The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1901-11-22
NO TARIFF TINKERlNG.

There is more than passing interest in
the announcement that II has been de-
cided by the leaders of Congress and
the President that there shall be no
tariff tinkering at this session. Fur
Their 1t must be taken as of weight,
that the Philadelphia Chamber of Com
merce would have none of the Reel
procity Congress which is now meeting
at the capital for the purpose doubt
! less of making capital for the advo-
Gates of that plans for extensions of
trade.
II would mean much for the tlmid
ones of this Territory If there was re-
moved from in front of them the buga-
boo of reciprocity in sugar with Cuba.
This has been talked of and magnified
until there seems to be a fear that If
Congress shall even talk of close rela-
ton with Cuba, there will follow only
distress to local industries. That this
is making too much Of the matter will
be seen by a little investigation. The
members of Congress are not going to
give to the new Republic a start in life
without corresponding advantages.
! These are not in sight. The island has
nothing to offer in return for the pro-
posed concessions and the result will be
! that II will be many years before there
Is turning over of our system of tax
alton for the purpose of giving any set
of holders of securities further divi-
dends.
| 1t cannot be said that the case of
cuba Is on all tours with that of these
| islands twenty-five years ago. Then
there was urgent need of the product of
, this country upon the Pacific Coast.
| There was in return n trade which
meant much to the growers of the
| Golden State and thus the treaty of
reciprocity was urged by both parties
and proved of inestimabe benefit to the
people on both sides of the question.
| In the case of Cuba there Is no trade
| which will not come to the United
States In any event and there seems to
be little enough which the country may
hope to send there for several years,
except machinery. There IL no estab-
lished government to guarantee that the
advantages will exist until there has
been a complete establishment of trade
on the part OF the United States. which
Is n great disadvantage
Apart from the selfish satisfaction
which the announced determination
gives to the people of the country. It
must be seen that any tinkering with
J the Dngley law at this time would
! mean a concession In the matter Of
principle to opportunity. Republican,
! Ism Is not opportunism The tariff
I principle Is not one which can be warp
ed to fit any special state of finances
, In the presence of a surplus, created
under the beneiicent provisions of the
law. II Is not possible TO alter the law
without making concessions to the OPP
position. There must be either an en-
. tire revision OF the law or q main
| tenance of its present provisions. If
conditions Of raw material labor and
demand have changed to such an extent
/ that the law must be altered, then 1t
must be changed in all particulars, not
in the few which have been proposed.
There could have been no more fit
ting answer to the proposal of Con-
gresham BabCock, that there be a re-
duction of the duties upon articles
handled by a Trust than is given in this
determination of the Executive. 1t was
not safe proposition in any event, for
| II took only the most superficial eN-
| animation to show that those trusts
which did handle articles upon which
there are high duties could by reduc-
ing wages do business at minimum
or with free trade. while the independ-
ent producers would be closed up by
the reduction. 1t Is not often that a
country must try and get away from
some degree of its prosperity. The nat
ural remedy is that which has been
adopted in effect, the reduction of the
!nterna! revenue features of the ma
sional taxes. This will keep money in
the hands of the people and will not
disturb conditions under which there
has come 10 this nation period OF UNI
eSampled prosperity.