Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1885-01-31

ingly exacted
Among the most impassioned sup.
porters of reciprocity treaties here, nc
one has ever contended that any nation,
enjoying by treaty the promised advan-
tages of 'the most favored nation,
might not, by a tender to us of equal
terms, become entitled to all of the
concessions granted by us to any party
to reciprocity treaty. If, then, Ger
many were TO offer to receive from us
free of duty ice and sausages, as well
as all the other rattle-trap articles
which 10y the proposed treaty Mexico
offers to us, there can be no doubt tina,
Germany would be entitled to all the
privileges now to be yielded by us to
Mexico, and the cheap tobacco and
cheap sugar OF Germany would also here
hnd, perhaps, new and most desirable
market Or, if Germany were to ofei
like terms to Mexico, then all the con
cessions made to the United States by
Mexico must be accorded to Germany
But as ] have already shown, it is
more than doubtful whether or not q
fair construction of the "most favored
nation clause in treaties does not alone
entitle the party to have its productions
subjected to no other or greater duties
than are paid by any other nation, and
without any reciprocal concessions.
The phraseology of all such treaties is
absolutely and wholly free from all con.
ditions whatsoever. 1t appears to me,
therefore, that it would be wise and
prudent to avoid such obviously serious
and wide extending complications, and
also especially wise to steer clear of any
entanglements with foreign nations
tending to restrict and circumscribe our
freedom to legislate, whether in peace
or war, upon the subject of increasing OF
reducing the national revenue.
But, it is said, we must do something
to build up and extend Our foreign
commerce-to which l agree-and to
do this it is strangely proposed at once
to surrender much more of our markets
at home than is offered to us abroad
to which l do not agree. We are asked,
SO to say, to throw into the sea greater
amount of bait than will be returned in
the catch of fish. Eleven years of this
overbaited traffic, giving up superior
markets in exchange for inferior
markets, did not win the commercial
or political friendship of the Canadas.
Even during the existence of the So
called reciprocity treaty with them, their
friendship was gauged infinitely below
the price we paid for it. They would
trade with us, but, like Shyloch and
Lord John Russell, they thought to
catch US on the hip and feed fat the
ancient grudge." Financial benefits of
treaties are never SO far appreciated by
nations as to create obligations of con-
science for any returns. They are bar
gains without warranty as to the value
given or received, sure to end in the
discomfort Of the party overreached.
Since the abrogation of the Canadian
reciprocity treaty our trade with the
Canadas has been larger and much
more advantageous than ever before,
being even larger than that Of Great
Britain. We're any treaty in force, to
that fact alone the credit would be
falsely ascribed. 1t may be well to
recall precisely the wretched results CT
our Canadian reciprocity experiment.
Our exports to Canada in 1855 were
$2o,828,676. but under the operation
Of reciprocity then commenced they
dwindled in twelve years down to $I5,-
243,S34, while the exports Of Canada
to the United States increased from
$I2,ISs,SI4 to $40, 6,I9o,47o. When
the treaty began the balance of trade
had been $4,000, 900 annually in our
favor, and that paid in specie, but at
the end the balance against us to be
paid in specie in single year was $780,
100000 Here was a yearly positive
loss of over five millions of our export
trade and a loss Of thirty-eight millions
Of specie-all going to enrich the
Canadas at our expense. This is the
sore lesson of bitter experience.
The amount which we may hereafter
receive from the cheaper lands oi
Mexico, when cultivated in large haci-
endas by companies and coolies, or by
foreign emigrants las have been those
of HawaiD, should the treaty become
operative, can no more be measured by
the last years productions than could
the present crop Of sugar in Hawaii
have been measured by the crop at
the date Of the Hawaiian treaty.
Mexico is a country with immense pas
turage for sheep and cattle. The recip-
rocity offered, therefore, may be said to
have "straw upon its horns," always
among Spaniards the sign Of dangerous
bulls, and much pushing competition
will be found lurking in every field.
The climate and soil Of nearly every
State in Mexico admit of the produc-
ton Of tobacco and sugar. Not alone
our own people, but other people will
be, as they already have been, tempted
to transfer their capital and machinery,
for the cultivation Of these special.ies
to Mexico. Permit me to say frankly,
il the American people are to be taxed
for the protection Of sugar in Mexico,
and possibly in all the West India Is
lands, as well as Hawaii, it is quite time
to think not only about some real pro
lection Of American sugar, but Of the
total release Of our own people from all
taxes on sugar.
The logic Of Senator Morrill-as ap
piled to reciprocity treaties generally
is unanswerable. His arguments dc
not count against the propriety Of the
treaty between the United States and
Hawaii for the reasons we gave lasI