The herald., 1897-04-29
TRUST AND TREATY

President McKinley's trust admins
tratiou is making rapid stridee in It's
work of educating the people up to
high standard of political economy. Ihe
discerning public mind has been brought
IN study the logic of tariff and or trusts
and has succeeded in grasping a few eco
nomic principles with surprising clear
nees. There is a disconcerting feature
shout the success of the school, however,
that must be more or less painful to the
feelings of the presiding instructor. Thls
is the fact that while the public enlight-
eminent must be conceded, yet, in tend
ency and effect it is invereely proper
toned in exact degree to the will and in
tention of the teacher. Four years or
such education as the country has en-
loved during the past two months Will
enable the masses to distinguish between
an administration boiled owl and pop
ular ouail on toast. We observe that
wherever there is seen to exist any eco
nomic enterprise that bears the impress
of untrammeled independence there is
also seen, circling around 1t, the con-
stricting coil of the trust.
One notable instance of the alertness
of the trust stranger is the attempt that
is now being made under this influence
to procure the abrogation of our recip-
rocity treaty with Hawaii. This meas
ure is sought to be carried upon the
principle which the trust interest has
found so very successful in the past,
course Of reasoning and argument based
upon deliberate misstatements of fact.
The argument is not expected to con-
vince anyone, and serves its intended
purpose as a sort of refuge for the public
servant who is willing to serve the trust
for a consideration, should he be called
upon to explain. Senator Frye, for in
stance, being very smart man, could
explain the reasons that underlie the
devious ways of legislators. But among
the reasons assigned by the sugar trust
and its agents why the treaty should be
abrogated are, that it is one-sided; that
the United States ie suffering tremend-
Gus loss by remitted duties; that it re-
tards the development of the sugar in
dustry in this country, and lastly that
even if the treaty were abrogated we
would still retain the exclusive trade of
the islands which we now practically en-
10y under its provisions. AS to the
weight of the arguments it is sufficient
to analyze the logic of one or two of
them. In reply to the argument that the
importation of Hawaiian sugar is re-
dustry in the United States it is shown
that last year the United States con-
sumed upwards of 100000 tons of sugar.
of which only 22500O tons came from
Hawaii and the United States produced
2S9, 900 tons. The argument that we
would still maintain our commercial
prestige even if the treaty were abro-
gated is advanced with the full knowl-
edge that Canada stands ready to enter
into a similar treaty with Hawaii, and
only awaits the revocation of her treaty
with the United States.
The reason that the Hawaiian treaty
is sought to be set aside is that it inter-
feres with the otherwise exclusive con-
troll of the sugar market by the Ameri-
can sugar trust. Every intelligent man
In the country knows this, thanks to the
reflex action of Mr.. McKinley's school
of political economy.