The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1890-03-25
TARIFF MATTERS.

the tariff, this country is simply con-
fronted with the contingency which
the present ministry long ago fore
saw and endeavored to prepare for.
1t required no extraordinary fore
sight on the part of the Cabinet or
any one else to anticipate such
action on the part of the American
Government as is now threatened.
1t is wonderful how easily the COM
munity has fallen into the attitude
of assuming that the Reciprocity
treaty and the sugar tariff are as fixed
and immovable as if they were laws
of nature, or immediate DEGREES of
Providence. 1t is notorious that the
House of Representatives has been
continually hostile to our treaty. 1t
is no less notorious that agitation
for reduction of the duty on sugar
has steadily increased, with an in
creasing prospect of success. The
removal of the sugar duty, with
bounty to home production has
from an American point of view, two
arguments in its favor. The first is
that it is in harmony with the protec-
tive policy of the United States.
The second is that it would affect a
much desired reduction of the rev.
enue.
Of course it would be hasty to as
sumo that the proposed legislation
will be passed during the present
session. Least of all should we as
sumo that this is time for despon-
dency. 1t is however time for
earnest thought and prompt action.
Under the present aspect OF
affairs, it is pertinent to recall to
the short public memory just what
the Cabinet proposed, ,and we accord
ingly reprint the following extract
from Article III of the ori ginal draft
of the proposed treaty:
1T is agreed that whenever the Con-
gress OF the United States of America
and the Legislature OF the Hawaiian
Islands shall have passed the necessary
laws providing therefor, all articles, the
growth and produce and manufacture of
the Hawaiian Islands, shall be admitted
into the ports of the United States free
of duty, and in consideration thereof and
as an equivalent therefor, all articles the
growth, produce or manufacture of the
United States OF America shall be ad-
mitted into the ports Of the Hawaiian
Islands free of duty, and all articles thus
admitted in the ports of either country,
free OF duty, shall be treated in respect
Of bounties, exemptions or immunities
and all other respects precisely the same
as if OF the growth, produce or manufac-
ture of the country into whose ports they
are introduced"
1t appears from the above citation
that the Cabinet had, as already
stated, endeavored to meet and pro-
vide for the very situation which has
now hurried upon us. 1t is for this
attempt on the part of the Ministers
that the Opposition press has emptied
upon their heads the vials of their
wrath.
We can afford, however, to leave
the question of the merits or de-
merits of the Ministers quite to one
side. The question whether it is ad-
visable to negotiate a commercial
treaty with the United States, guar
anteeing to our producers every ad-
vantage which the American Govern
ment extends to its own, is perfectly
distinct from the question whether
the Ministry deserve all the hard
names which the Elele and the
Truth have showered upon them.
Now that the possible action of Con-
gress makes the matter one of grave
practical importance, it becomes
eminently desirable to recognize the
fact that these questions are not
identical, and to discuss the first, if
possible, unbiased by the state of
ones opinions as to the second.
There are many matters of great
Importance which the next Legisla-
ture will have to deal with, but none
of them, we think, can compare with
the urgency which the problem of
our commercial relations is begin
ming to assume There is hardly
man in this country who has not
direct or indirect financial interest
in the question whether the price of
our sugar is going to fall two cents
a pound.
Under the circumstances, all the