The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-09-23
FOUR AMERICAN PRINCIPLES.

/ Marine and Commercial Reciprocity are
the four thoughts which were upper
most in the mind of President McKin-
| ley while at Buffalo when he met the
assassin's bullet, and it is only fair to
presume that since they were the key
notes upon which. his great public utter
ance of the year was based, they will
be the basis of the message to Congress.
| Upon these four points may be build
ed a policy which is truly American.
They represent in themselves the prin-
ciples for which the Republican party
/ in Congress has made it's fight for the
past four years. and at no time has
there been a wavering from this bear
ing. All combine to make policy of
commercial expansion. What the Suez
canal has done for the commerce of
the Eastern ocean will. be done, and
more, by the cutting through of the
Isthmus. This is recognized by all, and
only the Vaccinations of men whose
| patriotism was second to their love of
few dollars have prevailed to prevent
| the carrying out of at least two of these
details. For instance eliminate the
Panama canal people from the calcula-
ton and the Nicaragua canal will be
| authorized within few months. Take
away hope of privately owned cable
and the Pacific will have electric COM
munication soon.
There must be and will be a Pacific
cable, and that within a few years.
The growth of the trans-Pacific bust
ness of our country has been enormous
within the past few years. The possess
sion of the Philippines and the great
interests which have come with that
holding, have added to the national OBJ
legation to provide communication be-
tween the parts of the country which
are so widely separated. In this ma
tional scheme of development Hawaii
plays an important part in that there
would be no cable laid which did not
touch here.
Plans for the building up of the mer-
chant marine have aroused more COM
ment since the war than before, but
the plans which have been discussed re-
Gently are not entirely new ones. The
system of encouragement which has re-
suited in the thronging of the high
ways of the seas with ships under. the
flags of all the powers except the United
States, is now before the people as it
was last year, and as it was before Con-
gress during the past session What
is called a subsidy is in reality a pay
ment for better service, and this has
been at all times a recognized prin-
ciple of political economy, despite the
democratic bowls over the new policy
which was supposed to Turk within the
plan. 1t is not the fast liner which
will derive the benefit from such a
scheme of encouragement, but the .slit-
tie cargo ship" which, of slow speed,
VIII carry so great a proportion of the
products of the country. If the millions
paid to foreign countries for the trans
portation of American products from
our own doors to the consumer could
be added to the wealth OF the nation,
there would be only a few years elapse
until our commercial strength would be
unassailable.
In commercial reciprocity there may
Turk a danger, though there are be-
hind that plan some of the best minds
the nation has produced. For instance
it must be remembered that the planas
the child Of the brain of Blaine, the
greatest statesman of his day. It has
had the endorsement of almost every
other truly great American and though
there are now some ten reciprocity
treaties, made with foreign powers held
up in the senate, this is no indication
that the principle is wrong. The plan
as Mr., Mckinley understands it is to
send our goods free to a country that
has something we want, and get that
something into our markets free as
well, so that the people will not have
to bear any tax upon those articles
which are not produced here and yet
are in demand,
The fear is entertained that there
would be free sugar under this plan,
which would react upon the industries
of this territory. That is not the mean
ing Of reciprocity. There is recogniz-
ed number Of tariff bearing articles,
and sugar is one of them. There will
be pressure to have the Cuban sugars
come in free, but the fact seems 10 be
recognized that it is not the time yet
for this to be granted and there will
be hard fight made before there is
settlement.
Commercial greatness is necessary to
the future of the nation. The scratch
of the pencil in the order book Of the
advance agent of civilization, the
American Drummer, is heard all over
the world. There must be no backward
step or the march will never be taken
up again. While going forward the peo-
pie must be kept ahead. The President
of the United States spoke with the
tongue of prophecy when he said the
four great tasks were those which |
would make for the nations continued
prosperity and greatness. And that he
may be spared to continue the work
he has so nobly started; Is the wish of
every true American.
s ss:z SENTIMENT w.:BUslNEss.