The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-12-26
GIVES HIS VIEWS
MI. Armstrong Touches on I'm
pOTtalt Points.
TARIFF TO Be CONSERVATIVE
CALIFORNIA; Opposition to
Annexation.
What Might Have Been = Japan
and Philippine Re-
belliOn.

SAN FRANCISCO, CAL, Dec. 49,
Prosperity throughout the country is
not coming with leaps and bounds.
things. Congress is in session and the
statesmen are making up their minds.
or in other words, are trying to find
out what their constituents are think
ing about. In the early days the states
men did the thinking. Now the peo-
pie do it, Seventy millions of people
of all sorts and conditions do not
think rapidly, and come to all sorts of
conclusions.
The analysis of the late political bat
tie is continued by the political writ
ers. It shows up some very awkward
situations. Mr. Henry Watterson's
talk on the situation is attracting much
attention. Though gold" man, he
says that the rich people of the East
are lOrding it over the poor Western
ers, and making them feel bad. Mr..
Nordhoff writes to the Herald that
Watterson should try to bring the
East and the South together. Mr.. Wat
terson says that the people have been
spoiit and pampered BY Government
coddling. He claims that the theory Of
the protective tariff is, that the man
ufacturer and WOrkmen should be pro
tected, so now all classes are coming
forward and asking to be protected
too that is, why should not the poor
man get rich by law, by a free coinage
law. or any other law. The people,
when in trouble, are in the habit of
looking not to themselves, but to the
Government to get them out of the
scraDe. The New York Times says
that Mr.. Mckinley and the Republicans
voted for the coinage of that vast
amount of silver which lies in the
vaults, and brought or the financial
troubles; that both parties were afraid
20 do right and did wrong, hoping that
they would not be caught at it; that
it is an awful and solemn lesson on
the evils Of trimming in politics. The
campaign was not altogether honest.
Too much was said TO the farmers
about bimetalliSm, and some positive
promises were made that it would be
settled by a Republican Congress. This
keeps the money question alive. Con-
gress is now acting on the subject
1t is already clear that tariff legisla-
ton will be very conservative; an any
event, Mr. Mckinley did not approve
of much in his own tariff bill Che be
ing only one of the committee which
reported it,, and he seems now dis
posed to get men of both parties TO
agree on something permanent, so that
business men may not be disturbed.
The New England men are not as
acf1 n, of tariffs
they were formerly, as they find that
high duties give the South and West
some advantages. Moreover, there has
been an astonishing increase of eX-
ports of manufactured goods since the
Wilson bill went into operation. The
question is asked: Has this tariff any
thing TO do with it? These cOnsidera-
tions induce waiting policy.
The Cuban rebellion is evidently TAX
ing a new shape, since the death O.
Maceo. who was probably killed in
battle, and was not trapped into death.
Members of Congress are disturbing
the Executive by war cries, but the
conservative men, including Mckinley.
are willing TO follow President Cleye-
land The cry of war against Spain
recalls the Trent affair and the cap
ture of Mason and SIidell, in 1862
When England demanded their release
the country went mad with rage, and
shouted: Never, neveri" Congress
went mad. too. Lincoln and Seward
kept their heads COOL and released
them on the very ground that the Unit
ed States had always stood on, and for
which it went to war in 1912. [ recall
that at that time a syndicate of very
briefIess young lawyers in New York,
having nothing else to do, tackled the
question Of international law, and
came to the conclusion that the Con
federates would be released. and there
upon made bets Of hats, clothes, din
ners, cigars, in every direction, to that
effect, which were eagerly taken up ~
the excited brokers and angry men. On
the release of the COnfederates the syn
dictate lived in luxury for many days,