Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-02-03
HascGsian Treat,,.
New York World

Mr.. Perry Belmont's 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 concerues
Secretary Folger. For the practical en-
forcement of the treaty and of the law of
August, 1876, Mr.. Sherman's administra-
ton 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 the house of foreign affairs
committee, the treasury was defrauded
between the beginning of Mr.. Sherman
and the summer of 1882 of no less than
seven millions of dollars of duties on sug
ars imported from the Sandwich Islands
That certainly is the most gigantic and
stupendous fraud ever known in the history
of our government. The evidence gu
which the charge rests is carefully set forth
by Mr.. Belmont in report which, if print
ed in full, would fill some five columns in
the World. Every sentence of it is essen
tial to full and minute understanding of
the subject, but the pith of the revel atoms
it makes we present to day. The fraud
was accomplished, as the witnesses say, by
a conspiracy between the Hawaiian govern
ment or its officers and American diplo-
matte, consular and customs officers. In
the face of so startling an accusation Mr..
Belmont properly advises that all further
consideration of the question whether or
not the treaty shall be abrogated shall be
postponed till the president can inquire in
to the facts and report to congress. Mr..
Belmont concludes his report with the sug-
gestion that joint resolution requesting
q revision of the treaty that had been re-
ported by a majority of the foreign affairs
committee. Mr.. Lot M. MorrelPs admins
tration of the treasury is also inculpated
by the testimony before the house com
mittee, inasmuch as during his control
over customs affairs the consular oath was
formulated which either inncently suggest
ed or corruptly protected the beginning of
these startling frauds. Mr.. Hardy, mem
Der of the house from New York, appea rs
to have represented to the committee that
during the five years from 1877 to 1881, in
elusive, PAL ,210,454 pounds of sugar, worth
in the Hawaiian Islands $16,260,4 45, 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 republi-
can majority of the committee, and es-
pecially Mr.. Kasson and Mr.. Hit, pa SIS
over these gigantic frauds in silence?
This country will insist on 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 Landreau 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. Blain tried
that) nor bought, and he will fight. What
can the lobby do? In this Sandwich Island
affair we have had the Spreckels lobby
working on contingent fees, and the sug
ar lobby-raw and refned-also working
on contingent fees. The latter lobby, if
the World is we'll informed, included sun
dry so-called free traders. But now that
Mr.. Belmont's report is made these lobby
lists are probably endeayoring to borrow
money to take them away from Washing
ton. If President Arthur will only now do
what Mr.. Belmont urges hi m to do and
shows him how to do, the riches of Sprek-
els may take wings and fly away as swiftly
as they came. No monopolies, gentlemen!
No monopolies! But execute your treaties
in good faith before you condemn them!