The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-11-22
NO TARIFF TINKERING.

There is more than passing Interest In
the announcement that it has been de-
cided by the leaders of Congress and
the President that there shall be no
tariff tinkering at this session. Fur
Their Ii must be taken as OF weight
that the Philadelphia Chamber of Com
rnerce would have none of the Reci-
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 or
trade. s-sss-s-a s.ali1a4 ~
1t would mean much for the tinlid
ones of this Territory II there was re-
moved from in front of them the buga-
boo or 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 a close rela-
ton with Cuba, there will follow only
distress to local industries. That this
is making too much Of the matter VIII
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 VIII be
that it will be many years before there
Is a turning over OF cur system of tax
alton for the purpose of giving any set
Of holders of securities further dfvi--
dends.
IT cannon be said that the case of
Cuba is on all fours with that of these
Islands twenty-five years ago. Then
there was urgent need Of the product OF
tf.is country upon the Pacific Coast
There was in return trade which
meant much to the growers OF the
Golden State and thus the treaty OF
reciprocity was urged by both parties
and ,,royed of inestfmable benefit to the
neople on both sides of the question.
In the case of Cuba there is no trade
which will not come to the Onlteo
States In any event and there seems 10
he little enough which the country may
hope to send there for several years
except machinery. There Is no estao
1ished government to guarantee thal eHe
advantages will exist until there has
hean a. complete establishment Of trade
[1,, the mart of the United States, which
is a great Disadvantages
Apart from the selfish satisfaction
which the announced determination
gives to the people of the country, 1T
must be seen that any tinkering with
the Dingley law at this time Swould
mean a concession In the matter or
principle to opportunity. Republican
ism Is not opportunism. The tariff
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 beneflcent provisions OF the
law, IL 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 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 it
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-
ductlon OF the duties upon articles
handled by Trust than is given in this
determination of the Executive. It was
not a safe proposition In any event, for
1t took only the most superficial ex-
animation to show that those trusts
which did handle articles upon which
there are high duties could by reduc-
ing wages do business at q minimum
or with free trade. while the independ-
ent producers would be closed up BY
the reduction. It Is not often that 4
country must try and get away Z
some degree of its prosperity The nat
uraI remedy Is that which has been
adopted in effect. the reduction y the
internal revenue features of the ma
tiOnaI taxes. This viii keep money
the hands OF the people and will no
disturb conditions under which there
has come 20 this nation q period Of un-'
exampled prosperity