The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1901-03-30
WE WERE ONCE IMpERIALIsTs
When n Democratic Administrators
Was iu Control mt wash
inRtOn.

The bill introduced in the Hawaiian
legislature to pension former Queen
Liliuokalani recalls opportunely the
only attempt of an American admins
tration to enforce an imperial policy.
There was revolution in Hawaii
in 1892, the outcome of which was the
overthrow of Queen Liliuokalani and
the monarchy, the establishment of q
provisional government, and the nego-
tiation of treaty of annexation with
the United States, in which the sue
cessful revolutionary party asked for
an immediate American protectorate
and for prompt annexation.
The treaty of annexation was before
the senate, with strong probability OF
ratification, when it was withdrawn by
President Cleveland, March o, 1898.
The president sent special commits
sioner to Hawaii, who withdrew the
protection of the United States from
the provisional government, hauled
down the American flag, and presented
the ultimatum of the Cleveland admin
istration to the effect that President
Dole and his associates should sur
render the government to the deposed
queen and that the monarchy in all
it's functions should be restored.
This was democratic policy. Mr..
Blount, and afterward Mr.. Willis, as
representatives of the United States,
made attempts to enforce this policy
of restoring n monarchy. Threats
were resorted to to compel President
Dole, of the Hawaiian republic, to
consent to the restoration of the
queen. He declined to do so and for
months the government of the United
States stood in an attitude of active
hostility toward q people asking for
protection and annexation.
The situation became so strained
that President Cleveland finally re-
ferred the whole matter to congress,
recommending, however, that the
restoration of the monarchy be in
sisted upon. The democrats of the
house voted to sustain the president.
Many of the most influential demo-
Gratis in the senate declined to do so,
and it was only upon the accession
of n republican president that Hawaii
was annexed.
Had the democratic policy prevailed,
Hawaii would not now be q part of the
United States. So long as President
Cleveland was in power there was dan
ger of civil war in Hawaii because of
antiques among the natives, based on
the presidents avowed friendship for
the deposed queen. But under a re-
publican administration Hawaii was
annexed, territorial government was
organized, and the islands, under the
American system, have made great
progress in education, in agriculture,
and in commerce.
The people have government under
which they enjoy the same rights and
privileges as American citizens. Ar
An,ericaD going from San Francisco
| westward feels, when he steps ashore
| ut Honolulu, that he is on American
soil. Eight years ago England, Ger
many and Japan each contemplated
taking possession of the Hawaiian is
lands, thus despoiling the United
States of its strongest outpost in the
| Pacific. Now no foreign power ques-
tons the sovereignty of the United
States in Hawaii. This has been ac-
complished. not under the imperial
| policy of President Cleveland. but by
encouragement to republican institu-
tions in Hawaii under President Nc
Kin1ey Chicago Inter Ocean.