, 1877-06-01
THE "OREGONIAN" AND THE HA-
WAIIAN TREATY.

We have heretofore considered
the "Oregonisn" one of the leading
papers in the Northwest. Its circu-
iation is large, its news columns full
of the latest intelligence from all
parts of the world, its local page al
ways refined, and its editorials until
recently were intelligent and well
written. OF late, however, some
blue or green glass spirit seems to
have possessed its otherwise COM
placent editor. He wasted time
some weeks ago to get off pun at
the expense of one Of the leading
officials of this Territory, and labor
cd so hard to be witty that none
could fail to see he was prejndiced
which was a great mistake for an In
dependent editor to make. His
most painfully ludicrous efforts at
intelligent journalism have been
series Of attacks on Senator Mitch
ell, of Oregon, for his advocacy of
the Hawaiian treaty. His arguments
on this subject in brief have been as
follows: 81 have to pay a penny a
pound more for sugar than before
the treaty was made; Senator Mitch
ell advocated the treaty, so we must
pound Senator NJ. for the penny"
This is verify "penny wise and
pound foolish" and the attempt to
make the public believe that the ad-
vance in sugar is due to that treaty
is either unpardonable ignorance or
unprincipled roguery.
The public well know that the
price of sugar here Is regulated by
the price os that article in Eastern
markets. The Sandwich Islands
produce only about one hundedth
part of the sugar used in the United
States and not over one-fifth of that
used in the Pacific States and Terri
tories, and it is absurd to talk of
this paltry production keeping the
market up. The telegraph announc-
ed the other day that sugar had ad-
vanced in Scotland two cents per
pound; there is just as much reason
to claim that it was due to Senator
NJ. and the Hawaiian treaty as to in
sist that the advance which has been
general in all the markets of the
United States has been due to the
same cause.
The craftsmanship that devised
and carried into eject the Hawaiian
treaty was, we believe, above praise.
Its full benefits cannot as yet be full
ly appreciated. Any measure that
increases our foreign trade and ex-
tends our commerce is wise and
worthy Of the highest diplomatic ef-
forts. The San Francisco "Chroni-
Gle" has already shown how the
trade from that port with the Sand
wich Islands has increased since this
treaty went into effect. The rec
ords of this Collection District are
not less convincing. Comparing the
six months before the treaty went
into effect with the six months end
ing March 3lst, 1877, careful ex-
animation OF the records Of the Pu-
get Sound Custom House shows
that UNDER THE DIRECT INFLUENCE
OF THIS TREATY, DURING THIS TIME,
OUR EXPORTS TO THE SANDWICH Is
LANDS INCREASED FIVE HUNDRED
PER CENT IN VALUE, WHILE THE IN
PORTS DURING THE SAME TINE IN
CREASED FIVE THOUSAND PER CENT.
Our exports have been chiefly
lumber which, previous to the treaty,
went from British Columbia in large
quantities; none that we can learn
having been shipped from there
since. The imports are mainly sugar.
Had we refused to accept this
treaty, it is well known it would
have been consummated with Great
Britain, and British Columbia would
have reaped the fruits of its wisdom
1t our expense. As tits, our neigh
bors ON Vancouver's Island paw lust
IS much for sugar aud little more
than we do, though they havd no
treaty; while their trade with the
Sandwich Islands is gone forever.
The Puget Sound trade is but a
small item of the whole trade be-
tween the United States and the
Sandwich Islands, but we believe
the increase Of trade, wrested as it
has been, from England and other
countries, by wise craftsmanship,
is an unanswerable argument in IA
ver of this treaty. We believe it
wiil be long time before our neigh
Dor Of the "Oregonian" can get any
citizen to weep and wall