The Fight Over the Hawaiian Islands
As Washington politicians and chambers of commerce clamor for annexation, locals weigh in on the imperial ambitions of the United States.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The discussion of the Hawaiian question at the cabinet meeting in Washington, D.C., remains informal. While commissioners from the provisional government of Hawaii are expected to arrive soon, officials insist there will be no precipitate action. Meanwhile, back in Washington state, the annexation debate is intensifying. Judge J.G. Swan of Port Townsend, serving as resident consul for Hawaii, has expressed strong opposition to annexation, noting that the United States has already demonstrated its incompetency in governing territory like Alaska. Across the state, business groups are moving quickly: Tacoma’s Chamber of Commerce is set to discuss the proposal, and the mayor of Tacoma has reached out to Seattle and other cities to coordinate meetings in favor of annexation. Proponents argue that the islands should be brought under the American flag as a permanent commercial outpost, while critics, including some members of Congress, call the entire scheme a 'job' designed to benefit a small group of sugar planters.
“Not to take the fruit within our grasp and annex the group now begging us to take it would be folly indeed.”
This 1893 report captures a pivotal moment of American imperial expansion, documenting the intense local lobbying by commercial interests in Seattle and Tacoma to secure the Hawaiian Islands. It mirrors modern debates about Washington's global economic influence and the lingering, often fraught, historical legacy of the state's relationship with Pacific territories.
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