-
gins in the House.
It's Passage Advocated by Reprcsen-
tntive kncx-Mr. Robinson Speaks
IsInnd-Mr. LaEe's Delayed Argu-
ment on the Porto Rican Question.

The Senate bill to provide a form OF
Government for the Territory Of Hawaii
with the House substitute therefor, was
taken up in the House yesterday and the
afternoon was spent in general debate. The
| principal speeches were by Mr.. Knox of
| Massachusetts, in charge of the bill, upon
| its merits; Mr. Robinson of Indiana, who
| spoke against the labor condl;icns IN the
island and charged the Republican party
with a desire to exploit them b! contract
labor; and by Mr. Lane of Iowa. who made
a delayed speech against the Porto Rican
| Tariff bill not having been in the House
while it was being considered.
At the opening OF the session OF tho
| House the Speaker laid before that body
a message from the President transmitting
a report from F. w Peck, Commissioner
| to the Paris Exposition
| A bill was passed authorizing soldiers.
| sailors. and marines who served in the
Spanish war to enter lands under the
Homestead law. and to have the time they
served credited on their entries.
! Mr. Cooper Chairman of the Committee
on Insular Affairs. asked unanimous con-
sent for the consideration of bill to au-
thorize the Secretary of the Treasury to
designate Government repositories in Porto
| Rico. Cuba. and the Philippines.
Mr. Brewer of Alabama objected.
The Hawaiian Bill.
Under a special order the House went
into Committee of the Whole to consider
the Hawaiian Civil Government bill. The
debate is to last until Thursday, on which
day. at o'clock, the vote is to be taken
Mr.. Knox. Chairman of the Committee
on Territories. made the opening speech.
| To discuss the desirability and wisdom
OF annexation of the Hawaiian Islands
upon the pending measure would be
| neither profitable nor pertinent" said Mr..
| Knox. mo public question has received
greater consideration at the hands of the
| American people for the larger part of
the century now closing. 1t has been de-
bated in Congress and in the popular
forum. 1t has been the subject of numer-
Gus executive messages, and two treaties
for annexation have failed OF ratification.
! The literature upon the subject is ex-
! haustless, and he who would seek for
| reasons for or against annexation has the
source of supply ever ready and close at
| hand. But while there has been differ
! ence of opinion as to the annexation OF
the islands there has been no difference
, Of opinion upon the position always as
) sumed by the nation that the possession
of the islands by any foreign nation would
/ be menace and danger to the United
States.
/ The discussion upon the subject ter
minated suddenly and Unexpectedly when
the events of the Spanish war made gen.
orally apparent the strategic necessity of
the Hawaiian Islands to the United States.
Lying two thousand miles to the south
west of San francisco. they furnish the
only naval base in all the vast north
Pacific. Ia all this expanse of water they
are the only place where coal or supplies
. can be obtained"
MIR. Robinson's Views.
The next speaker was Mr.. Robinson of
! Indiana, who devoted himself to a discus
sion Of the labor question in Hawaii,
which he said he approached with feelings
of sadness as well as of responsibility.
This BILL he said, nowhere and in
no wise protects or encourages American
| labor here or there, and this policy is in
, keeping with the actions of this and the
| last Congress. 1t is time to call a halt
| and to make an enquiry. You of the ma
| iority have. done nothing. absolutely moth
| ing, to prohibit. the importation of con-
| tract labor into the Hawaiian Islands be-
| cause you believe -ou can exploit them
for commercial ends-the only motive that
moves you-better by contract labor. The
| provisions of the bill mean that 10000
! laborers' contracts shall be continued in
| force and that the penal proceedings to
| enforce them shall continue; that slave
| men shall be imprisoned for failure to
| keep a civil contract; they mean that in
voluntary servitude shall exist In the mills
| and on the plantations; that involuntary
| Imprisonment with felons stripes shall
| be the remedy for enforcing civil rights
between the favored masters of Hawaii
| and the cringing contract labor slaves:
| they mean that you would cruelty labor
on the cross OF landordism and money in
| Hawaii.
Since the act OF annexation in 1898" Mr.
| Robinson said 40 coo alien contract la
| borers had been imported into the islands
| and they were taken there for the money
| that is in them"
The speaker spent some time in a re-
view of contract labor legislation and ac-
| ton in Hawaii since annexation, asserting
| that all the island officials were interested
! in furthering it. II it were argued that
| the labor contracts could not be repealed
| because of the constitutional prohibition
| against impairing contracts. it was asc
| true that the thirteenth amendment to the
| Constitution forbade involuntary servitude
except as punishment for crime. After
describing the operations of the contract
| system In Hawaii, Mr. Robinson concluded:
| The Dole official family enfOrces these
nCfariOuS practices, ana tue supreme
| Court decides that they are not in contra
,entfon of the Hawaiian constitution.
| What do Americans think OF such a ju-
dietary such officials. such slavery?
What is to be expected from & g7v-
| ernment of slave owners, slave drivers
| slavery apologists Let us call upon the
| press to protect labor against such abuses
on the pulpit to denounce the crying evil.
| and may we not hope that Congress VIII
! crush it now and forever. and its members
| be held ponsible to labor for a contind-
| ance of this Infamous contract labor sys-
| tenn"
| Mr.. Lane of Iowa. who was no. IN the
| city at the time the Porto Rican Tariff
| bill was being considered In the HuUse
| and vino yainly desired to be psircd
against it. made speech on that ill. He
said that he believed the Constitution
| country only so far as Congress ex-
tended Il by law. But the time had
| come when Congress should give Porto
| Rico civil government and make
| Just and right, MIR Lane said, and I warn
| you" he added with emphasis. that wLcu-
| ever the standard of right and justice
| maintained by any political party differs
| from that OF the people upon any great
question. that party goes down to defeat. -
! The discussion was further continued by
| Mr. Thomas of North Carolina, who made
a speech again expansion; by Mr.. Mondell
| of Wyoming. who apostrophized the beau
| ty and value of the Hawaiian Islands and
| expressed his qualification that the Stars
and Stripes foated there: by Mr. Williams
OF Mississippi. who dismissed the mis-
| SION and manifest destiny arguments
| of the materialistic interests that advo-
| cate the possession OF insular territory