The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1882-03-15

The kilograms tell us that on February
18th the Committee began hearing " tht
arguments on the bill 10 abrogate the
Hawaiian Reciprocity Treaty" The CHIEF
speaker on the occasion was H. A. Brown
He alluded TO his letter which had beer
published in the San Francisco CLroaicle
apparently with some satisfaction, ignor
ing the fact that that same letter had been
turned inside out in the columns of the
Merchant, its figures shown to be erroneous
its reasoning fallacious. He followed
with series OF wild charges which are
calculated to seriously injure, if not fatal
ly wound the cause he desires to advocate
The American Minister, according to Mr.
Brown, has gone out Of his way in ignor-
ing Custom House figures in his com
munications to the State Department.
The Hawaiian Islands are supplying
| themselves in some mysterious way with
sugar in excess Of the local production
He claimed supply came from China and
the Philippine Islands. Astute man; per
haps under similar circumstances Mr.
Brown could not Withstand the tempta-
ton to defraud the United States Govern
lnent of revenue, to which he saws our
planters or their agents have succumbed.
Charges of this kind are easily answered.
Our representative IN Washington, must
have IN his hands ample material with
which to simply carry the legs from under
MIR. Brown. 1t IL a matter of surprise
that any man should put them forward
with any hope OF having them believed
Where Mr.. Brown got his facts = from
does not appear, probably from that fer
tile mandatory of similar facts, the
sanctum of the Chronicle office. Another
obsolete and exploded charge is that the
Kings tour was for the purpose of find
ing a bidder for the Islands and that he
returned a disappointed man from Europe
because he could not find one 1t has
been generally thought that this ancient
canard, this very tough wild-duck. had
been put to death long ago, but here he
Is, sort of galvanized. mummy of a duck,
jerking his wings and waddling in a sort
of spasmodic manner before the House
Communities. Mr.. Browns arguments
viii not hold water Mr. J. Hale Sypher.
the next speaker, was also quite sure from
his experience as planter, that the large
increase in our sugar production cannot
honestly have taken place. He, presrm-
ably from sad experience also, Is sure
that the increase comes from other coun-
tries. He also finds that the Treaty has
not brought dollar of trade to the coun-
try. Not fact to bring forward to sup
port his charge. no practical knowledge Of
what energy and good management can
get out of our fertile soil; a sort of hazy |
about the number of planta- |
tons on the Islands; readiness to credit |
us with 800 or 500 or loo. Men who |
have only this to urge against us need not !
be feared 1t will take a far more power
ful argument, and much better put to
gether TO shake the Treaty The news is
really more hopeful than it has ever been
The enemy has begun to fire and instead
Of finding his guns double-shotted and !
his artillerymen skilled marksmen, there |
is discharge of very harmless charac- |
ter, harmless because made where it is. it |
an be met and triumphantly refuted. |
md the men managing the guns are point
nc them into the air