The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-27
rHE .npEN nnnn, POLHCY.


The interview with Mr.. Dingley. chair
man of the ways and means committee
published 10 our dispatches yesterday, re-
specting the open door policy, concern
ing which so much Is being said at pres
ent, is far from being satisfactory. Be
/ yond pointing Qua that the open door"
/ policy does not mean free trade, but only
the putting of all nations on an equality
in the matter of trade, it contains very
little of the kind of information which the
public wants.
What the public would like to know is
whether the open door" policy would not
| be unconstitutional If the Philippines
| should become a part of the United States
our tariff laws would have to be extended
TO them. The constitution provides that
all duties, and imposts and excuses shall
be uniform throughout the United States"
1t is true that there is another clause of
the constitution which provides that Con
gress shall have power to dispose of and
make all needful rules and regulations
respecting the territory or other property
belonging to the United States" and it IS
this clause, In the opinion OF some, which
contains the authority for an open door
policy IL is evident, however that if that
policy were adopted the Philippines could
not become a part of the United States.
They would have to be held as colonies.
And il is very strongly doubted If there is
any way in which the Philippines could
be held by the United States under the
"open door policy without a violation of
the constitution, Some of the ablest
constitutional lawyers express this
doubt 1t is evident that the
open door" policy presents a question that
is going to call out a very interesting de
bate when the treaty of peace reaches the
Senate for ratification.
If all of the Islands we are demanding
from Spain should become territory of the
United States. two things. which would in
iure the interests of this country greatly,
would follow. The government would lose
revenue amounting to fully $50,0OO,000 an
nually, and our beet and cane sugar
industries would be destroyed Our tariff
laws would be extended to the islands, and
consequently they would have free trade
with the United States We should get no
revenue from sugar, and sugar would be
produced very much cheaper in Cuba Por-
to Rico and the Philippines than 1t could
be in the cane fields of Louisiana or the
sugar beet fields of Colorado or Nebraska,
or any other state. With American capt.
tai and improved machinery it could be
put upon the market at a lower price even
than the bounty produced beet sugar of
Germany, and in quantities sufficient to
supply the markets of all the world
And the tobacco Industry of this country
would be injured. In all of the Islands the
tobacco output could be increased i'm
mensely, and If it were admitted to our
market free of duty, which would have to
be the case If they became part of our
territory. our tobacco growers would have
to turn their attention to something else.
And to what else could they turn their
attention that would be so profitable?
II is apparent that if Spain should give
up the Philippines without further trouble,
our troubles in respect to them would not
be at an end In fact, from the present
outlook, they would only have begun. AS
already stated it is doubtful if the islands
can be so held that the open door policy
could be adopted without violating the
constitution. But even If they can, our
manufacturing and commercial interests
are certain to be against the open door
policy. Those interests want monopoly
of the trade of the new possessions, and
hence, they will insist that our tariff laws
be extended to them. They win have the
constitutional argument in their favor.
on the other hand the beet and cane sugar
growers and the tobacco planters win point
out that to let the products of those is
lands come into our markets free would
be their ruin. 1t win be long time be-
fore we shall have the Philippine trouble
settled satisfactorily.