The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-08-04
HAWAII WAS
ADVERTISED
Robertson Tells How
Convention
Helped.

You can say for me that if my bust
ness interests will permit, | will be glat
to manage the Republican campaign ii
the islands this fall" said Republican
National Committeeman A G. NJ Rob
ertson yesterday. Mr. Robertson re
turned from the mainland yesterday
morning in the steamship Sonona, hav.
ing been one of the Republican delegates
to the Chicago Convention.
| With the above expression from Mr.
Robertson regarding his future plans
the matter of new chairman for the
Territorial Central Committee may be
considered as settled. For some time the
| local committee has been considering
Mr.. Robertson's name for the position
of chairman, vice Crabbe, who is to
retire.
Mr.. Robertson announces also that he
| is for Kutio for denomination for Con-
gress.
AS to the Republican convention at
Chicago Mr. Robertson stated yester-
day to an Advertiser man that he was
much impressed with the convention and
the smoothness with which it was car
ried out.
What impressed. me most" said he,
twas the magnifcence of the Republican
political machine. Everything planned
beforehand went off easily and like
clock-work. There was no friction, no
hitch, far different from the Democratic
convention which ran alomst to a riot.
"The trouble over Hawaii representa-
ton in the convention arose from
misunderstanding on the part of the
chairman of the Rules Committee, as to
the status of Hawaii
General Bingham of Pennsylvania
was the chairman and he did not seem
to realize that since last convention the
status of Hawaii had changed from a
Republic to territory of the United
States. The committee went on the
assumption that Hawaii had not the sta
tus of territory and accordingly gave
two votes
When we heard that they were going
to make such report, Governor Carter,
Kuhio and myself went to see Bingham
and explained the situation to him, tell
ing him that we were entitled to six
votes. The six of us had been seated in
the temporary organization. He said:
You have got as nlany votes as you
had last time Then we explained to
him our present position of a territory
He said IF what you say is correct,
xrnY1 entitled RI HIT ff1a
trouble is the committee will not meet
again before making its report to the
convention, and |. as chairman, have no
power to make the change
Il told him that a number of the COM
mittee had told me he had the. author
ity to change the report. He said he
would go to the secretary and if he
found he really had the authority he
would change the two to six votes
The next day the committee reported
in the convention and gave us only two
votes. Foraker offered an amendment
to the report giving Hawaii six votes
on the same basis by which the other
states and territories had representation
Then Bingham offered an amendment
as rider to the committees report,
that the six delegates had already been
seated in the temporary organization
g1v1ng them the same privilege III the
permanent organization. The rider car
ried, the Foraker amendment being de-
feated.
There was very friendly feeling
toward Hawaii. The California delega-
ton permitted us to travel with them in
their special train and they treated us in
royal style.
THAT trouble over Hawaii in the con-
vention was as great an advertisement
for Hawaii as we could possibly get.
Il afterwards visited the Worlds Fair |
and found there an exhibit of the Fed
eral Experiment Station of Hawaii in |
the United States government building. |
The exhibit was good one, and consist |
ed largely of fruits of all kinds in jars |
Il met Coke and Lyons of the Demo |
cratic convention in St Louis and re-
ceived tickets of admission from them |
and saw much of the work of that !
body"
Mr. Knudsen of Kauai, who was on
the committee to notify Roosevelt of his /
nomination, was with Mr.. Robertson,
until he departed for Oyster Bay
q q III u u Id n q q u q y D u = u . ,
Preston todav "a1tbo,1ob the date for