The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1890-02-03
REFORM MEETING.
some Excellent speeche--n NC Ia
Enthusia.m.

Rifles arrnOry. 1t was well attended, a
large number Of Portuguese being pre-
sent, and the greatest enthusiasm pre-
vailed. Mr.. J. A. VI. Osario was chair
man, and Dir. j. K. Brown secretary.
The first speaker vas Mr.. W. A.
Kinney, who said substantially as fol-
lows: Yesterday car driver in the city
Of Berlin, drove sixteen hours through a
cold winter day, and when his labor was
at last over, had earned fifty cents, out
of which he had to clothe, feed and house
himself, wife and iamily-to buy bread,
shoes, hats, clothing, coal, etc, for a
whole family. The same day man was
driving ten hours dav on street car in
Honolulu, in climate as genial DIS its
native inhabitants, and when his work
was over he received two dollars. What
makes the difference? Are We any
keener and ADLER than the inhabitants Of
that city OF Berlin, that great center OF
civilization, that We can give car driver
four times as much pay for one-third less
work, or have we stumbled on this good
luck and don't know it?
Let us see how this present condition
OF things come about.
The first steady trade we really had
came with the whaling feet. AS that
feet of vessels passed up the Pacific to
the whaling grounds and back again,
they stopped in at Honolulu both ways
and left enough in trade TO keep us going
Men can remember the times when
hundred whalers could be seen at one
time standing off and on between Dia-
mond Head and Barber's Point. But
the building up of California and other
causes generally, put stop to this, and
year by year we saw that fleet gradually
lessening before our eyes and with it the
trade that thus far had been the life of
the town, until in the few years prior to
the treaty, this was dead country with
a few struggling sugar plantations hang
ing by their eyelids, and things gener-
ally blue and hopeless.
At this stage OF affairs some men pro-
posed that we go and ask the United
States to let our sugar in free of duty in
exchange for the free trade she might
establish with us, and l remember at
tending meeting in the dining room OF
the Hawaiian Hotel called for that pur-
foc
pooling the project as a hopeless one, but
some men who had faith persevered and
went boldly and knocked at the doors OF
Congress with their request. And what
had they wherewith to urge their suit :?
No means, no influence, no power. They
had, however, a clean record of extreme
friendliness to America TO show, and
that weakness which sometimes proyokes
kindness that would be withheld from
the more powerful.
To the great surprise OF many both
here and abroad, Congress, with many
great and important matters on hand
stepped aside to pass that treaty-a mat
ter which meant very little to that coun
trv, but which proved the life and saliva
ton of this.
need not tell you what followed, sui
flee to say the old things have passed
away and all things have become new,
until now You have to hunt for the old
landmarks existing before the treaty.
That treaty expired in 1888 and con-
tinued only from year to year while 4
fight was going on in Congress, over the
conflicting measures, one being Il notice
to abrogate the treaty, prompted by those
who had become jealous OF our prosper
ity, and the other an extension of it for
further seven years, which fight lasted
until October, 1887 when the extension
came OUT successfully after u long tussle,
and it is under the dlspensation OF that
treaty we now are living, and the car
driver got his two dollars to-day.
Meanwhile the Cabinet, which is re-
sponsible to the nation for its welfare,
feeling the extreme danger OF letting
things go until 1894, and then trusting
to the chances of another contest i'll Con-
press. have asked the United States to
enter into negotiations looking to per-
manent reciprocity treaty which her adj
ministratiOn has consented to consider,
nothing to be done, however, until every
| thing has been submitted to the respect
| i've legislative bodies Of the two coun-
| tries.
Matters now stand Mt that stage and
the election next Wednesday will deter
mine whether these negotiations Shall
| continue quietly on under proper checks
! and restraint or whether they shall be
| cnt off bv the success Of the Opposition
+, and the United States informed that we
| intend to appeal to the powers for u
| Joint guarantee. When the United States
asks what has given rise 10 this appeal
| what answer can the Opposition give,
other than that ave appeal to Germany
Italy, France, etc. by reason OF our pres
ent distrlst vi you." We will not reaiz,
tie ripe fruits OF our folly in pursuing
| this course until il may be too late it
mend We thought we had hard times
recently, when sugar went down to SSt
per ton, but il We had to- pay 800 ont 81
| that $50 for duties, go that this countr,
| waa called upon to raise sugar ut y3o pei
ton. We would have seen desperate hare
| times such M We never would have carct
10 see again.
We have raised the Chinese, the AHi
attic question: question vital 10 us all
lnt the defeat oi the treaty means 'l,'
settlement Of that issue IN short order
once and for all I'm favor of the Asiatic
The doors will have to bc thrown open Il
him At once and in unlimited numbers
The defeat of the treaty wipes out tins
Portuguese colony Of twelve thousan'
souls. They would have to scatter where
they could The foreign lahoring classe
in this country are doomed the day th'
treaty goes.
am not IN favor of giving up or com
promising or Independence. but do lc
iicve rational permanent fecIprocIl
treaty IL absolutely necessary tn The well
iate OF this country aud can be neEolla
ted in time without compromising Oh
autonomy OF right of sei.goysrnncnt,
we have the good senHe tn allow II
such sentiments IA those representa-
by the Opposition To got the inasteti
ri the country. Such talk ~ tn
Opposition press aud platform ia
dnleea IN relative tn our treaty relation
simply Strengthens the enemies oi ou
treaty ~ the United States and al'cnai"