The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-12-24
THE CASE OF HAWAII.

The real object of King Kalakaua's visit
to the United States may now, perhaps. be
coming to light. 1t will be partially dis
closed to every one as soon as Minister
Carter, who left this city for Washington on
Monday, has laid his case before the Presf-
dent and the Department of State Persons
who are we'll informed make no secret OF
their opinion that the Hawaiian Govern
ment will draw heattention of the admins
tration TO the fact that the free sugar clauses
of the Mckinley tariff do away with the
consideration which induced Hawaii to
admit American goods free Of duty into the
islands, aud that MI. Carter will appeal to
our Government for compensation.
The reciprocity treaty between the United
States and the slanls, which has now
been some ten years in force, stipulated that
the United States should admit Hawaiian
sugar free, while levying a tax averaging
about 25 cents a pound on other foreign
sugar. and that in return Hawaii should
admit a large variety of American goods
free. When the treaty was concluded,
Great Britain protested, On the ground that
its treaty with Hawaii contained the favored
nation clause; but no heed was paid to the
protest. The treaty went into effect, and it
has been followed by yearly importations at
of free Hawaiian sugar, and by yearly
expectations from San Francisco to
Honolulu of about S4.50O.0C0 worth
of free American goods. Under the
Mckinley tariff, Hawaiian sugar will
stand on the same footing as the sugar
of Cuba and Manila, although the island
tariff continues TO admit American goods
free; il will come in free as heretofore, but
so also will other foreign sugars, which have
been paying an average duty of two and
half cents pound. The King regards this
as unfair, and he proposes TO submit to the
Government at Washington that compenSa-
ton in some shape or other is due to the
islands for the discrimination in his tariff in
favor Of American goods.
1t is understood that the form of compen-
sation which would suit him best would be
provision that Hawaiian sugar should re-
ceive from our Government the same
bounty of cents pound that American
sugar is hereafter to receive 1t need hardly
be observed that no such project as this
would be likely to command serious consid-
GRAFTON at Washington. Opinion Is by no
means unanimous in favor of the bounty on
sugar; and the idea of granting a bounty
to foreigners in foreign land for pro-
ducng sugar to be sold in Our market
would receive very little support indeed.
Had the Kings advisers, who have proved
themselves shrewd enough in other matters,
been better acquainted with the temper of
the American people they would not have
counSeled so impractieable a scheme.
1t may turn out that the demand for
bounty on Hawaiian sugar is designed to
cloak much more plausible enterprise. 1t
is just possible that it may be intended as
an entering wedge for an agitation for the
transfer of the islands to American control.
Mr.. Carter will have no difficulty in demon
strating that the reciprocity treaty has in
effect been nulli6ed by the free-sugar pro-
visions of the rev tariff, and that some
thing is due t. Hawaii for the exclusive
privileges which her tariff grants to Ameri-
cans. Yet it is difficult 10 Imagine what
shape That Something can take, so long
as Hawaii remains an independent power.
We can no more subsidze foreign State
than we can pay bounty on its products
And still, it would be poor policy after we
have obtained the Hawaiian markets to let
them go again, and divide them with En-
gland and Germany.
The simplest solution of the problem
would b. the admission of the islands on
an affirmative vote OF their people, as Ter
rit0ry of the Union. There is no good rea-
son, to-day, why England, France or Ger
many should object to our annexation, if
the inhabitants of those islands ask for an
Dexation, especially as they are themselves
anneXing other Pacific islands every year
without protest from the United States. 1t
is possible that this contamination was the
real objective of King Kalakaua in coming
here Just now