Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-02-08
Delegate Wilcox Owns Up to Writing
Those Filipino Letters.
SAYS CONDITIONS WERE DIFFERENT
Claims That He is Now True and
Patriotic American.
SOUGHT DELAY AT FIRST

The House committee on elections re-
sumed, this morning, hearings on the Pc
tition for the ousting of Delegate Wilcox of
Hawaii from his seat in the House. The
committee decided yesterday afternoon that
the only issue raised in the petition of At
torney Gear, of which the committee would
take cogniZanze. was the question of Mr.
WicoXs connection with the letter to the
Filipinos alleged to have been written by
him. These letters have been published in
The Star.
| Representative Robinson of Indiana ap-
peared counsel for Mr.. Wilcox and sub
mitted the following communication from
Mr.. Wilcox, addressed to Chairman Tayler
81 am in receipt of yesterdays memorial,
or petition. of George u. Gear, with respect
to the seat that L occupy in the United
States Congress. as delegate from the ter
rltory of Hawaii
Il understand that many of the charges
preferred are, on their face, without merit.
l desire respectfully to submit my answer
to such portion Of the charges the COM
mittee may indca te their desire to have an
swered. all of which are inconsistent with
the facts, where material. AS l am un-
familiar with the proceedings in such cases,
! desire reasonable time in which to pre-
pare such answer.
Says Conditions We're Different.
'If the two letters, attached as exhibits
+ and to the petition, dated, respectively,
January 81, 1899, and March 8, 1899, are to
be considered and answered, / respectfully
suggest that the conditions prevailing at
that tme and the legal status of the Ha-
waiian Islands with respect to the United
States, were entirely different from those
existing later and at the time of NV cleo
ton. and, indeed. at the time the Hawaiian
Islands finally became a part of the United
Safes, the, organic law becoming effective,
and making the Hawaiian Islands definite
ly part of the United States, in June,
l'oo. almost a year and half after the
pretended letters dated. ] am now sim
cerely and thoroughly an American and I
believe in and heartily support their insti-
tutions.
i submit that l should have in fairness,
dehn1te statement from the committee as
to what portions of these charges they
deem material and desire from me an an
swer, expressing the further desire to have
a reasonable time after learning from the
committee their wishes within which to
submit my answer
Ten Days Delay Sought
Mr.. Robinson said that this was a ques-
ton of great Importance to the people of
Hawaii, and their interests should be pro-
tected. The charge of treason made the
question very serious to Mr.. Wilcox, and he
asked that ten days be granted in which
to file formal reply.
tildil man LAYER Sdlu t0aC IN the 1rSt
place he apprehended that Mr. Wilcox did
not understand that the committee would
protects his rights as we'll as all other
rights in the case; that there was no preju-
dice in the committee, and the committee
was anxious to preserve the integrity of the
election held in Hawaii. Replying to the
suggestions of counsel as to rules Of pro-
Cedure. etc, Mr.. Tayler intimated that the
committee was not bound by technicaltieS
in rules of procedure. The House and the
committee had Jurisdiction of the subject
and 1t was the duty of the committee as the
close, to expedite decision. He said the
first step was TO learn if it was necessary
to introduce witnesses to prove the au-
thenticity of the letters. He understood that
the original letters We're in the city.
At this point, Attorney Gear departed to
get the original letters, and the committee
went into executive session, and then took
a recess until o clock
Admits the AuthorsI,ip.
When the hearing resumed Represen-
tative Robinson, counsel for Wilcox, read
a statement signed by Wilcox, in which he
said that when Congress gave to Hawaii
its present system of laws he gave the
United States government his patriotic sup
port. He admitted that he wrote the letters
in 1899 which have been published.
He said that those letters We're witten un-
order entire miSconcSptiOn fthe attitude
of the United States toward Hawaii, which
was dissipated when Congress passed the
organic act. He claimed under the laws of
the United States, at fair and free elec-
ton, he was elected as delegate from Ha-
wai to the United States Fifty-sxth Con-
gress, was sworn in as such and is now
performing the duties thereof That in all
respects he is duly qualified as such dele
gate and no reason exists or has existed
dsqualifying him as such delegate from
Hawaii.