Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1885-05-09
MAY q iss.
HDNOPDJI.

ago in which Mr. Claus Spreckels and
his various enterprises were temperltely
discussed Mr.. Spreckels Advertiser
is edited by gentleman not yet con
spicuously informed upon Hawaiian
affairs; and he may be unaware that
the opposition to Mr. Spreckels has
any basis in reason. He may even 90
so far as to doubt that it has any
foundation save in the malice of "sore.
heads" the envy of "the outs" and
the "pure cussedness " of those wicked
and witless people who neither appre-
ciate Mr.. Spreckels' public spirit nor
believe in his absolute disintercstedncss.
We advise the editor of Mr..
Spreckcls' Advertiser to read up his
contemporaries. During the past three
years great many "anti-Spreckels ="
articles have been written. II few Of
them have been unjust, Mr. Spreckcls
is to blame for permitting himself to
appear what he is not. II most Of
them have been just, it has been Mr.
Spreckels fault that he has less skill.
fully concealed his schemes.
We do not doubt that Mr. Spreckels
is unable to understand why the feeling
against him has grown to the pro
portions now existing. Nor do we
think that Mr.. Spreckels has ever in.
tended to put himself in opposition to
almost the entire business community
of these islands. He has become n
monopolist by degrees and now that
the pressure upon all of us has become
oppressive, he wonders why this is thus.
1t is so generally. Rulers do not
become tyrants, nor merchants mon.
opolists, at one fell swoop The
process is gradual. The use of power
fosters its abuse. The ruler who works
injustice by tampering with the ballot,
corrupting the legislature or exceeding
the legitimate functions of the ex-
ecutive, generally begins by doing
something comparatively harmless.
The merchant whose position enables
him to take advantage of other mer-
chants, whose increasing power gives
him the right to dictate terms, who
finally becomes an intolerable autocrat,
may begin, and generally does begin,
in very small way.
Mr.. Claus Spreckels has become the
power he now is in both San Francisco
and Honoulu, because there has never
been a sufficiently determined opposi
ton to his arbitrary rule. He has beer
permitted to go on until he control.
the price of every gum-drop manufac
tured on the Pacific Coast, and unit
he can dictate who shall sell gin or
Maui or who shall not be poundkeepeI
in Honolulu.
1t is long ist-the humiliations th'
people of these islands are forced L
put up with on account of Mr.. Spreck
els. A few Of these humiliations are a
follows
The high price OF sugar on the Paciii,
Coast-as compared with the price il
the Eastern United States-has beef
the strongest argument against the con
tnuation of our reciprocity treaty
This high price has been maintaine,
without corresponding gain to tn
planters or sugar factors of these is
lands The prices obtained by US hav
been out of all fair proportion to tn
profits obtained by Mr.. Spreckes-
especially during ISS4-while the rt
suit of the high prices obtained for tn
sugars of his refneries has been t
prejudice thousands against the treat
as "only another factor in the nor
opoly that has helped to empowers
the people of the Pacific Coast t
enrich Claus Spreokels.' y In othe
words, We have had the name and NJ
Spreckels has had the game.
Another humiliation has been tn
arbitrary and high-handed insistence I
Mr.. Spreckels that all the Hawaiia
sugars should go to him. This insi
tence has been coupled with threats /
fight those who dared sell on III
open market A.; and the few attempts
independence in selling have bee
generally discouraged by the attitude
those who could not afford to fight
Again, it has been humiliation tn
Mr., Spreckels policy to place sug,
producers and sugar factors under G
tangling pecuniary obligations has bee
so fruitful of i'll results. This poll,
has been carried on under the guise
open handedness and liberali,y; and h,
only now been found out-now tn
MIR Spreokels has shown his TT,
colors SO plainly Nearly all our rea
ers know the true inwardness OF transa
tions extending through several pa
Yeas, whereby money was loaned
certain OF our citizens at compal
lively low rate OF interest and und
circumstances which seemed to invi
lavish extension of business. And
know how the screws were put on
time when the only possible sett