Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-10-28
CoIoy,AI COMPETITION.

| In certain branches OF ''""V'
Our articles on that subject were pooh
poohed by some. while upoh others they
made a serious impression However
| the danger suggested by us seemed 100
remote TO be worthy Of general attention
We pointed out that the fruit trade or
! Florida. the cigarette interests OF VIZ
einia and the Carolinas the cigar-tobacco
,n,orasts NJ FLORIDA. Connecticut, Penn
| sylvania. Ohio, and Massachusetts; the
sugar business OF Louisiana. Nebraska,
tUtah. California. New York, &C. were
concerned in the question OF territorial
expansion. Yet little was done or said
by the public men Of those States. In
way 70 command the attention of the adj
ministration
60 our commissioners left our shores
for Paris without having given this mat
ter one thought, so far as the public Is
! informed. For aught that we know to
the contrary. they may involve us in very
distressing business difficulties, without
knowing the harm they are doing.
For instance. the Philippine isles grow
tobaccos that are suitable for cigarettes,
and cigars of certain grades. Now, II
the Filipinos should take their leaf and
make ii into cigarettes with American
cigarette machines. what chance would
our factories have TO compete with them?
What chance would we have of competing
with them in handmade cigars?
II the Filipinos are TO become full
fedged American citizens, they will be en-
titled TO all the benefits of our markets
and. with unlimited Asiatic cheap labor,
they could do tremendous injury to the
laboring men and women of this country.
Are our people going to stand anything
| of that sort? Not long, we imagine. To
| annex all those islands-as the President
seems bent upon doing-would be just
such n blunder as was made when the
Washington Government eafranchised
the freedmen.
Whenever the American workingman
begins TO feel the competition Of the Ash
attic. he is going to kick up the biggest
| sort of row, and no matter what obsta-
| cles are in the way, he is going to see
that our government breaks through
them, and pushes down his competitor
But how much better 1t would be not to
entangle ourselves with those islands!
The New England Tobacco Growers As
scc;ation has recently put forth circu-
lar. calling attention to this question, as
II affects their own interests. They fear
land have every reason to do so) that If
the tobacco of the West Indies, and that
i. Ill ..1 To a,,fn
country free of duty. it will no longer
pay them to cultivate such crop.
Growers of the sugar-beet may well
make the same representations concern
ing the introduction OF Colonial cane
sugar The sugar-cane growers of Louis
lana, and the fruit-raisers OF FLORIDA
and California, are likewise entitled to
protest. There are yet other interests
that would be affected; but we have
named plenty for our purpose And,
fortunately, the interests affected are
confined to no one section of our coun-
| try.
The doctrine of protection is unfair and
| harsh enough when it deals with the pro-
| ducts of this country, as distinguished
| from the products of foreign countries,
but it is vastly more so when we come TO
protect ourselves from our Colonies!
Where shall we get even the faintest con-
| stitutional warrant for that?
Perhaps many will say we need have no
such dread as that manifested by the
| New England Tobacco-Growers' Asso-
| citation. But we answer that one might
| as well spend his time telling a sufferer
| from toothache that his pain is not real
| but imaginary. The New Enganders
well know that, given the choice be-
| tween an Habana cigar, and one made
for the most part Of Connecticut leaf
the smoker will choose the Habana brand
every time. Moreover, and worse still
the Habana cigar, when admitted duty
free. can be sold at a less price than the
American. The Manila cigar is cheaper
stin; the cheapest thing I'm the shape Of
cigar that can possibly be made
There are millions Of Americans who
are opposed to a protective tariff upon
| imports from foreign lands. Much more
must they be opposed TO law taxing
the introduction Of the products from our
kown Colonies. 1t is a strange situation!
! Who knows but that great political
contest may arise upon this issue, and
result in sweeping entirely away our
wretched system of protective tariffs?
Possibly the issue. so far as Cuba and
| the Philippines are concerned, may be
| avoided, temporarily, by allowing them
| TO have governments Of their own-so-
called. Then we might make such treat
les with them as would postpone the great
issue for time. But the question would
be forever bobbing up TO vex us. The
only safe way is to have nothing to do
with the Philippines. Cuba and Porto
Rico we may be able to manage.
| We desire to say we are glad to see our
! New England friends whipping around
on this question. Hitherto they have
! felt no concern about protecting agri-
cultural products. but now that the shoe
| begins TO pinch them, they are studying
| this matter from a new standpoint And,
| as a result they have determined 10 have
a representative present at Washington
| during all of the time that Congress is
engaged in settling the status OF our
! foreign possessions. Certainly they have
| gone at their work in a business-like
way. and we doubt not that they will
effect organizations and combinations
which Congress will be bound to respect.
\ ------
Brave "Bin" Anthony, the heroic ma
| rira cf the hattleshin Maine has taken