The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1893-02-24

THE HAWAIIAN SITUATION.
An illustration os the Evils os Reciprocity
Dicksriag aud os special tegisission-
The revolution in Hawaii is not .
moral. religious or political one. but =
purely business speculation brought
about by a gang Of Americans who
duEpg the last fifteen years, have
filched about so. 600 900 from their own
countrymen by means Of our reciprocity
dicker with Hawaii, and now that this
dicl<er H. worthless TO them. they pro-
pose to annex the islands TO this coun.
try that they may, by means Of the
sugar bounty clause. begin again to ex-
tort IS, 900. 600 or "a, 900. 900 yearly from
their fcllow-citixens. This Is the key
to the whole situation
In 1877 our reciprocity treaty went
into effect with Hawaii This treaty
admitted our agricultural and most OF
our manufactured products into Hawaii
and Hawaiian sugar. rice etc. free into
the United States The treaty has been
benef fetal to the commercial interests
of Hawaii but a curse to our own COM
merce and citizens. except TO Claus
enough to take advantage Of the situa-
ton. To these men IL has been .
bonanza The wealth that they have
subtracted from Americans has enabled
them to become the possessors of two
thirds or three-fourths of an island esti-
mated to be worth go. 900. 900; TO
own the soil and therefore practical
ly the labor and bodies OF the
| 90. 900 population. and to dictate who
shall govern and how they shall gov
ern- The whole situation well illus
trates the evils of special legislation
| The evils in this case are the depriving
Of our government Of big revenue.
| which had to be supplied from legiti-
mate industry and trade. the aggran-
dizement of the few At the expense OF
the many; entangling alliances with
foreign nations: revolution and perhaps
war; In an excellent article on "Reci-
procity and the Farmer" in the North
| American Review for April. 1892.
Hon. Hilary A. Herbert. chairman of
the committee on naval affairs, clearly
shows these effects. He says:
1.-THE actual results of the Hawaiian
treaty for thirteen years are before us.
from 1877, when il took effect, 10 1889.
inclusive, carefully compiled by Mr.. s.
G. Brock. government statistican.
Under stimulus of the treaty our inn
ports from these islands increased
rapidly. In 1870. the year before IL
took effect. such imports were $3.50.
6s,. In 1889 they amounted 10 sia, s4..-
740 Exports also increased. In 1876
our exports TO these islands were $724.
267. In 1859 they footed up g, 336, oso.
This is the bright side OF the picture.
and it is painted in glowing colors by
Mr. Claus Spreckles in the North
American Review for March. 49,.
where he highly extols ''the wise and
far-seeing policy embodied in the
Hawaiian treaty" No one knew bet
ter than Mr.. Spreckels the cost at which
the tax payers of the United States had
maintained that treaty, for much OF
that cost had gone into his own pockets
as profits upon sugar. As to that side
of the question he was industriously
silent But Mr.. Brock gives us the in
formation. page Of his report, thus:
III the merchandise admitted free under the
treaty had paid the duty levied upon the SINH
lar goods imported from other countries. the
| duty would have amounted to ss.s,s.3ilV fol
the fiscal year 1889. and to 4s sss.9ss for the
| thirteen years ending Win that year. or since
| The reciprocity treaty has been in fore.
This sum. e43. $685. 9ss. our consumers
paid to the growers of Hawaiian sugar,
rice, etc. as premiums on their prod
ucts." Mr. Herbert then shows that
the consumers got no benefit from the
duty on sugar imported from Hawaii
because Hawaii furnishes only about
one-tenth of our imported sugar. Ths
importers of this sugar have not had Il
pay duty that has averaged 200 cents
per pound on all other sugar; they have
held a s'free pass" to our markets Blu
this free sugar has not lowered thu
price of sugar. for the price Of an article
in any market is determined by the cos
of the dearest article that sells in com
petition with other articles. and as thu
cost Of nine-tenths of our sugar in ou
markets includes the duty. Hawaiian
sugar sells at the same price rs IL 1t to-
had paid duty. The benefits of sucl
free sugar 60 to importers and not 4
consumers
Mr. Herbert says: THE tables col
| lHLeu III PaAt -
corroborate this reasoning. and SHOW
that the people Of the Pacific coast di'
not save penny in the price of thei
sugar by reason OF the treaty Ever,
dollar of the as. 900. 900 of taxes released
: on Hawaiian sugar went into the poke
OF the producers of that article, Mr.
, Claus Spreckels and others And SO Il
would have been il the sugar imported
} had amounted to nine tenths instead O
one-tcnth of our total imports Thi
, | brings us 20 see clearly that il we i'm
, pose an import tax on sugar and rel.
: to any appreciable extent on taxes
sugars to complete our supply. no ex
, captions in favor of particular countries
giving them free access to our markets
! will avail to reduce the price of tn
product OF these favored countries il
the American market below the pric'
OF the tax paid article
J 1T will he seen that we have no
taken the trouble TO ascertain the rels
r lively pitiful sum Of duties released I
8 our people by the Hawaiians We sim
IN -