New-York tribune., 1875-02-25
ARGUMENTS AGAINST THE HAWAIIAN
TREATY

SUGAR THE ONLY IMPORTANT PRODUCT OF THE
LsIANDS-TTB TREATY WOULD GIVE SUBSIDY
OF SjOOO0O A YEAR TO p PLANTATION-OwNERs
ANNEXATION WOULD BE DEFERRED.
WASHINGTON. Feb 2l.-At the request OF Senator
Jones Of Nevada the Hon. David A. Wells has
given the following opinion respecting the bearing
of the proposed reciprocity treaty with the Sand
wich Islands upon the revenues and commerce of
the country Mr. Wells having investigated the sub
ject as Commissioner of the Revenue when the
treaty was before proposed in 1857
WASHINGTON Feb %, 1875.
SIR: In response your request for my OPINION re-
specng the prop0,ed treaty OF reciprOr " VITA tue
Commisoncr Of r venue fnlv Investigated this mat
when it frst up in 1873. aud have since seen
reason TO change the opinion 20 which was then
led namely IhaI ~ was nDt % 80 tbn Drono.ad
IreatT that it not using unduy harsh Ingnlge
characterize the whole scheme as swn,ue ana IN
Oi 1raud to depl te the Treasury. I1ers
is only element W mpOYtauC3 IN the treaty ana
tnat is sugar, tne dut.ea uDOn the importation OF
which article -ttue the largest and most re-
liable source OF gJId revenue under our customs
Sugar Is also tue Ory pIotu,. o4 aY , ;s,anis
that Is or can he produred on the lsian,is,
favorable OF production Is low, ana hc Dnsi
ness under existing cir umsances. reasonaOy pton-
exceedingly iimIfed he ANNA prOIucs eau never 20
licent df,ct materially Iho price Ot Sn-af III ,Hf
U1D4d States greatly augmentng our present SUB
ply. There a0out3o sdSlr plantation on Tue
islands, owned by 25 4 IN or indIYi.ua.5 and IL Is
>
pied 10 admit Of !ncreHe Of about an equal nunc
Of addona plantation The present annual product OF
sugar from those plantations 10 estimated al dJOut
1900 tons 80 001) pounds, most Oh wheA nHuS lS
ia trKet in tie UAItcd STATS. $50 .r
To admit now t4is product FREQ o. duty with a tlriA
Of two cent per pound iuued on he LunIreGs 'i
millions pounds OF other imported sugars, w"u1 DO
simply equTaicnJ 10 YOIns prtsen an uidtI aupaI y
ouL OF tie T.rasIry OF the Uu,tcG =. .dtf5 ID
somc 25 pleasant American z ntlrm'n' who nave
settled at the = Islands ana * lJslVeIy own
tie plantations OF II least SjjjOJO G1id per dhhdn
which SUN be Tie eNpII.IUh "I eIe seven yc'47
term OF the treaty Is reasonably certain " Us incIoLs
through tHe temp ptiun o. icIoascd pFOhbs III He su~
to at iclt 3OojOJ pei anna a"I :"
for this the islands cdu 0H-r me peupie o. INC OIIcI
States nothing any ant al vliue. Ihe pfce Oi
sugar 70 tue 3rcdl cluSIner WIZ HOb D Irtuie'
The wages or tne native dbOrers vii nOs De asa;
"a ne stnp.y of Ia1or t!rJ Ia tAH inportaItDI Uf
Chinese snpcrlbund .nt wlh IN resps'6 20 gsnerai
trade sufficient 10 -ay taat tho greater proportion
aIreai ~ come ne CIei Sit'6, aih VIII cJhtlHut
50 to comc-rray troay-iOr tue reason that Iis
country constitutes ak thor cheapest DaIAcb IOr ne
supply of most tes .nI tHs IcIp! seat Ok TIE
cOnsuup ION uf tIG Sl-dr ptOlGct.
BIT a. -uure population Uf the is1nfs is NOT IN
excess OF 81 OO) their ens rade any way indrpehens
OF su gar is ICA cpucl enCC a. tlt u t4c %
anY good hJuushlhg county ln any or tlr stern
or Southern an eq ili popnati"n ana
more frrLlo tCrIt.OrY. All II aAhcXii'n Is the d't
mate object aimed AZ through the t.el - the r. IL t'h
of Tbr treaty is the most cf sC-ua way u p05pOuing
annex anon for Wi.a tcdds with all the wOri IN
respect all Ii andS waEt 10 buY ana mar
keL lor autia, az tAcy cAl SCI. sia4" 4"hto4 10
Them in tle ItCd utcr conditions thit aHtl
exceptional and enormous proh.s, what object can
there be 20 the people % to Islands ia EaAhE thcln
selves sgbect 20 heaVy aud mtnifO!d i'rn7 OF laAI-
iOnf CODCdue, thte0iC VIE tAc arseI ou tHdt 'ue
uroDosed treaty WlJu tic sandwich Islands ~ IN no
sense a treaty reciprocity, but rather a sAre"u
srhame 10 dcu.ir tie Treasury Oi Tie LllIcd StaseS
age term Oh seven years. al least NVJOo per
annnm and every dO.ldr thus tdAcH IA q44F
the United through some iorD OF adIi;ionni Or
continued ta1auoni DAVID d WILLIS