The San Francisco call., 1897-12-25
FARMERS OPPOSE ANNEXATION.

Y
| its rights. It is awake to the situation and
~ demands that the interests of the American
farmer be placed above the interests OF handful
of alien planters Charity begins at home, and it
will go hard with Congressional representative,
elected by farmer votes, who sacrifices his constit-
uents upon any plea whatsoever. The issue is an
American sugar industry versus Hawaiian planters
and that issue cannot be obscured by the frantic
waving of Old Glory and famboyant appeals to
national pride
That is the voice of the American Sugar Growers
Association which is organized in more than half
the States of the Union. Its purpose is the addi-
ton to the profits of American agriculture of more
than $Ioo,ooo,ooo annually, now sent abroad for
sugar. Its determination is to produce this sugar
at home, on American farms, by American labor
that supports American families sends children to
school, goes to church Sundays and lives on the
American scale OF comfort and intelligence The
addition OF sugar to the crop rotations of the Amer
lcan farmer gives him palpable stake in the pro-
lection of American industries His interest in pro-
lection has been heretofore reasonably doubted The
remarkable propagation of the idea of an export
bounty on the surplus product of American farms
to be paid of the Federal treasury IS due entirely
to this doubt This idea and its supporting doubt
have been promoted by citizen of California, and
granting 1t to be a chimera, its widespread adop-
ton is 1ndisputable testimony the feeling among
American farmers that they are not getting fair
play
Given chance at market for $Ioo,ooo 900 an
nually OF manufactured products does any one sup
pose that American manufacturers would per-
init any Congress or any administration to throw
1t away for the benefit OF some tropical islands,
swarming with Asiatc coolies and smitten with ep-
rosy? We all know that such foreclosure against
American interests would Immediately cast out of
power the party that would attempt it.
1t is not possible that when the farmers of the
country have interest of equal volume they are
going to sleep on their rights, and be ulled by i'm
passioned rot about manifest destiny
Within the last fortnight the country has heard
from the organized labor of the republic against
annexation, and organized agriculture now adds its
voice. 1t is time for commerce to begin thinking
upon the same subject. No civilized country can
boast OF a significant and permanent commerce
when the interests OF labor and production are the
victims of unfriendly treatment. No State in the
Union has greater stake in this issue than Cali
fornia. None has greater need of diversifcation of
its agricultural industries. The producer here suf-
fers from carrying all his eggs in one basket The
land will soon suffer from lack of profitable rotation
in crops.
The 100000 tons per year of sugar production in
the islands comes IN direct competition with the
sugar product of California. 1t is nearest u.s. The
line of transportation is shortest here and here fall
hardest the effects of cheap cooie labor on the plan
tatons
Capital is movable property If it does not find
profitable employment in place, it is cheaply
transferred to another Capital invested In COM
merce has the whole world in which to pick and
choose for the earning of profits and for spending
them. 1t is not so with agriculture The farm is
fixed and immovabe. II the farmer is denied a
chance to raise and rotate profitable crops by TN
wise political policies, he cannot transfer his farm
to place where the necessities of climate and
public policy help him to cheap coolie labor Nor
can he transfer his investment in his land for its
value falls with the absence of opportunity and he
cannot sell it except at crippling sacrifice He is
the who must be considered. He must stand
in his tracks and take what comes and it will be
we'll for the politicians to put little sugar on his
pill
We are convinced that this State on a straight
vote will defeat annexation two one and we have
the same belief as to Oregon and Washington
The farmers OF California should assert themselves
to their Senators and Representatives in Congress-
If annexation is accomplished by the craft Of the
island planters, such assertion will be too late
We will need next year the impulse that the State
will feel from the growth of Our sugar production
1t will be reflected in the prosperity of our domestic
commerce and in the rescue of farm values from
the depression that has borne so hard for several
years.