The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-01-08
Mr.. ARMsTROyG's SUGGESTIONS.

W. y. Armstrong gives III an
other column an interesting and
valuable review of the develop
ment Of the sugar beet industry
In California which, newspaper
signs Indicate, viii play an impor-
tant part IN rhe plans which our
Government has in view. Mr..
Armstrong; personal opinions are
50 well known that it l. scarcely
necessary 10 note that his study OF
tne tread Of affairs l. always TO
determine the influence liable 10
lie brought TO bear for or against
the best interests Of Hawaii. He
j. an ardent annexatiOnist, accused
by many Of leaning too strongly to-
ward a pessimistic view, but as the
inclination in many quarters seems
to be slightly toward the over
saneuine, the facts presented want
more than passing attention.
If the farmers and laborers of
California have not already been
stirred 10 a state of actual hostility
to cane sugars produced by Asiatic
cheap labor, it must appear to the
most disinterested individual that
the newspapers and not a few pub
lie men Of the State are doing their
level best to create a hostile senti-
ment and what is more, nurse and
develop it into good sized oppo-
sition to the annexation of Hawaii.
We are quite positive that whatever
opposition has existed among the
planters here to conducting their
plantations under the laws of the
United States Is steadily dwind-
ling. and the number now holding
out can be figured up in a very
short time. Those remaining few,
however, must appreciate how ut
terly mtenable is their position,
that they are blocking the path
way of their own progress, TO say
nothing Of the nation. The annex
alton vistas may, in the eyes of
some sugar producers, be filled
with many distressing free labor
hobgoblins, but when they turn to
customs duties and discOntinuance
of reciprocal relations, disagree
able fact which possesses none of
the ETHEREAL qualities of imaginary
bugbears presents itself. Further
more, it Is only question of time
when the contract labor system
must be done away with, anneXa-
ton or no annexation. As sure as
the light of civilization shines on
Hawaii, the contract system Will
soon be a thing of the past. If nm
der annexation all Asiatic labor
should be cut off-which is by no
means probable-the labor market
of the United States and Europe
Is open, and it is already proved
that good labor and plenty of 1t Is
obtainable there.
Let the opposition that stick at
the point of cheap contract labor
stop to consider, and they will dis
cover that it Is not so much the
fear of inability to obtain labor
that influences their opinions as it
Is their distaste of getting out of
the old ruts. But Hawaii is reach
ing the point where it cannot run
In the old time grooves. The pro
gress of the Pacific is carrying the |
country steadily forward, and the |
principal question is whether the
small opposition Will recognize the
manifest destiny and join the
forces enlisted to keep the country
well forward in the ranks of com
mercial and industrial advance
ment, or injure their own and ma
tional interests by clinging to old
dogmas and methods that must in
time prove worse than useless.