The Evening critic., 1883-01-31
The Hawaiian Sugar Frauds.

n. Y. World.
Mr. Perry Belmonts minority report in
the matter of the Hawaiian Islands treaty
and its abrogation is document to which it
will be well for Mr.. John Sherman to
give his immediate attention. 1t also
deeply though less seriously concerns
Secretary Folger. For the practical en-
forcement of the treaty and of the law of
August, 1876, Mr.. Sherman's administration
Of the Treasury was responsible from March,
1877, till Mr.. Folger came into power in
1881. Now we learn from Mr.. Belmont, that,
according to the testimony offered before
tho House Foreign Affairs Committee, the
Treasury was defrauded between tho begin
ming of Mr.. Sherman's responsibility and the
summer of 1882, ofno less than seven mil
lions of dollars of duties ON sugars imported
from the Sandwich Islands. That
certainly is the most gigantic and stupen-
dous revenue fraud ever known in the his
tory of our Government. The evidence on
which this charge rests is carefully set
forth by Mr.. Belmont in report which, if
printed in full, would fill some five col
umns in the World. Every sentence of it
is essential to full and minute under
standing of the subject, but the pith of the
revelations it makes we present to-day.
The fraud was accomplished, as the wit
nesses say, by conspiracy between the
American diplomatic, consular and Gus
toms officers. In the face of SO startling an
accusation Mr.. Belmont properly advises
that all further consideration of the ques-
tion whether or not the treaty shall
be abrogated shall be postponed
till the President can inquire into
the facts and report to Congress. Mr.. Bel
mont concludes his report with the sug-
gestion that joint resolution in the form
l.: alsnh i. A.1-
adopted by Congress, in place of the joint
resolution requesting a revision of the
treaty that had been reported by a majority
of the Foreign Affairs Committee. Mr.. Lot
NJ. MorIill's administration of the Treasury
is also inculpated by the testimony before
the House committee, inasmuch as during
his control over customs affairs the con-
sular oath was formulated which either
innocently suggested or corruptly protected
the beginning of these startling frauds.
Mr.. Hardy, member of the House from
New York, appears to have represented to
the committee that during the 5 years from
1877 to 1881, inclusive, 2i1, ,210,454 pounds
of sugar, worth, in the Hawaiian Islands,
$16,260,445, had been imported therefrom,
on which the duties, if paid as on other
sugars, would have been S10,160,402 and
that two-thirds of the sugars had been
passed by our customs officials duty free,
in fraud of the treaty and the law. Why
did the Republican majority of the COM
mittee, and especially Mr.. Kasson and Mr..
Hit, pass over these gigantic frauds in
silence2 This the country will insist
upon knowing Why has the full exposure
of that iniquity been left to Mr.. Belmont
Just as the work was left to him of showing
up Mr.. Blaine and the Laudreau claim
Really, Mr.. Blaine and the lobby in
Washington must try again to suppress
Mr.. Perry Belmont. But how? He can
neither be bullied Mr. Blaine tried
that nor bought, and he will fight. What
can the lobby do? In this Sandwich Is
lands affair we have had the Spreckels
lobby working on contingent fees, and the
sugar lobby-raw and refned-also work
| ing on contingent fees. The latter lobby,
| if the World is we'll informed, included
| sundry so-called free-traders. But now that
| Mr.. Belmont's report is made these lobby
lists are probably endeavoring to borrow
money to take them away from Washing
ton. If President Arthur will only now do
what Mr. Belmont urges him TO do and
shows him how to do, the riches OF
Spreckels may take wings and fly away as
swiftly as they came. No monopolies, gen.
tlemen! No monopolies But execute
your treaties in good faith before you con.
| denim them