The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1891-01-22
THE M'KINLEY BILL AND HAWAII.


The news comes from San Fran
cisco that Mr.. Carter, the Ha-
waiian Minister at Washington, is
about to lay before Mr.. Blaine a
formal protest against the free
sugar clauses of the Mckinley bill.
The authority for this story is
King Ka!akaua's chamberlain, who
has been interviewed by the San
Francisco Bulletin. The point of
the protest seems to be that this
free sugar clause is in effect
breach of the treaty of reciprocity
between the United States and
Hawaii, in that it deprives Hawaii
of practically the only benefit her
people have received under the
treaty.
Opening our doors freely to Ha-
waiian sugar was giving the sugar
planters of these islands the same
advantages of tariff protection en-
joyed by the planters of Louisi-
ana. The Pacific States absorbed
the Hawaiian product, and paid
for it at prices determined by our
duty on foreign sugars. 1t is esti-
mated that the average advantage
in price to these Hawaiian planters
because of our tariff has been about
% cents per pound. Aside from
this, it is claimed, the treaty has
been of almost no advantage to the
islanders. To us, however, it has
given practical control of the for
eign trade of the islands, and to
our government secured Pearl
river harbor, one of the best coal
ing stations in the Pacific. Fur
Their than this it opens the way to
even greater discrimination against
| foreign nations in our favor. w lille
we retain these advantages, 1T is
held that Hawaii has lost the con-
sideration for which they were orr
glnally granted to us. Hawaiian
sugar now stands in our markets
on a level with Cuban sugar, and
sugar is almost the only thing Ha-
waii has to sell US.
The problem before his majesty
government is said to be now what
to do under the circumstances. AS
long ago as when the first treaty
was negotiated England protested;
and claimed under the "mOst fav-
ored nation clause" of a general
treaty of amity, the same privilege
as those accorded the United
States, but the Hawaiian gov.
eminent held that Great Brl
tain could not offer equal advant-
ages with the United States--mean'
ing that Great Britain could not
protect Hawaiian sugar. That
protest has never been Withdrawn
Great Britain is now offering spe
cial inducements in the way OF sub
sidized steamship lines and the like
for closer commercial relations with
these islands. But Kalakaua pre-
fers to continue the treaty with the
United States, provided We will see
to it that the Hawaiian sugar
growers shall be on the same foot
ing as the sugar growers of Louis
lana. Under our present law, there
is but one way in which this car
be done, and that is to pay these
Hawaiian planters the two cents s
pound bounty provided for domes
tic growers in the Nc Kinley bill
for the four years before the treaty
expires by limitation. One yeal
before the end of the term, motto,
of abrogation can be given by
either party, and we can take adj
vantage of that term If we do no
care to continue the present ar
rangement.
There is enough of truth IN this
statement of the case to give il
force, and to make it somewhat
difficult for Mr.. Blaine to meet
AS the apostle of reciprocity he ii
bound to so conduct these negotia
tions as to retain for us every ad
vantage we now possess OF FREE
access to the Hawaiian markets
He cannot promise the repea
of the free sugar and tn
bounty clauses of the MeKinle,
bill, nor the payment of the bounty
TO Hawaiians. Congress woul,
hardly dare be SO free with tn
) peoples money, and the peopl
themselves would not approve. l
would be of no use to suggest tn
purchase or annexation of the Isl
ands as solution of the difficulty
because the popular feeling in tn
! Islands themselves is strongl,
against any such project. TIL
Thurston ministry was overthrow
last summer because it was be
lieved TO favor large concessions t.
the United States. The presen
t ministry, while friendly,is watchfu
, lest we overstep our bounds, an
will expect from US all that tn
treaty gives them a right to ASK
The advantage seems to be with tn
Islands, for they have less to los
f than we by an abrogation of tn
treaty, and unless we can make it
advantages more nearly equal the
can very well afford to let 1t go.
s.zz.--.-.~<-...zz--.
: In a divorce case in a New Yor
town the wife exhibits los low
/ letters which her then lover wrot