The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1895-05-30

ever, that the men who were able TO
successfully meet the drop in sugar
from 500 to $50 ton in one day, winch
was caused by the McKinly bill, can
devise the ways and means for meet
ing this other less serious problem.
Nor do / waver in my belief that as a
part and parcel of the American
Union we can successfully bear our
portion OF the burdens incident TO
that status, nor that we will be as GER
tainIy stimulated into renewed life
and progress as certainly as has every
other territory which has become in
corported therein. Alaska Is claimed
to be an exception. 1t is apparently
and partially so, but under many Taul-
calIy different conditions from those
prevailing here, and for reasons nav
ing no application here.
The inhabitants of the southern
States looked upon the proposed abol-
ton of slavery as symbollcal with utter
and complete ruin. Slavery was
abolished, and today the South with
free labor and free immigration Is
hundred fold richer and more prosper
ous than it ever was or could have beer
under the old system. American
brains, American pluck and American
energy, when exercised under the pro-
tecting and fostering care of American
laws and institutions, can solve PROP
lens and achieve results as success
fully in Hawaii as they have IN the
Southern States, and in every other
portion of Gods footstoOl over which
the stars and stripes have waved.
Commercial Prosperity Will Be Pro-
NOTED.
NV third reason for favoring annex
alton has been partially covered by the
two first. 1t is my belief that the
commercial prosperity of the country,
and of every inhabitant thereof who
has intelligence and energy enough to
take advantage of opportunities al
forded him, will be UNNECESSARILY
benefited thereby. Free admission OF
all that we can produce to protected
market of 65, 900, 600 people, one of the
richest upon the globe, is so patiently
to our advantage that there is so little
to be said against it as to make 1t
scarcely worth while to argue in its
favor.
There can be no doubt but that for
years to come the policy of protection
will prevail, with some notifications,
in the United States. So long as we
are faced by a heavy United States
duty upon practically all of our pro-
ducts, except rice and sugar, just so
long will we be limited in our prOduc-
ton to rice and sugar.
With a free market for other pro-
ducts, other things will be produced,
thereby solving the problem of how to
secure employment and means OF live
Iihood for q responsible, self governing
population.
Even from the standpoint OF sugar
alone, we are now in most unstable,
uncertain and dangerous position.
The term of our reciprocity treaty has
expired, and it is subject to abrogatiOn
at any time on years notice.
We can never be certain that this
| notice will not be given. The abroga-
ton of the treaty, leaving duty on
sugar, would mean ruin certain, aoso-
| lutte and irreVOcable to 8 large number
of our sugar plantations.
The number of narrow escapes from
such action which we have had in the
past should warn US to provide for the
! future.
Annexation provides full and final
settlement Of the danger of hostile
| tariff legislation in the United States
| Congress. The worst that we would
have to meet thereafter would be free
| market. This we already know that
we can do; while on the other hand,
| there is the strong probability Of
continuance of the protected market,
with the certainty that, under annex
alton, we will get the benefit of all the
protection there is.
To summarize, I am an annexation
ist because 1 believe that to greater
extent there can be achieved under
any other system of government, the
people of Hawaii will secure peace,
the establishments of progressive West
ern civilization and material pros
| perity.
| aH
| Smith. who acfed as presiding officer,
called upon Gen" W. n. Armstrong
! for a few remarks. Mr.. Armstrong
| felt positive that all present would
| heartily concur in the sentiments ex-
| pressed by Mr.. Thurston. The present
condition called for good, solid work
on the part of the AuglO-SaxOns. Up
| to the ii inc the monarchy tumbled in
| the Government policy was entirely
repressive, and when it ended it left a
| legacy of troubles; large Asiatic
| population and political discussions.
| He believed present conditions could
be changed by bringing in an Amer
! lean population, and the land law was
| the first measure TO create conditions
acceptable to Americans. There are
plenty of mechanics. Farmers are
! what is wanted, and enough men can
be brought Into this country to
| strengthen and increase the COutrOIIng
nucleus and create conditions that
| shall be thoroughly American.
Minister Hatch was then called upon
to speak on annexation from a Gov
eminent standpoint. To his mind the
best proof of the loyalty of the Gov
ernment to annexation was the
| fact that the present officials
| continued in office. Every body
knows the principles on which
| the Government was founded and the
moment a weakening is shown there
| should be change in the ministry.
| There is nothing strange in the fact
! that stories have been circulated re-
f1ecting upon the loyalty of Govern
| ment officials towards annexation.
| The articles emauated from cOrrespon-
| dents in whom the desire to see dis
| cord was father to the opinion. The
! country is not passing through ITS most
| trying times-the period of waiting,