The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-13

BY Senator Nelson To abrOgate the
treaty absolutely after one year notice
and giving the notice as a proViso In con-
nection with the sugar schedule.
Senator Nelson led the hight in favor OF
the abrogation OF the treaty. IN suppoI5t pppta5
many figures showing that the imports
from Hawaii TO this country We're much
greater than the exports TO HAWAII ana ne
claimed that the reciprocity treaty was IN
favor of the hawaiians. he took the last
report of the minister of finance for the
year ending Dec. 81, 1896. and said that the
business OF American vessels with HAWAII
was about one-third as much as that done
at the port Of Duluth in Minnesota. MI
Nelson declared that the whole treaty was
a very One-sided bargain for the United
States. Taking the sugar imported from
Hawaii in 1886 ne said that under the Will
son law the exemptions from duty by rea-
son of the treaty would be S4,53o, ,294, under
the House bill $S,l63 6S2, and, if the new
Senate schedule was equivalent to 70 per
cent ad valorem, and it was possibly S0
per cent, the exemption would be IS, 5O4. .023
This, said the Minnesota senator, was
donation TO the sugar men; For the hscal
year ending June 80, 1884, the last year of
the Mckinney law, the importations from
Hawaii had been $10,065,3I1, while the ex-
ports to Hawaii from the United states
We're S. 3O6,lSl
COST OF PEARL HARBOR.
Mr.. Nelson said that the claim that we
owed it to Hawaii to continue the reci-
procity treaty because of the acquisition of
Pearl harbor was not well founded, as
Pearl harbor had been acquired under the
first treaty and an ample price had been
paid for that harbor. He said that the
United States had paid 600 only for
the Louisiana purchase, yet in tariff re-
missions on sugar alone there had been
paid $91. OO0, coo for Pearl harbor. He said
that the gift of $S,50O0o0 that would be
given to the Sugar Trust under the present
bill had better be given as a bounty to
the sugar producers CT this country which
would soon enable this country to produce
its own sugar as Germany and france
were doing. Senator Nelson said that an
attempt had been made to show that the
Sugar Trust was trying to have the treaty
abrogated. This was contradicted by the
fact that the senator from Maine (fTye)
the most earnest advocate OF the retention
of the treaty in the previous caucus, had
moved that the differential in favor or re
fined sugar be made "a OF a cent the nigh
est differential advocated by any one
Senator Frye emphatically resented the
inference of the Minnesota senator and
coupled together in that way. The SEN
ator said the House provision on the Ha-
waiian question was ample TO meet the
demands Of equity with an additional pro-
into negotiations for modification of the
treaty He stated that President McKin-
ley was prepared to enter on such a ne
gotiation and added that the haWalans
were willing to meet him half way in the
work He made a vigorous defense of the
treaty and of the policy OF ma2inta9lning
the closest sort of relations with Hawaii
Which had been settled and civilized by
Americans.
the treaty going into a detailed argument
to show that the relations between this
country and the Hawaiian islands should
be maintained upon the present reciprocal
basis. He especially deprecated the effort
to practically abrogate the treaty in any
but the prescribed form of proceeding in
such cases. Mr. Davis went into the rela-
ton between this country and Hawaii at
some length and contended especially
against an effort to legislate on the sub
ject in connection with the tariff. He held
that the President should be empowered
to act in the matter and that beyond this
no action should be taken. In the mean
time the existing treaty should be con-
tinued in full effect. In discussing the
treaty of 1875 Senator Davis said that Pearl
harbor was a special consideration given
by Hawaii for which we gave no equiva-
lent, and another special consideration was
that Hawaii agreed not to dispose or ter
ritory or grant any special privilege of
reciprocity to any other power The value
of these considerations had increased from
the date Of the treaties. This government
could not allow any foreign government to
acquire Hawaii. 1t was necessary for the
United States to control It,
UNCLE SAM NEEDS HAWAII.
Mr.. Davis entered into the geographical
position of the islands and the strategic
Importance of them to this country. The
Hawaiian islands were destined to be a
clearing house for a great extent of the
ocean is destined to be the scene. He said
that since the treaty American capital had
been going to the islands, and that they
were destined to be American could not be
doubted. In fact, Hawaii allowed Ameri-
cans to be citizens without losing their
American citizenship. If we abrogate the
treaties absolutely by statute are guilty
of bad faith. American capital to the
amount of $4,000 900 had been invested on
hA fat h Of bQ
les. The United States should be Obliged
to throw away the stipulation that no spe-
cial privileges or territory shall be granted
to other countries. If the United States
was honorable it would be obliged to give
back Pearl harbor and allow Hawaii to
transfer all these rights to England or any
other nation. The United States would be
obliged to give up every policy enunciated
by successive Presidents from Tyler TO the
present time The treaty had thrown the
carrying trade into ships of the two ma
tions, the greater part being ships of the
United States, and its abrogation would
be an injury TO this Nation.
Senators Chandler Hoar and others also
spoke for the maintenance of the treaty.
Senator Perkins spoke at some length in
support of his proposition, which, as orig
inally presented, provided for giving. the
HaWaians a remission OF one-third OF the
duty on their importations. AT Senator
Thurston's suggestion, he so modlhed the
proposition as to make the rate in the
future conform to the requirements of
whatever treaty might be negotiated IN the
future.
Senator ThurSton announced hlmSef TO
be decidedly in favor of abrogation, though
he was he said believer in the wisdom
of annexing the Hawaiian islands to the
United States. He said that If the pres
ent arrangement, which gives the Ha-
waiian sugar trust an annual gratuity Of
50 600 COO was to be continued in connection
with the gratuity voted TO the American
trust which amounted to not less than
S45 600 900 a year it would be utterly i'm
possible to defend the course of the Re
publican party. He said he had made his
camapign last fall largely on the charge
that the Democratic party had sold out TO
the trust and he did not view with equa-
ninaity the present prospect with regard to
Republican action. He concluded that
Hawaiian sugar being the product of
cheaD Oriental labor, as long as 1t was ad-
mitted free of duty would render the
growth of the beet sugar industry in this
country impossible. -
Iieye that annexation would have practi-
naIlv the same effect To this Mr.. Thurs
TON replied that annexation would bring so
MANY advantages of another character
that he would forego any scruples ne
might have against the free admission of
sugar in order to secure the ISLANDS as
Senator wellington also characterized
+ha Hawaiian sugar production trust,
ard denounced the sugar schedule as a
whole He urged an immediate vote, and
expressed the hope that the treaty would
be abrogated on proper notice
THE ANNEXATION MOVEMENT.
There We're frequent references in the
caucus to the probability of a new treaty