New-York tribune., 1898-12-07
THAT OPEN DOOR AGAIN.

The "open door appears still 10 deprive ihah!
pconle OF their wits. Because they have TO
idea what it means they behave like the poor
fsherwoman who was vltupcrating tremen-
dously. but in reply was solcmnly called pen
tacon and an hypothcnusc, whereupon she sat
down and cried Really. an open door Is not so
frshfnl thing that anybody need get frantic
or daft about II. Free Traders are only SHY
when they imagine It q concession to them, anu
still more silly when they fancy that II fore-
shadows nm abandonment Of Protection for this
country. In fact. the thing proposed is simply
removal OF the discriminating duty which SPAN
has enforced in her colonies against every
ration except herself. The United States pro-
poses to admit trade from all other nations into
the Philippines or exactly the same terms with
trade from the United States.
The innocent who imagnes that this country
proposes to set up twelve hundred Tree-Trade
islands out yondor ia about as wise ms the fro-
tectionIst who supposcs 1t possible to enforce
with efficiency protective system over twelve
hundred far-dlstant Islands. Anybody worth
tho name OF statesman takes some cogniZance
of facts The trade Of the islands has been
paying large sum to tho Spanish Treasury,
and several times as large n sum to the roDDcrs
and military scapers who have pundercd them
under prctcnce Of upholdng Spanish authority.
Instead. that trade will be taxed for the support
of 4 civilized government in the Islands. Inc
cargoes from Spain will not be admitted free,
nor the cargoes from the United states ut any
less duty than like cargoes from anywhere else
If anybody wonders why let him consider that
this country IS not ready to admit all products
Of the Philippine Islands free of duty. The
measure over which some Free Traders are
shouting Is really one OF Protection.
Some men want 10 know how part OF the
United States can he constitutionally taxed on
It's traffic with another part Of the United
States The ready answer is that property be-
longing to the United States IS not yet part or
the United States. Those who study the Con-
stltution will find that "Thc United States
mentioned In that instrument meant exactly
the States united under that partic form OF
government Everything outside Of them, be-
longing to them or thereafter 10 the Union, was
treated throughout the Constitution as ''thc
TERRITORY or other property Of the United
states" Absolutely no restrictions were I'M
posed as TO trade with such property or taxa
tion of IT, Alaska was bought. and has never
been anything but property Of the United
States Porto Rico is TO be ccde1 when the
nrotocol is carried OUT and will become prop
crty of the United States The formal demand
for surrender Of the Philippines was not Il de-
mand for their political annexation, but for the
possesSion of property. What the United States
will decide to do with it. what political rcla-
tions il will establish. remains for the future.
The property will be owned by. but will not in
any political sense be part of, the United States
for which the Constitution prescribed form of
government
For some time the United States will be com
pclled in tho very nature Of things, to hold all
thc conquered property under military author
itv. The law regarding imports from such isl
ands into the United States will stand without
change until legislation fixes some political re-
Iation between them and the United States, and
will then he determined by Congress. The taxes
on trade entering the islands will be such as the
military authority may fix, and the declaration
of the President shows a purpose to make that
taxation the same on imports from this country
and from all others. That is the "opcn door,"
whether the duty imposed be high or low, pro
,ccilvc or nonprotcctivc in character But
there is nothing yet to show whether the Presi-
dent contcmplates imposing the same or similar
duties Oh imports into all the Islands acquired
whether protective duties for some or purely
revenue duties for some It is quito likely that
only tentative and temporary steps may he
taken until there has been time to investigate
the character OF trade under new conditions,
and the probable effect of various forms of taxa
ton Meanwhile the door stands open wher-
ever trnde with other countries and with the
United States is permitted on the same terms