, 1898-01-26
THE ANNEXATION OF HAWAII.
From The Lom5tuuU Pianter.)

II is very vel for The au1at interests of
this country 10 seriously consider the appu-
rontiy impending annexation # Hawaii. We
do not desire to consider the matter from
any military or political point OF view, bat
from II purely industrial poiut Of view,
affecting as it You'd tho domestic sugar
industry Of this county diSastrousIy. The
0gitati0r Of the sugar tariff during the last
few years has awakened the people Of America
generally to The magnitude of the sugar
industry Of lie world and to he possibilities
Of its vast development il this country. The
great success 5ein. now made by tue several
beet sugar factOrle, a!leady in operation in
this country $ ieai ig - the construction
Of u number q o.ueys. There could be no
better evidence Of rh!s success than the fact
that the Oxnard people, who W the Chino,
Cal, and Norfolk and Grand Island, Neb.,
factories, are about to construct q still larger
factory at Hueueme, Gal, and that Mr..
Claus Sprcckels, who has made such a sue.
cess with nis fctory ut Watsonyille, Cal,
is now buiIin@ ho largest factory in The
world &c Salinas, Cal while the Clark Bros,
who have Just built aud operated this season
The beet sugar factory at Los Alamitos. CAL,
have already couNa5ted to double its capa-
city for the coming season. These evidences
Of confidence IN the industry are better proof
Of a successful future Tran any boom in1u.
ences that ma bo brought about by land
speculators aud others who know b1t little
Of the sugar industry and are simply endea-
vouring to sell TEN lands.
In Louis ma aud Texas there is a healthful
growth and considerable development IN the
sugar industry dong the new central factory
lines which have beco.3o generally adopted
within tho past foV yeal5. Game EARNING,
we believe, viii doubIe the Louisiana crop Of
sugar during the next five years. These
are the industrial matters to " hich WE desire
to call the attention Of every one interested,
believing MS we 10 that they are seriously
tire ltened 10y the possible annexation Of the
Hawaiian islands. Twenty-Five years ago,
when the reciprocity treaty with Hawaii was
first effected. Louisiana earnestly protested
against that treaty, but it was urged that the
sugar crop Of the islands was far less than
100. 900 tons per annum and could hardly
reach the hundred th02sond ton figure. We
now find that the sugar crop Of the Hawaiian
islands for the year ending October (! 1897,
was PSI 900 short tons, nearly three times
as much as it was then considered possible
that it should ever reach. Vast schemes Tor
the development Of the Hawaiian islands
are even now under consideration and there
can be no doubt but that, with an investment
VI dLIlpl0 CbDiGft, NOou - lSWNAO IN AHoJ
be established and the Hawaiian sugar
output soon reach donble or even triple it's
present quantity and this with necessarily
destructive influences upon OUR domestic
sugar industry.
1t seems singujar that Gny sentiment could
be worked up in favour f Hawaii when we
consider The character Of their lahonr system.
The sugar industry Of Hawaii is practically
founded upon forced lobour. 1t is not u
very serious stretch of the truth to say that
the sugar industry Of Hawaii is now practi-
cally based upon slave jab0ur. Two bundled
aud fifty years ago many persons were
brought over Il, YIsio.e aud sod "a slaves
for gwen periods q time, % reimburse the
ship captains for their transportation money.
Some Of these persons were we'll educated,
seeking this country looping for future devel-
opment and willing to accept the condition
of slavery for a time, hoping IN the end to
better their own condition. This may he the
motive Of the many Thousands of contract
labourers in Hawaii. Be their hopes and e-
1ectations what they may, they are now in