The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-05-19

But when the commercial arguments
are laid aside and the political situa-
ton is considered the very legislators
who are cold under the commercial ar
guments, warm up and take different
attitude. They consider the CONNER
cial interest as only a bridge to the
political control of the Islands.
Speaking with much reservation,
and in view of the shifting phases OF
legislation, it may be said, with much
confidence that the probabilities are
largely in favor of the maintenance OF
the treaty, so far as the tariff bill is
concerned. 1t is useless now to make
any prediction as to the action of the
Senate in modifying it by reducing the
advantages to Hawaii. The attempt
will be made, but there will be a
strong disposition to let the treaty
alone in the tariff bill, and to take it
up and the annexation matter sep
arately, whenever the President sug-
gests action.
The whole situation discloses the
fact that for 20 years the Hawaiian
community has been sowing good
deal of wind, and has now to deal with
the whirlwind. The Islands have been
steadily filled with the Asiatics, while
not an hour has been devoted to the
question or to what the political eff
feet would be. after us the deluge"
has been the unconscious maxim of
all parties. The men who manage the
sugar beet interests are thoroughly ia
miliar with the internal affairs of the
Islands, as we'll as he who walks the
streets of Honolulu.
The administration is confronted
with two difficulties. First, the senti-
@a1x fcfo mt Tor
This largely prevails among the schol-
ars and reading men; and, second, the
perpIexing question of taking a ter
ritory Inundated with Asiatics, with
a handful, only, of Teutonics in sight.
This question is mainly considered by
the farmers and laborers of the West.
The people of Hawaii may choose to
suppress discussions of these points,
but they are at the front here. Con-
gress will deal with well-known facts.
The statesmen believe that the time
has come to either take the Islands or
reverse the policy of years and cut
loose from it, and throw away the
graphing hooks of reciprocity. They
prefer to take the Islands in some way,
and will make every effort to control
them but reciprocity has worked
against them. through the Asiatic
tatives of the Government have work
ed with the utmost diligence, a vast
amount of work has not been done,
which should have been done during
the past two years, which officials are
not in a situation to undertake.
1t is unfortunate, of course, that the
tariff matter complexities the situation.
1t cannot be helped. Possibly, the de-
bate on the reciprocity clause of the
tariff bill may lead to something i'm
portant and valuable in the Hawaiian
interests.
The attitude of Senator Perkins is
arousing the anger of the merchants
of San Francisco in a way which must
astonish the Senator. Those mer
chants will not submit to a great loss
without vigorous fight. Now that he
has forewarned them of his hostile at
titude, they are handling him without
gloves, and with great energy. His
friends here believe that he has made
an honest mistake in his views of the
case, owing to the increasing import
ance of the sugar beet industry, but
hope that his vote will be cast on the
right side when it Is needed.
THE PRESIDENTS POLICY.
1t is quite certain that the President
is determined to carry out the policy of
the control of Hawaii, but has not yet
settled on the method. The trend of
debate in the Senate will influence him
to some extent. Deeply interested as
he is in the matter, he still considers
the tariff matter the real question of
the hour, and he is unwilling to rec
ommend new matter until that is ac-
tually disposed of, so he can see day
light. Delay in action of the Senate
Committee ends the Hawaiian cause in
one way. 1t results in the disposition
of Senators to preserve the reciprocity
provision in the tariff.
The position of Mr.. Thurston re-
garding the Japanese relations has
been incorrectly stated in the editorial
columns of the Advertiser. He has not