The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-05-08
FALLACIOUS ARGUMENTS.

The San Francisco Argonaut keeps
up a fire of articles against the treaty.
The Argonaut is an honest paper and
has the courage of its convictions.
But because is is honest, it by no
means follows that it is always right.
honesty it has, infallibility it has not.
It's attack on the treaty is based upon
the so-called balance of trade, which
it makes out is against the United
States. Now, in these columns it has
been argued time and time again that
though figures cannot lie, they can
be made to tell stories which are far
from the plain facts of the case.
In the first place the imports of Ha-
wari consist of manufactured goods or
raw material such as hay or grain,
ste, which requires no manipulation
after they reach here. The profit up
on these goods goes directly into the
pockets of those who supply them.
On the other hand, the main portion
of our exports to the United States
consists of raw material; it may be
said the whole of our exports, for the
total amount of exports outside of
sugar, is comparatively small. Every
pound of sugar that goes into San
Francisco or New York has to go
through a process of manufacture
that employs hundreds of thousands
1,1 nd n,,in
and millions of American capital. The
raw material produces after importa-
ton into the United States, wealth.
Moreover, it is taken to the United
States in United States vessels and in
that way puts money into the pockets
of United States citizens. 1t was
only the other day that talking of
shipping in Honolulu harbor Admiral
Beardslee said: 81 see more stars and
stripes on merchant vessels in one
day in this harbor, than / would see
in any other foreign harbor in a
month"
This talk of balance of trade
against the United States does not
hold water. But when driven into a
corner with the above argument, the
supporter of the unfair balance OF
trade theory falls back upon the bug.
made out of your sugar" says he;
but it is not made by the people OF
California, but by the Trust" How
ever, the Argonaut cannot shelter
itself under that plea, for it says;
"They (the farmers) should not be
misled by cunning advocates into op
posing the Sugar Trust simply be
cause it is n Trust. Califor
mia farmers should back them up
It seems rather uncertain who is t.
be backed, but it is to be presumed
not the cunning advocates" In {
bad cause the Argonaut's Englisl
grows hazy.
The Examiner in making n reply tt
the Argonaut article, also uses a goot
argument. which is the same as useC
by The Star in another form. 1t take
the balance between exports and i'm
ports for the year 1896. This amount
ed to Stills According to the
Argonaut's reasoning that amount il
coin should have been sent down tC
the islands. But was this the case
That balance was settled by sending
to the islands $710,190 in gold ant
$17,5OO in silver. Thus, cash was paiC
of imports over exports in the trad
between California and Hawaii
The Examiner very pertinently ask
what became of the other nineteenth
and gives as an answer that it wa
invested in California, citing the &C
tual direction in which the nine
tenths was spent. Hawaiian suga
put up the Spreckels' building;
built the California sugar refinery;
is the financial backbone of the Va,
ley railroad; it erected the Watson
vile beet factory, and it supports tn
Oceanic Steamship Company, and
large feet of sailing vessels that pl
between San Francisco and the is
ands. California at large reaps i'm
mense, advantages from the Hawaiia
trade, and should the enemies of tn
treaty succeed in its abrogation
section of California will wake up t
discover that the goose that laid tn
golden eggs has been very stupid
slaughtered.
But in spite of the fight against tn
treaty there is really little to fear a
present. Advices come from thos
who know the inner workings of al