The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1892-12-14
WILL THE BOUNTY COR

presidential election this year had
peculiar interest. 1t was far beyond
the usual rivalry of party sympathies
amongst American residents, or the
fair proportion felt by other resi-
dents of the interest that such an
important event invites the world
over. Our community without re-
gard to nationality could not help
considering that it was concerned in
the issues. 1t was generally be-
lieved from evidences of the cam
paign that the success of Grover
Cleveland would be the death knell
of the Mckinley Act with its sugar
clauses. Underlying this was
vague notion of benefit to these ISL
ands in the restoration of the advan-
tages they possessed under recipro-
city prior to the tariff legislation in
question. Even local sympathizers
with the Republican party and sin
cere believers in its protection
policy, perhaps a majority of all
these, rejoiced openly or secretly
over the news of the overwhelming
Democratic victory, especially when
itincluded the fact that the Demo
cratic party under it's banner of
tariff reform was to have control of
the Senate as we'll as the House of
Representatives.
1t is not perfectly clear, however,
that we are entitled to attach any
extravagant hopes to the Democratic
victory. There is hardly a likelihood
that the reciprocity clauses of the
Mckinley Act will be among those
to be repealed. Under these clauses
several countries in South and Cen
tral America have come in for equal
favor with this kingdom in regard
to sugar and other tropical products.
Their products under such stimulus
may reasonably be expected to be
greatly increased, giving so much
more competition for the products
of these islands to encounter in our
one great market. AS yet it is i'm
possible to judge with certainty,
though, just what changes will be
made in the sugar tariff when the
Mckinley Act comes to be overhaul
ed by its devoted enemies. The last
mail brings us number of more or
less weighty opinions on the ques-
tion, from which may be gathered
at least somewhat of the tendency
of influential Democratic intentions
at present. 1t looks as if the sugar
bounty is doomed, and light re-
venue tariff is to be placed on raw
as we'll as refined sugar. The aboli-
tion of all duties would dash expect
ations of Hawaii's getting over her
difficulties by going into refining.
Any duty on raw would in proper
tion to its size restore some of the
advantages under the reciprocity
treaty which this country lost
through the Mckinley Act.
A New Orleans paper quotes a
Mississippi paper as saying that the
Louisiana Democrats would oppose
the repeal of the sugar bounty
which Mr.. Cleveland denounced as
undemocratic and class legislation
The Mississippi paper further said
that the passage of the Mckinley
bill was only intended as "hush
money" to portion of the Southern
farmers, and added:
No, indeed, the sugar growers oi
Louisiana are no more entitled tC
protection from the government il
consequence of their peculiar loca
ton, than sand hill cotton farmers
of East Mississippi are entitled to ;
bounty from the government, be
cause their lands are not as fertile al
the alluvial lands of the delta.
To this the New Orleans paper in
dignantly retorts:
The revenue and constitutions
duty on sugar was repealed by thu
Republicans in accordance will
their protectionist system, and thu
bounty, which is demonstrations
and pernicious, was granted at thu
demand of certain Western State
that desired to manufacture beet ano
sorghum sugar in competition will
the cane sugar of Louisiana.
The paper goes on to say tha
even when the sugar planters o
Louisiana '1abored under the delu
sion that the protective tariff wa
essential to the sugar industry, anC
that a revenue tariff meant, pos
sibly, it's destruction or injury, the,
stood resolutely by the Democratic
party" 1t mentions that the suga
planters have learned that the reve
nue. tariff was their safest and, in
deed, their only standby, and con
cludes with an able argument in be
half of tariff on sugar that it esti
mates would yield $65, 100000 o