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THE TREATY. ,v
"It would seem from u Washington
despatch tlint thu Morrison bill pio
poses to place rico on tho free list
u fact not stated in the published
synopsis of the bill. It now pays
2 J cents a pound duty. Oil belinlf
of the rice planters of .South Caro
lina Air. Trcnholni of Cluu lesion ap
peared before thu Ways and Alcans
Committee to protest against the
repeal of the duty, ami one argu
ment which he used was that the
duty on rico is mainly paid by
Chinamen in California, and that it
is about the only tax they do pay.
Air. Trenholm's position is indisput
ably correct. The statistics of im
portation show that in 1884 fully
78,000,000 pounds of rice were en
tered at Pacific coast ports. Alost
of this vast quantity is consumed by
the Chinese, who, in spite of all the
assertions to the contrary, make rice
their staple diet.
Of the 78,000,000 pounds im
ported 13,000,000 pounds comes
from Hawaii, and is duty free. In
speaking of the beauties of the re
ciprocity treaty with the kanaka
kingdom, the importation of rice is
too often lost sight of. Yet the
figures arc extremely instructive.
In 1876 the imports of Hawaiian
rice were 000,000 pounds. In 188:5
they were swelled to 12,802,951
pounds under the bencllccnt Influ
ence of the treaty. While thu United
States is permitting the Hawaiian
rice-planter who is always a China
man to send his rice to our country
duty free, the thrifty Alongol on the
islands imports rice from his native
land to feed his hands with. Thus
the statistics of the kingdom present
the anomaly of exporting and im
porting large quantities of the same
raw product. It is a very neat
transaction for the Hawaiiaus, but
rather rough on Uncle Sam's trea
sury. Instead of moving for the removal
of the duty from rice Air. Alorrison
should make an effort to make that
which comes, in free from Hawaii
pay a tariff. People on the Pacific
coast who understand the matter
would regard the placing of rice on
the free list as a deliberate sop to
the Chinese, who would lie the
chief, if not the only, gainers by the
transaction."
The foregoing is from the San
Francisco Chronicle. It is a sample
of the style of argument resorted to
l)y the opponents of the United
States-Hawaiian Trcnty. From the
Chronicle's standpoint, there seems
to bo force in the statements pro
duced, but the strengtli of the argu
ment rests wholly on its manifest
unfairness. The statement is alto
gether one-sided. As well might
the readers of the Chronicle tabu
that sheet and withdraw their sup
port from it on the ground that the
paper was issued at a handsome
profit to the proprictois. That the
quantity of Hawaiian rice bought on
the Pacific coast has increased under
the operations of the treaty is not to
be denied, but to say that the great
development of the rice trade is due
to the " beneficent influence" of the
treaty is entirely too big a dose
of anti-treaty physic. Where the
" beneficent influence " begins and
ends will likely be more easily de
tected subsequent to the abrogation
of the treaty, than now. "While the
Chronicle and other papers try to
make it appear that the trade of the
Hawaiian Islands is wholly de
pendent upon tho treaty, it may not
1)0 out of place to recall the fact
that a great part of the accumulated
wealth of this city, to-day, was
amassed before the treaty came into
existence. The " beneficent influ
ence " of the arrangement is repre
sented to be all in favor of this
country. But the S. F. Chronicle
and others of that ilk, forget to sny
anything about the " beneficent in
fluence" exerted on the other side.
The imports and exports of mer
chandise of this kingdom, for 1885,
as stated in this paper some three
weeks ago, amounted to 812,899,
8G2, and the total value of our ex
ports to and imports from the United
States, was 811,871,013 or 92.04
per cent, of the whole of our foreign
commerce. In proportion to popu
lation, it is probably safe to say that
no country in the world has a larger
carrying trade than the Hawaiian Isl
ands, and of tho total value of goods
transported in our foreign trade,
89.05 per cent, was carried in United
States bottoms. Tho last mentioned
is one of the results that operates
solely to tho advantage of but ono
of the contracting parlies, and that
the ono exciting the " beneficent in
fluence." With respect to tho 811,
804,043 worth of commerco between
tho United States and Hawaii, the
advantages aro mutual. The tradu
j3 profitable as well to the Pacific
THE T3AILY BULLETIN SUMMARY; HONOLULU, II. I., SATURDAY,
Coast as to tho Hawaiian Islands,
and if, owing to the small extent of
this country as compared with the
vastness of the United States, the
advantages are more perceptible
here, it by no means follows that
these advantages justify the oppo
nents of the treaty in the assump
tion that thu Hawaiian Islands ate
but " poor relations." extolling the
means of subsistence from the
United States by woiking on their
over generous "beneficence." It
maj' never have occurred to the
enemies of tho Hawaiian Treaty
that a large proportion of botlt the
foreign and domestic trade of these
islands is manipulated by United
Stales citizens, and, that the main
tenance of the treaty is neither more
nor less than continuing an untram
mclcd intercourse with their own
people. And in connection with
the alleged, support of Chinese
labor b' the California importers of
Hawaiian rice, which appears in the
extract at the head of this article,
the Chronicle ought never to forget
the fact that producers of articles of
food, clothing and furuituro on the
Pacific coast, arc no less dependent
on the buyers of their goods in this
country than are the rice-producing
Chinamen of Hawaii on the l ice
eating section of the population of
California. While San Francisco is
ceitainly the heaviest buyer of Ha
waiian products, let it not be for
gotten that Hawaii is one of Cali
fornia's wealthiest and most profit
able customers.
Of all the absurdities brought
forward in opposition to the con
tinuance of the treaty, the last ex
tremity is readied in the argument
that it ought to bo abrogated be
cause, forsooth, the Spreckcls firm
has made money out of it. This is
surely competition run mad. If
there were anything in this view of
the matter, it ought to apply to
exactly the contrary effect. The
writers and politicians on the other
side who would murder the treaty to
kill Alessrs. Spreckcls & Co. would
be more in the line of common sense
by citing this firm as an instance of
the "beneficent influence" of the
treaty on the business of tho Pacific
coast. Free trade is the logical
sequence of connections long since
established, and intercourse res
tricted by tariffs or other encum
brances, would be utterly incon
sistent with the geographical, his
torical, and social relations existing
betwecu the United Stales and the
Hawaiian Islands.
OPPOSITION TO THE TREATY.
The Advertiser of this morning
closes an elaborate article on Air.
Scarlcs' doings and sayings at Wash
ington in opposition to the Treaty,
by the bold and usually reckless
assertion that Air. Scarlcs argu
ments "embody the acrid criticisms
of the Opposition party in this King
dom during the past three or four
years." Now, no ono knows better
than the writer in the Advertiser
that if the United States Congress
has become an ally of the Opposi
tion in this Kingdom, the cause of
such an international phenomenon
must lie in the palpable rottenness
of the Hawaiian administration. Is
it not a remarkable fact that at
least nine-tenths of tho American
citizens, together with intelligent
foreigners of other nationalities arc
decidedly in opposition to the Gov
ernment? If Hawaii had a govern
ment with a clean record, the oppo
nents of the Treat' at Washington
would be deprived of tho principal
weapons of attack with which they
have been only too effectively be
laboring tho friends of this country.
So far as treaty discussions have
been reported, the main force of tho
attacks upon it has been derived
from facts in the administration of
this Kingdom's affairs which cannot
bear to bo exposed to light) amoug
tho mcmbeis of a constitutional
legislature. If tlm fact, which is
now a part of Hawaiian history,
that, at the dictation of a com
mercial firm in San Francisco,
the Ministers of the Hawaiian
Cabinet were ordered at midnight,
to hand in their portfolios, is made
use of at Washington to the pre
judice of our interests, whoso fault
is it? Docs the fault lio in the
"criticisms of tho Opposition," or
in the transaction itself, supported
or denied, as the occasion might re
quire, by the apologists of tho ad
ministration r As regards the criti.
cisins of the Opposition, let our
contemporary honestly inform thu
public when it was that the Adver
tiser began to take part in tho cam
paign against Hooding thu country
with Chinese; and see how the
iccord will compare with tho asser
tion that material for. opposition to
the Treaty has been furnished by
the opposition to the Government,
coupled with the fact that the em
ployment of Chinese labor on the
plantations is made use of as a po
tent argument against the continu
ance of the Treaty, tho members of
Congress apparently viewing it as
detrimental to the commercial inter
ests of Louisiana and the South as
well as to tho Chinese exclusion
movement of the Pacific Coast, to
foster a trade based largely upon
Chincsd labor. Again, perhaps tho
Advertiser will lie kind enough to
recollect whether it was the Opposi
tion or somebody else that mised the
false and silly cry that the trade of
this port was designed!' assuming
the character of an unwiso and pre
judicial "discrimination" against
American shipping. The attempt
to make the opposition the scape
goat of the government policy will
be as futile as it is ingenious.
Alar. 20th.
THE TREATY.
We arc not disposed to take a des
pondent view of treaty prospects,
notwithstanding the discouraging
aspect of latest accounts. In the
first place, it should be borne in
mind that the report of proceedings
at Washington, published- in our
columns a day or two ago, was from
the San Francisco Chronicle, and
the Chronicle is in the habit of
viewing everything relating to the
treaty through colored glasses. Even
allowing everj' woid to be sober
truth, and further still, should the
United States go to tho length of
giving notice of abrogation, we
should not regard the treaty as cer
tainly doomed. In our opinion,
political and not commercial con
siderations will finally determine the
matter. Although the United States
may be in no way anxious to acquire
possession of these islands, she can
not, under any circumstaiices, con
sent to their passing into tho con
trol of any other nation ; and the
surest way to prevent such a contin
gency is to maintain the reciprocity
treaty. This is thoroughly under
stood by American statesmen. With
the Australasian, colonies to the
south, and Canada in the north,
favorably inclined to enter into
closer relations with this kingdom,
in addition to manifest German pro
clivities for annexation, it is scarcely
probable that our nearest and best
neighbor will be in a hurry to sever
one of the strongest tics now bind
ing the two nations together.
THE CHINESE PROBLEM.
If the Chinese must go, it will be
a foul blot upon western civilization
if their property rights arc not fully
respected. However undesirable
the Chinese element in society is,
ami However indispensable tlieir re
moval, confiscation of property
would be an outrage on international
law. To pack up movables and
vacate the country per force, with
out adequato compensation for per
manent improvements would reflect
disgrace upon any nation thus en
forcing the theory that "might makes
right;" and in view of the tremend
ous excitement prevailing on tho
Pacific Coast, at present, it will no
doubt bo made a proviso in any
legislation effected by Congress for
driving off the Chinese, that all just
claims for "consequential damages"
will be fully met before tho fiat of
expulsion is executed. It is very
certain that proceedings are closely
watched by tho Chineso authorities,
and any steps taken to rouse their
resentment may be terribly avenged
upon white merchants, missionaries,
and government representatives of
all western nations in China. The
Chinese Government gives evidence,
sometimes, of considerable apprecia
tion of the light, and shows itself
amenable to the claims of justice.
A letter published, somo time ago,
in an eastern periodical, from a
Canadian missionary, Dr. G. L.
Alackay, on the island of Formosa,
announces that through tho rcpie-
sentations of the British Consul,
supported by the Tamsui mandarin,
he had succeeded in getting 810,000
from the government as compensa
tion for tho destruction of chapels
dining some distuibanccs which had
occuncd on the island. It would
he disastrous to civilization as well
as to commcicc if a scries of coer
cive and retaliatory measures by
civilization on the ono hand and
Alongolianism on the other, be tho
outcome of the Anti-Chinese agita
tion. The expulsion of the Chinese
from the Status of the Pacific Coast
and from British Columbia, is at this
time viewed as an unavoidable step
in the direction of self preservation
by the "lords of the manor;" but
while they execute bloodless laws of
extermination against the Alon
golians on their shores ; what assur
unco can they have that, on the
opposite side of the Pacific, retalia
tion may not take the form of spolia
tion and massacre of their country
men? The solution of the Chinese
problem is beset with peculiar dilll
culties and complications, and the
result of the agitation on the shores
of America may well command the
attention of the authorities in this
Kingdom.
CHINESE RESTRICTION.
The Chineso have rights as well as
any other people. Justice and fair
play demand that those rights be
respected. Chinamen who have
been allowed to come into tho coun
try and make it their home should
bo protected. No just or fair
minded man will dispute this.
Whether it was wise policy to have
admitted them in the first place, or
whether their coming has been bene
ficial to the country, arc questions of
a different nature. Indeed, although
wo uphold their just claim to be
treated as rational free men in a
free Christian country, and should
strenuously oppose their being dealt
with here as they have been in some
other countries, wo do not for one
moment admit that their presence in
this country in such large numbers
has been otherwise than detrimental
to the country's best interests. True,
they have pet formed an important
part in developing the agricultural
resources of the country, and con
verted malarial swamps from beds of
bulrushes and nesting places for
mud hens into beautiful fields of
waving rice; but, be itrcmcmbeicd,
at tho expense of demoralizing the
native population in localities where
these operations have been in pro
gress, and to the exclusion of people
of a newer and better civilization.
The restrictive measures recently
adopted by the Government do not
encroach upon the lights of thu
Chinamen already here, and those
who may wish to come have no rights
in this kingdom to be encroached
upon. The country has a perfect
right to protect itself against an in
vasion, which, if allowed to go on,
would ultimately demolish every in
stitution and every 'interest not of
its own creation. The great mistake
has been in deferring restiictiou so
long: it should have been put in
operation years ago. Alorcovcr,
heartily as we endoise the regula
tions already in force, wo deem them
iusufllcient. Nothing, wo believe,
will be thoroughly effective short of
absolute prohibition; or, if permit
ted to land in limited numbers,
being kept on tho plantations, and
compelled to leave the country or
re-ship at tho expiration of their
contracts.
JAPAN AND HAWAII.
Japan is bounding forward in the
race of civilization at a rate unp're
cedented among any peoplo hitherto
heard of. Railroads, telegraphs,
schools, colleges, and all the other
engines of progress are being placed
in position throughout tho Empire.
Foreigners are recognized as essen
tial factors in tho improvements
going on, and they are eagerly wel
comed to tho country. In this par
ticular, the Japanese Government
shows rather more of the quality of
common sense than does that of
Hawaii, as will more fully appear
when the programme of next legis
lature is announced. The 810,000,
009 loan, tho repeal of the opium
law, lepeal of the gold law, the
lottery bill and other measures
abhorrent to the intelligent and
right-thinking portion of the foreign
population, may bo expected to bo
pushed forwatd, whether the Alinis
tcrs whose individual opinions are
opposed, to theso measures, like them
or no. Tho right men will be found
in tho right places to do tho dirty
MARCH 2T, 1880,
work of advocating whatever schemes
of national retrogression may bu
committed to them. Theso pet
schemes which ccitniu members of
tho legislature were elected to put
forward will not need to wait, us in
countries possessing constitutional
systems of government, in reality
as well as in name, to be fathcied
by the Ministry. And the Kingdom
may consider itself extremely for
tunate, if, at the close of next
meeting of the legislature, the acts
of 188G do not show the shadow ou
the deal of the national statute book
to have gone many degrees back
ward. Japan Is inarching bravely
forward, but that the trend of events
in Hawaii is backward, is but too
painfully apparent to uvery well
wisher of the nation and tho people.
THE ADVERTISER SQUEALS-
No better evidence could be de
sired that the article in this paper,
on Friday last, under the heading
"Alail Accommodation" was timely
and to the purpose, than was
afforded yesterday by the Adver
tiser's tirade of abuse of some
imaginary foes termed "the ene
mies" of thu Oceanic Steamship
Company. Who these enemies arc,
wo are unable to discover. We arc
aware, however, that in so far as at
least some of the stockholders in
that company are concerned, they
have had to submit to the inevitable
in their business relations with cer
tain shippers of sugar from this
poit. Where they assumed to dic
tate terms, they were met with
vigorous and effective competition.
Business men consulted tlieir own
interests ; and it cannot be denied
that they displayed an unprece
dented degree of boldness when they
presumed to act for themselves.
Competition, however repulsive to
the Advertiser people, is neverthe
less a recognized principle in com
merce, with which even so great,
disinterested and paternal a friend
of tho Hawaiian Kingdom as the
Oceanic Steamship Company has un
fortunately come into collision. Not
withstanding the beneficent manner
in which the Oceanic Steamship
Company has conducted its busi
ness, solely for the aggrandizement
of the planters and peoplo of this
Kingdom, as the Advertiser all but
sweats it has been doing, there has
been a universal expression ,of dis
satisfaction at the mail arrange
ments of the past four months.
An act was passed by the Legisla
ture of 1881, granting "a subsidy
of 81,500 for each round trip, to the
Oceania Steamship Company, lor
carrying the mails between the ports
of Honolulu and San Francisco re
spectively, said mail service to be
bi-monthly." The second section
of that act provided that "tho said
mail shall be carried on first-class
steam vessels;" and tho fact
of this subsidy standing on the
statute book very properly caused
the public to look to that company
for the required accommodation.
And when tho Bulletin asserted
that it matters little to the public
who own the steamers, provided the
service is performed satisfactorily,
it excited the wrath of tho Adver
tiser by pretending to speak for the
public, without extolling the virtues
of the Oceanic Steamship Company.
To read some of the Advertiser's
editorials without knowing better,
one would supposo that tho inhabit
ants of these Islands owed their sub
sistence to the paternal supervision
of the Oceanic Steamship Company.
It is really amusing to note in our
contemporary's second leader, yes
terday, how suddenly the "ocean
tramps," of a few weeks ago, now
that they have become the property
of the Oceanic Steamship Company,
are, with some internal repairs, to
become "fast ships, classed A 1."
A few weeks ago, the Zcalandhi and
Australia were among the played
out old hulks of tho Advertiser's
shipping list; henceforth wo shall
hear of them as two of the finest
and fleetest steamships afloat. It
makes a great difference to our con
temporary who owns tho steamers.
Tho assertion that tho Bulletin
"crowed loudly over what ap
peared to bo tho proximate with
drawal of the Oceanic Company's
steamers" is easily disposed of. To
pronounce tho statement a lio would
bo correct Anglo-Saxon, but as it
might be a little rough, wo shall put
it in more classic phrase by re
nmtamarf
marking, that it is one of those con
stitutional defects in our conlempo
iary'9 diameter for veracity with
which tho public are already quite
familiar. Thu Bulletin never
"crowed over the proximate with
drawal of the said steamers" inas
much as wo never thought of their
withdrawal; and if wc had, we
should have pronounced it in tho
interest of the public, a most un
fortunate occurrence, unless somo
other company had been icady to
step in at once and fill the gap with
equally efficient and excellent ac
commodation. While wc arc always
prepared to vindicate whatovcr ex
pulsions of opinion wu may sec lit
to offer in the face of the Adver
tiser's bluster, wu unhesitatingly as
sert our sincere satisfaction at the
prospect held out by the Oceanic
Steamship Company of a return to
the regular bi-monthly service of
last year. Tho company's cnter
piisc is deserving of commendation,
and we trust their terms and ar
rangements may bo sucli as to com
mand the confidence of travellers
and business men. With these
reasonable provisos, the Bulletin
heartily wishes the Oceanic Steam
ship Company bon voyage to every
trip of their fine steamships.
Alar. 23rd.
COMMUNICATION.
The Advertiser of this morning
having gracefully "tumbled to tho
racket," the vexed question of
steamship mail accommodation may
be considered settled for the present.
To all persons having occasion to
correspond with the cold world lying
scattered around this paradise of
the Pacific, it will be a matter of
gratification that they can figure on
the day and hour when they arc to
hear from their correspondents and
vice versa. The felictfy of existence
on these Islands will, from the 1st
of April next, be complete, that is
provided there is nothing more to bu
desired. And whatever there is
wanted further, if attainable at all,
can be had as all public improve
ments and conveniences arc, by agi
tation and enterprising action. The
climate of Hawaii is said to bo
enervating, and calculated to pro
duce listlcssncss, an opinion that is
probably not far from the truth.
But the climate is not so depressing
as to suppress tho ever restless for
eign element, and prevent tho volun
tary or involuntary exiles of America
and Europe from striving after a
patticipation in the progressive en
terprises of more advanced coun
tries. And it is a considerable
clement of dissatisfaction to tho
people referred to that their position
is ono of isolation, a position very
irksome to persons accustomed in
former years to the rush and roar
and whirl of lifo in communities
alive with railroads, telegraphs and
other anti-Sybaritic elements. And,
moreover, to read references to these
Islands in foreign papers, conveying
tho idea that this little Kingdom is a
far away region, dissociated from
the world, and rising in solitude
from the waves of the Pacific Ocean,
is damaging to that self-respect
which is an essential element of
good conduct. Reading of America,
Africa, Europe, Asia and Australasia
knit together by electric currents,
and knowing that we are out in the
sun. suggests tho plaintive refrain,
"Nobody coming to marry me, no
body coming to woo." Under these
circumstances, the news of negotia
tions having been opened between
the Colonies and the continent of
America for lines of telegraph from
America to China and tho Colonies,
touching at Honolulu, is ono of the
most interesting items of intelligence
that our late foreign mails have con
veyed to us. The-development of
this scheme should be closely watched
and strenuously aided by the govern
ment, as well as by every business
and social interest in the Kingdom.
Tclegraphio connection with tho
world Is what will bring these Ha
waiian Islands into the rank and file
of nations, instead of their being,
as hitherto, sort of raw recruits of
the supernumerary corps. Tho tele
graph will securo for Honolulu, to
tho fullest degree what it is now but
partially, tho position of ono of tho
great maritimo centers of tho world.
Honolulu and tho Hawaiian Islands,
will become as familiar to newspaper
readers as New York or Liverpool.
Tho alYimtogc8 of being known
N
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