The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1879-11-15

The OPPOSITION to the Hawaiian Reciprocity
Treaty, which so dOggedly labored to prevent it's
passage in Congress in the Sessions Of 1856,
appears to be reviving again with all its bitter
ness and more than It's former unfairness of state
ment. Telegraphic dispatches represent that a very
strong endeavor will be made during the coming
session to abrogate the Treaty. Mr.. Sherman,
Secretary Of the Treasury, who it will be remem-
bered opposed the Treaty while in the Senate,
now gives countenance to the idea that the in
creased consumption of Hawaiian sugar in Cali
fornia unfavorably influences the production or
sale Of louisiana sugar. The fallacy of such a the
ory is and has been easily proved as also of that
other absurdity, that foreign grown sugars are
Struggled into California as Hawaiian; but vet the
statements reappear periodically in some of the
Eastern papers. The opinion prevails in Cali
fornia that this imaginary grievance and the
abuse complained of,-equally imaginary-as-
sumo Importance owing to the countenance Civ
en- to the former idea by Mr.. Sherman. as we
have said above. His presidential aspirations
lead him to conciliate public opinion at the
South. Says the S. f. Post:
"By encouraging the belief that the sugar in
terests Of the South are endangered by Hawaiian
competition. be makes political friends in quarters
otherwise hostile, aud although he must know that
this agitation is absurd. whether viewed from a re-
venue or an economic standpoint, he nevertheless
makes political capital out OF 1t by sane
tioning tatements which imply that the
Kanakas are getting away with the great
sugar interests of the United States. 4
moments reflection must show the absurdity Of
such an opinion. The total area of the Hawaiian
group, including mountain. rock. forests and desc
late wastes, is 500 square miles. Only a very
limited area is capable of sugar cultivation. and
little can be done without irrigation. towards
which San Francisco capitalists have contributed
a large sum. and in time hope to reap the reward
of their enterprise. Many hundred square miles
OF Hawaii are covered with recent and barren
lavas, and il is liable to violent and frequent vol
canic action, which invariably curtails the area of
cultivable soil. Louisiana alone has an area Of
Al .346 square miles. most Of it rich and alluvial
sOil. II is an old and p%opulous state. rich in
natural and acquired wealth, and crowned with
grand historic associations. For Louisiana. there
fore, with its peculiar advantages and wealth. to
cry out against the competition of a mere handful
Of Kanakas and Cinnamon. in the sugar patches of
the volcanic islets of the Hawaiian archipelago, is
simply preposterous."
Nearly the entire press of California has been
4 outspoken in favor of our Treaty, for the people
of that state see and appreciate the advantages it
has afforded them in the increase of their trade as
we'll as giving them cheaper sugar. But by far
the best informed and most energetic advocate o.
the Treaty there is the s.. F. Merchant, whose
carefully prepared statistics on the subject we
reprinted in our last. In the Supplement
accompanying tO-day's paper will be found TWO
we'll written editorials on this subject from the
same source. IL however the attempt should be
seriously made to abrogate the Treaty, we really
have no fears of its success. Ratified in 1876
it must, by its own terms, run to 1883, and
twelve months thereafter. No abrogation car
take Mace in the meantime unless its opponents
can prove that we have been guilty of fraud il
carrying out its provisions; and that, We ap
prehend, no one would be insane enough to thinl
Of.