The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1913-05-13
TIVE
DEMocRAnc IGNORANCE is BLISS

Word comes from George r. Carter that Hawaii be
gan its campaign against the free sugar advocates too
late something which The Advertiser vcntured to re-
mark long ago but if amy proof be needed for what Mr..
Carter writes from Washington to the Sugar Protection
Committee is supplied from another letter which
YESTERDAY. signed by Walter L. Mccoy, representative
from New Jersey in reply TO request for assistance in
the tariff matter from of his constituents copy be
ing forwarded TO Honolulu. Representative Mccoy S
letter shows such utter lack of appreciation of the
situation and such a amentably narrow view of ma
tona question that one cannot wonder that the Under
wood Bill was swallowed by the Democratic caucus Il
the other Eastern representatives have more know
ledge of the facts than he.
Il am satisfied" wrote the representative from
President Wilson's State. from statements made by
members of congress from States engaged largely i'm the
beet sugar industry that that industry will be benefited
realize that the sugar producers of Louisiana may have
hard time to adjust themselves to the condition but
in their there is reason to believe, told
by persons who ought to know, that by improvement OF
their machinery and also in their methods of production
they may be able to continue their business However
if they cannot il hardly fair to tax the pco-
pie of the United States from fifty to ninety million dol
lars year for the purpose of keeping in existence
industry in which at the highest estimate not than
fifty millions is invested 1t would be cheaper to buy
out their plants
"A careful reading of this extract will show some
amazing reasoning In the first place. Congressman Nc
Coy regard the fifty millions of revenue collect
ed by the government on foreign sugar imports tax
the people of the United States which will be escaped
Jerseyite is not alone That the fifty millions will have
to be provided for the government some way by tax
sugar by tax something else, appears to be
lost sight Of The government can no without
revenue than automobile without gasoline and
it has to be supplied by taxes direct and indirect This
is elementary fact, elementary that it would be
foolish TO repeat it it not consistently overlooked
by Congressman Mccoy and lot of others. The people
of limited States not taxed sugar for the sole
sake OF maintaining the industry but in large way
Tor Inc sake Of helping maintain the government and they
wllfobe taxed for the running expenses of the govern
ment whether there be free sugar protected sugar
The main difference will be that with the sugar indus
try destroyed there will be less wealth tax and taxes
consequently higher what be left. IA 1lNn1G
If there were, too any good reason to believe that
the of would have cheaper sugar there
might be some merit in Mr.. McCoy's contention hui IL
study, OF the worlds prices on sugar would show bf
that the staple IN the United States has been quoted
at the average retail price abroad plus the duty The
American consumer has had as low retail price the
consumer OF the countries from which sugar must come
when the American industry is wiped out. I.s .n.
The concluding paragraph of the letter quoted is as
amaInK 4s the tax argument of the representative.
Not ,moEe than fifty million dollars is invested he
saysn the sugar industry which he calmly announces
might as wei be wiped out This includes the invest
ments IN Louisiana, Porto Rico, Hawaii and the Phil
lppines all OF which investment has been made under the
guarantee OF republican administration and of the here
totore Democratic opposition because Democracy never
went 10 e extent OF announcing during any prediction
period that 1t would free list sugar if placed in power
Louisiana alone has twice the sugar Investment
by MI Mccoy as that for the entire Union and its de-
pehdehceS OF Porto Rico and the Philippines. Hawaii
mas twice as much money invested directly in sugar as
MI .hcCoy names Tor the whole While, thrown into
the balance is the differentiation of these Islands and
the confidence shown in the good faith of America when
Hawai- came INTO the Union of her own free will moi
10 mehIon lhe many many millions invested in Hawaii
III INDUSTRIES ana businesses dependent sugar