Daily Los Angeles herald., 1878-07-25
A Dessruc.,ve Pei,ey.

f1rst object Of a diplomat is to pro-
tect the Interests OF his country, and
In arranging treaties he should
alone be animated by the benefits
to accrue to his country. There
are, of course, frequently higher
questions, outside of substantive
Interests, which must be treated
on high grounds, and in the con-
alteration of which the moral well
fare of nations dominates all other
questions. But in ordinary COM
pacts relating alone to the actual
interests of countries, mere senti-
ment should have no more place
than it would in business deal
ing between two individuals. Char
ity is one thing-business is an.
other. The United States have de-
parted from this principle in one
notable instance, and allowed SEN
tinent to take the place Of the dry,
hard principles of commercial COM
ity. We allude to our treaty with
the Hawaiian Islands, by which
sugar is. admitted into our
country free. In this case we
found a feeble neighbor, gradually
dying out because her chief pro-
duct could not be raised at profit
on account Of the duty imposed
upon 1t under our tariff system.
The sympathies of our people were
excited In her behalf, and the duty
was abolished in her favor. We
are now about to reap the fruits of
this departure from iigid princi-
pies, The Islands are beginning
to flourish under the opening of o
profitable market for their great
staple, and capital and enterprise
which should have been turned to
the Development of our home in
dustries are now being diverted to
devebp the sugar interests OF the
Kanaka plantations. The San
Francisco Bulletin INDUCES in
ome reflections on this subject
which are Of interest to this sec.
ton of the State. 1t says that GER
tain San Francisco capitalists pro.
pose to invest large sums, ranging
from half n million to million
dollars in Hawaiian sugar planta.
tions, and asks:
Why shculd a million dollars,
more or less, be expended by cap
italists of this city In opening sugar
plantations in Hawaii? No doubt
1t is good thing in the abstract.
But there are probably 10000
acres of land In California as well
adapted to the growing of sugar
cane as any in Hawaii. There are
miles of irrigating ditciies, rich
bottom lands, and a srnli-trupical
heat which is required to mature
the cane. Will any well informed
citizen tell us in what respect the
sugar cane lands of Louisiana are
better than the bottom lands of
Kern county, or Los Angeles OF
San Bernardino counties? Sugar
cane will come to maturity where
the orange comes to perfection. 1t
requires heat, moisture, and toll
erahly rich soil. Specimens of
rne have been sent up from the
n counties as perfect as were
.--fprodnced in any land. The
most extensive irrigatiDg canals
have been constructed in Kern
county aud other places Probably
next year more than $4,000 acres Cf
bottom hand could be irrigated in
Kern county alone. Then there
are the famous corn lands of Los
Angeles county, where corn grows
wonderfully without irrigation,
within baiIing distance of some of
the most famous orange orchards
in the State.
What would million dollars ac-
complisi il invested In sugar plan
tatIons in the rich, warm valleys
OF California? We are continually
ciamoring for more industries-for
a greater variety of agricultural
products. Capital, it is said, Is
waititg for employment. But a
million of dollars, more or less.
goes off to Hawaii to open new
sugar plantations, and other mill
lions will probably follow. 1t goes
there because under the treaty SUI
gar reiiners think there Is an op-
portunity to make more money by
encouraging foreign industry than
by encouraging home Industries.
When the treaty between the Ha-
wGiian Islands and the United
States was called up in the Senate
for confirmation, Senator from
this coast insisted that it was a
treaty chiefly in the interests of the
sugar refining interests of San
Francisco. Is that construction Of
the bearing of the treaty about to
be demonstrated as the true one?
It is not debatable question
whether sugar cane can be success.
fdlly raised in Southern Califor-
MIA, for it is, and has for many
years teen raised in Los Angeles
If tho capital which is
now being sent to the islands
to invest in plantations were
utilized for the purpose of dev elop-
Ing the sugar industry in Southern
California, we have no doubt 1t
would soon prove profitable in
vestment. But there is now an
obstacle in the way which would
render the undertaking much more
hazardous than it would have been
had the treaty not been made.
This Is where the reflex action
,omes In 10 punish us for permit
ling our susceptibilIties to figure in |