The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1898-08-18


possibly sugar in Louisiana. The
price of sugar, coffee, and tea will
naturally be reduced to the con-
sumcr, the cultivation of the sugar,
coffee, and tea lands and the devel,
Opment of those resources will give
remunerative labor to thousands of
others, while the increased de-
mand for manufactured goods will
increase the amount of labor need
ed in the different States of toe
Union. There could not be a
country where the products come
into less competition with those of
our own people or where the bene-
fits derived would be felt so equal
ly by all of our citizens as Hawaii.
The use of sugar, coffee, and tea
is universal, and the great increase
in home production consequent
upon the annexation of Hawaii
must of necessity reduce the price
of these staples. 1t is a very good
rule for nations as well as indivi
duals that land which produces
that which its owner can best dis
pose of is the very best property
obtainable. That is precisely the
situation Hawaii occupies toward
the United States.
There has been a great deal said
already concerning the strategic
position of Hawaii in time of war,
and before l consider that subject
| want to call attention to the
strategic position of Hawaii in
time of peace. 1t is on the direct
line of five out of six steamship
companies who operate from Mexi-
can, United States, and British
ports on the Pacific to point in
oriental countries. 1t is twenty
fye hundred miles nearer all points
in the Pacific islands, China, Japan
and Australia than any present
market. If the commercial in
terests of the United States took
advantage of the manihcient posi-
ton of Honolulu, with its splendid
harbor, they could, by establishing
large houses there, practically con-
troll, the trade af the Orient.
James G. Blaine stated, after
examination of the sub
ject that the territory dependent
upon the Pacific Ocean for a com.
mercal outlet comprised an area
of nearly 10000 square miles
larger in extent than the German
Empire and the four Latin coun
tries of Europe combined. Across
the Pacific Ocean there lies nearly
the worlds population,
and the territory of our Pacific
being the nearest market
to them, would, if Hawaii was uti-
lized and its commercial possibil-
tiles developed, control three
fourths of that trade. Jobbing
houses situated at Honolulu, en-
ploying large capital, would find
themselves in the center of distri-
button between the East and the
West, very much nearer both than
any other market; and the possibil-
tiles of such position are practi-
cally without limit. Honolulu, on
account of its position, could be
made a modern Carthage.
The exports last year of the
countries that could be made de-
pendent upon the markets of Ha-
waii and our Pacific coast amount
ed to s2,5oo,ooo,ooo of which
we only sold $55,25o,ooo, The
of our Pacific coast
from commercial point of view
is vastly greater in its possibilities
than that of our Atlantic coast.
And if we can throw our western
frontier twenty-five hundred miles
into the Pacific Ocean, thus saving
time. distance, and cost of trans
portation, we will be beyond the
reach of European competition
The average war ship is built to
carry coal for about 5000 miles;
the average merchant vessel does
not carry that much coal. A vessel
starting from San Francisco to
eastern ports is halfway out of coal
when she reaches Honolulu. That
hole in her bunkers must be filed.
If Hawaii were held by power
which became unfriendly to the
United States, it would practically
destroy our entire trade with the
Orient, which now amounts to
S56,ooo,ooo year and cound very
easily be made to amount TO at
least ten times that sum. At the
that President Polk and Secretary
of State Marcy and Daniel Web
ster advocated the annexation of
Hawaii the population of our
Pacific coast was not as great as
the present population of Port
land, Oregon. The islands of the
South Seas were unknown and un-