The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1909-01-22
COFFEE FIGHT HOT
OUR ABE At FRONT
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it is possible that the Republican Re-
representatives. and Senators in the
course of the unnumbered trades and
dickers involved in the production of
tariff law may be induced to vote
for such tax.
| How different would the situation be
if there were national opposition
party with intelligent and ineligible
principles, strong and honest leader
ship worthy of the confidence of honor
able and patriotic men! Then there
would be no serious talk of tax on
coffee. Indeed there would be no
revision of the tariff by it's friends"
But there is no such party, and in con-
sequence a tax on coffee is well within
the limits of possibility.
Washington Post: The New York
Sun refuses to believe that the major
ity in Congress will levy a tariff duty
on coffee, though it fears that it may
be done by trade and dicker. Then
it adds How different would the
situation be if there were a national
opposition party with intelligent and
ineligible principles, strong and
honest Leadership worthy of the con-
fidence of honorable and patriotic
men,
1t is the Democratic party, as eX-
pounded by George McDufiie and Rob
ert j. Walker, by John G. Carlisle and
John Sharp Williams, that the taxing
power was conferred on Congress for
the sole purpose of raising revenue
with which to sustain a government
honestly and constitutionally admins
tered. Then where will you find a
subject of taxation more ideal for
that purpose than coffee, not a pound
of which is grown for commercial pur-
poses in a single State of the Union?
A duty on coffee is thoroughly and
completely Democratic in every parti-
cular-a tariff for revenue only.
The expenditures of the government
have grown so great, and retrench-
ment being out of the question: the
Republicans, too, are hunting some
thing from which to get revenue. What
more natural than that they should
agree on coffee, of which our people
consume nearly 1,OOO,O0O,OOO pounds
per annum, out of which can be de-
rived nearly $6O,OOOfOOO of revenue by
a specific duty of cents pound?.
But the duty should not be specific.
That would tax the inferior article con-
sumed in the hovel at the same rate
as the dilecious and genuine Mocha of
the millionaire's club or the plutocrat's
palace. Let the tax be ad valorem and
graded up rather than down, fixing a
rate that would yield at the least $780,
100000 per annum.
The New York World objects to a
duty on coffee because spectators are
fixing to make some $77, 100000 out of
it, and because their forestallings of
IllC ll1l hSI Will uSpllNG lllG SONcIil-
ment of any revenue the first year.
There is truth in that, but if Congress
is not to pass a tax bill because some
body will gain by it through specula-
ton, the taxing power might as well
be repealed Did the World ever hear
of a tax law that somebody did not
make a pile of money specializing as
to its provisions? The day President
Lincoln signed the bill levying an eX-
else of So a gallon on whisky a single
individual made a profit estimated as
high as $5,OOO,OOO on liquor he had
purchased in anticipation of the tax.
1t was open, aboveboard, and notorious.
Then there is sugar, a prime article
of taxation and prime article of spe-
culation, when a tariff bill is on the
hooks. Should Congress refuse to
NEEDLE with the duty on sugar be-
cause somebody is sure to make a
| lucky guess or get accurate intimaIion
as to the amount of the duty?
Man will have to be made over be-
fore he ceases to speculate on govern
mental policies, and because some
body will win something betting on
a duty on coffee is no reason why Con-
gress should not take action to cure
a frightful deficit in the treasury.