The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-04-22
SATURDAY, APRIL %, 1898.
SUGAR NOT IN 1T.

With Claus Spreckels doubtful about
annexation and in favor of a republic,
and known to have been such before he
left America, the following comes with
rather bad taste from the Louisville
Coarier-9onrndl:
The failure of the Sugar Ring con
spiracy to annex Hawaii and rob the
United States Treasury of Sis, 900
is now confessed by the agents of the
conspiracy, and in their rage they are
admitting the falsity of the pleas upon
which they based the original demand
for annexation.
There has been no sugar ring con-
spiracy here and the fact is SO plain that
even the royaist newspapers in Homo |
lulu admit it, The records show that
sugar men were very far from leading
the revolution. In fact they were
alarmed about it and at the mass meet
ing which preceded the overthrow OF
the Queen they advised moderate and
conciliatory course. There are, We
believe, only two out-and-out planters
among the eighteen members OF the
Provisional Government, while among
the scores of people who subscribed to-
start the STAR-a distinctive anneXa-
zionist journal, dyed in the wool and
tattooed-in-the flesh with American
ideas-there are none at all. Neither
is the sugar interest represented in the
management of the Annexation Club.
In fact wherever one goes in the paths
of annexationist politics here or abroad
the sugar planter is rarely encountered.
But there are other and stronger con-
siderations why such paper as the
Courier Journal ought not to waste
its time in idle chatter about sugar
plot to "rob the United States Treas
ury of ST., 900 or any other sum-"
If such had been the revolutionary
plan, why was not the Queen deposed
while the Mckinley bill was in full
flower and bloom, and before the Nov
ember frosts of 1892 had cut it to the
root? Was it at all likely, when .
Democratic victory had just been won
in the United States, the object of
which, as the COURIER journal Itself
says, was to "repudiate the Mckinley
bill altogether" that sugar men would
have risked a revolution for the sake OF
bounty which the American people
had given notice that they would
promptly abolish? Such a conclusion
can hardly be credited to paper which
reveals the mental processes Of Henry
Watterson, and yet it is the only one
that may be drawn from the stated
premises.
The Courier Journal adds:
Mr.. Spreckels and his company knew
the conditions of life in Hawaii when
they settled there, and if they find now
that an ignorant populace and des
potic government make commercial
prosperity impossible, they must not ex
pect to have assistance, support and
protection from the American Navy Oh
the American Treasury. On the con.
trary, they must abide the consequences
of bad investment
And yet in yesterdays STAR, Mr.
Spreckels gave his views upon annex
alton as follows
81 am making careful enquiries or
both sides; | have visited President
Dole and Liliuokalani, and this morn
ing | conferred with Minister Stevens
/ have listened attentively to the stories
from both sides-frOm the kanakas be
cause | loved them, from the Others be
cause | wanted to slft the whole thing
down before l acted"
Does that look to the Courier
journal as if Mr.. Spreckels had lee
the revolution or had taken much par
in the ''plot" which went before it
Does he talk like man who had CONF
to gloat over the success Of the annex
ationist scheme? Does he really appea
to be sin a rage over the failure of tht
Sugar Ring conspiracy"
---
AN OFFER OF RICHES.