Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-02-08
GERMANY AND PROTECTIVE
TARIFF TOPIC OF HIS LETTER

new countries will DE discovered: tn:
world has been eircumnayigated, anc
We can no longer find abroad new
purchasers of Importance to whom
we can send cur goods -
4 In questions such as these I view
i scientific theories with the same
/ doubt with which regard the thee,
! ries applied to other organic forma.
] tons. Medical science, as contrasted
with anatomy, has made little prog.
ress with regard to those parts which
the eye cannot reach, and today the
riddle of organic changes in the hu.
man body Is as great as il was for
merry With regard to the organism
of the state. it is the same thing. The
dicta of abstract science do not infiu-
ence me in the slightest. base my
opinion on the practical experience of
the time in which we are living.
see that those countries which pos
sess protection are prospecting, and
that those countries which possess
free trade are decaying. Mighty Eng
land. that powerful athlete, stepped
out into the open market after she
had strengthened her sinews and
said, Who will fight me? / am pre-
pared to meet everybody But Eng
land herself Is slowly returning to
protection, and in some years she win
take it up in order to save for herself
at least the home market. !
.s. . = - .
II believe the whole theory of free
trade to be wrong. =. =. England
has abolished protection after she had
benefited, by it, to the fullest extent.
That country used to have the strong
est protective tariffs until It had be-
come so powerful under their protec-
ton that 1t could step out Of those
barriers like a gigantic athlete and
challenge the world , Free trade is
the weapon of tine strongest nation,
and England mas become the strong
est nation owing to her capital, her
iron, her coal and her harbers. and
owing to her favorable geographical
position. Nevertheless she protected
herself against foreign competition
with exorbitant protective tariffs un-
I'll her industries have. become so |
....r III. :. ....". ii.
: Be it said, however, Bismarck was
always a moderate protectionist. He
was opposed to high protection The
German protective system. as it is to-
day. is not SO high as under the I'm
derwood bill on competitive goods,
which is about 81 per cent. In 1860,
at the beginning of our Civil war;,
there was azlarEe list OF imports on
the, free list. The average dutiable
goods were about ~ per cent. At the
beginning of the war the Morrill, bill
passed increasing duties much higher
Is war measnre," but with the
Fhen the war was1
,yer the duties were to be lowered
But the fact Is that after the war
hey were increased The aecumula-i
ion in the treasury became enormousi
md Congress- would not lower thed
lHtiess II llass 1uen 10 by DayjafEss
Wells that any manufacturer could col
nto Congress and get any duty he
Wished passed ito aid bis particular
ndustfy.t It was deemed ,unpatriotic
or any enc d Congress to oppose al
host any unreasonable duty The
'aTty in power. promised the people
ear aftef year to revise the tariff
1t was mot done Thed
DC partys came into, power.
The pendulum swung In many re-
poets too far, the other way. Such
Kings always happen. In the main.
agree with the Underwood bill, but
lere are important exceptions. The