The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1888-03-28
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A HUMBUG TREATY.

nicle, of the 29th of February, says
about our treaty.
At the time Of the extension of
the notorious Hawaiian Reciprocity
Treaty il was loudly proclaimed
that the United States had made an
immense gain for itself in securing
the concession of Pearl River har-
Dor. 1t was asserted that this was
Of sufficient Importance to more
than balance the enormous loss
of revenue which this country
suffers from that treaty, it
being represented that the
use of Pearl River harbor would
practically place in the hands of the
United States the full control and
the destiny of the Hawaiian king
dom.
1t was pointed out at that time,
especially by the Chronicle, that if
Pearl River harbor were to be made
at all useful as naval station it
would have to be improved at the
cost Of many million dollars; that
in its present condition no vessel of
the United States navy could enter
the harbor; that it would require to
be fortified at an enormous expense,
and that in no aspect Of the case
could it be of advantage to the
United States, especially AS we have
already coallng station in the
harbor of Honolulu, which is all
that would be required, unless the
United States proposed to go into
the colonization business, which it
did not.
Notwithstanding this, Pearl river
was successfully worked for all it
was worth, and very much more,
and under its spell the Senate
yielded to the wishes of the Presi-
dent and ratified, so far as it consti-
tutionally could, the extension of the
treaty. No doubt Pearl river was
the moving cause, and the Senate
really thought the United States
was getting something of value.
Now, however, there is made
public for the first time letter
from the Minister Resident of the
Hawaiian kingdom to Secretary
Bayard, in which the former, with
the utmost diplomatic courtesy, and
with that circumlocution so character
istic of international communica-
tions, calls the attention of the
Secretary of State to the fact that
the autonomy of the kingdom is not
surrendered, so far as Pearl river is
concerned that the United States
may use it as it may use any other
harbor in the islands, and, most i'm
portant Of all, that the exclusive
right to use it is only for seven
years, or during the existence OF
the treaty. So the wonderful con-
cession to the United States turn;
out to be mere phrases-an empty
meaningless string of words.
With this construction of the
treaty Mr.. Bayard evidently agrees,
as his reply to the Hawaiian Minis
ter clearly indicates. He says he
can see no subtraction from Hawai-
ian sovereignty over Pearl River
harbor, nor any language imputing
a longer duration to the use of the
harbor than the life of the treaty it.
self In short, he accedes to every
claim of the Hawaiian Minister, and
decides that all we have got for the
renewal is the right to use harbor
which we do not want for period
of seven years, and that under the
jurisdiction and control of the Ha-
waiian Government.
The Chronicle has already called
attention to the evident unconstitu-
tionality of this extension of the
reciprocity treaty, for the reason
that it could be extended only by
an Act of Congress, not by the Pre-
sident and Senate; and if the House
of Representative is not wholly de-
voured by partizan zeal and wholly
besotted by its admiration for its
idol, 1t will renew the inquiry made
at the last session through it's Judi
CARY Committee, and request Mr.
Cleveland to explain upon what
theory he took the responsibility o.
altering the revenue laws of the
United States by negotiating ;
treaty which admitted Hawaiian
, sugar duty free. Now that it has
been shown that the treaty itself il
a humbug, and that the much-talk
ed-of concession is valueless, per
f: haps the House may conclude t
insist on its prerogative and demand
that the treaty be abrogated, unles
/ the popular branch of Congress
have an opportunity to pass upon it
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