The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1882-05-17

We notice in our Alta files that at the
Republican Convention held at Portland,
April 10Th, for nomination among which
is one for Congress, that a platform was
adopted, one plank of which is as follows:
That the Reciprocity Treaty with the
Sandwich Islands, is an imposition on the
government and people, and should be
speedily abrogated"
This proposition of the convention :.
somewhat of surprise to us, a',d moro
over seems to be unreP n.l,I,, IT,,
While Oregon is or a - .boso .h,,o,;,,,.
States u,;,b -fe ol lnose helSnDorlng
.'''eS' :. WIN which we are in direct rela-
:, and with whose population, we
hoped to initiate and carry on mutually
profitable trade under the Treaty, vet
we did not expect that such trade would
be an immediate effect of the Treaty. or
that it would grow up of itself without
fostering care, and despite of all reason.
The direct trade of Oregon with these
Islands never was large In 1876 and
until January, 1880, it was represented by
one regular packet plying between Port
land and Honolulu, the j. l. FalkiaJerg
which made some five trips yearly be
tween the two ports. This vessel took
island sugars to Portland seeking market
at owners risks, and for return cargo
brought lumber, principally blocks of pine
for use here IN making sugar kegs, salted
salmon, oats, barley, etc A supply of
some ], 500 and 1000 tons of first or No.
grades of our sugars per annum, was all
that Oregon could consume, while she did
not want at all, the darker grades which
comprise 25 per cent. of our sugar export.
Oregon had very little of her special pro
ducts to send to these Islands, which we
could not as easily and somewhat more
cheaply get from Washington Territory
or California, and did not want at all the
low grades of our sugar, which California
did want as well as our high grades.
Under such circumstances of demand and
supply to those who reasoned out results.
it was as apparent in 1876 as it is to -day
that no marvellous growth of direct trade
could result from the Treaty as between
Portland and Honolulu, and it is not sr1r
prlsing that in 1880, it was found unpro
hsabie to continue it.
:, Yet the benefit of Oregon in our trade
though indirect, and her certain benefit
lug 1. ele prevalence and permanency
OF that broad policy which advocates the
interfering of the whole trade of the
West Coast States with their neighbors
cannot be denied.
Probably it was owing to the influence
of such broad views upon her Senators
and Representatives which caused them
TO advocate and vote for the Treaty in
1876. We can appreciate how in a politi
cal convention, an array of narrow argu-
ments, whose scope is confined to the
results of decade of years, or an expect
alton of large increase of trade suddenly |
to be acquired by means of political |
an expectation not warranted by |
a reasonable survey of the probabilities, |
feeling of disappointment could find |
expression in the phrase imposition
Yet it appears to us impossible the such
a phrase can find support from the second /
thought or matured convictions of the
people of Oregon Honolulu customs
reports show that in 1875 but one vessel,
the Matte Aaalay, arrived here during