The Minneapolis journal., 1903-02-26
How Does It Hurt I?

In an address issued to the people of
the Hawaiian islands by a cornnnittee ap-
pointed at a recent public meeting in
Honolulu, held to consider agricultural
interests in the islands, a rather depress-
ing view OF those interests few years
ago is given, followed by the following
statement:
Within the last two We ars, however, a
great and sudden change has taken place
in the prospects of this group. The ex-s
tension of the territory and government
OF. the United States to the borders Of the!
Pacific and wonderful discoveries in Cali
fornia, and the consequent, almost instan-,
taneous, creation OF mighty state on!
|. 1.-THE western front of the American
union" has, as it were, with the wand of a
magician, drawn this little group into the
very focus OF civilization and prosperity.
We find ourselves suddenly surrounded BY
intelligent, enterprising neighbors, who
call loudly to us to furnish Of our sib-3
stance and receive In exchange of theirs.
Our coffee and sugar no longer rema in
piled in our warehouses. Our fruits and
vegetables no longer decay on the spot
where they were grown. We are, not
even compelled to seek for them a market,
but clamorous purchasers come to our
very doors and carry off our supplies with
an eagerness that has caused us to feel
a scarcity ourselves, and we are assured
that not only for all these, but for any
other products of the soil that we will
raise, ready and increasing demand may
be relied on from our enterprisng neigh
bors.''
And yet not single word of protest
has been heard against the introduction
| Of Hawaiian sugar, fruit and vegetables
into the United States as a crime against
the American producers. Nor has any
one heard a protest against the free inn
| portation Of sugar, tobacco and fruits
| from Porto Rico since that island was an
| nexed. Mr.. Oxnard and the Louisiana
| cane sugar planters have not risen in
their wrath to protest against the fur
/ ther outrage ON the American producer,
since the expiration of the terms of the
| Foraker tariff bill. But these gentlemen
who contemplate with serenity the free
| introduction Of Hawaiian and Porto Rtcan
products into the United States. bristle
| all over with Indignation when It Is pro-
| posed to take 25 per cent off the Ding
] ley tariff rates on Cuban sugar and to-
bacco, and have fought the Cuban rec
! iprocity treaty in the senate until it
standsSa narrow chance of ratification at
| this session Of congress, while in the
| house the treaty's opponents are planning
| to obstruct it by entering the plea that the
senate cannot legitimately, without the con-
currenee Of the house. or1s,1nn mate q
! treaty which embodides reduction of the
federal customs revenues. Their leading
! view is that the treaty is censnrable
! chiefly because it aims a, blow at the pros
1 tective tariff principle. If they are so
4 sensitive on the subject 1t is remarkable
/ that. they are 50 Indifferent to the lifting
Of duies on Porto Rican and Hawaiian
ency on the part Of the advocates of q
i tariff of interchangeable schedules. They
have never succeeded In impairing in the
/ least the solid argument of Mckinley, ii
/ his last speech. for meeting changed an6
changing industrial and commercial con.
4 ditions in the interest Of trade expansion
4 That speech was prophetic. II resistance
prescriptions will ultimately prevail anl
we shall have rational protection, which
Twill welcome reciprocal trade wherever
4 it is found profitable, as in the case O.
Cuba, whose entire trade under the pro
/ visions of the proposed treaty will surely
come to this country.
1t is at least a sign of progress in tn
cause of good roads. that there should b
: so much interest eyinced in road bills b
{ members Of the legislature. There is on
;. very bad bill. to pay each county s1,oo
siout OF the general revenues to assistsit il