The times., 1898-06-06
MILLIONS IN COLONIES.
Commercial Schemes to Follow
Seizure Of the Philippines.

Philadelphia June 5.-Creat changes in govern
ment always yitaly affect property values, and
il the United States instead of Spain is to own
the Philippine Islands the spectators cannot
know it any too quickly, that they may prepare
to take advantage OF whatever goes with the
new deal" Our system of taxation, the substi-
tuition of import duties for export taxes, with
free entry into America markets, would mater
tally increase the value of many of these tropical
products and hence of the land upon which they
grow.
transportation companies will also have some
thing to say regarding these proposed changes
The absorption into system of the Spanish
islands would increase enormously the volume OF
traffic between them and cur ports. and on
every hand the Klondike opportunities for certain
individuals in so into the annexing bust
ness.
OF course this does not mean that the general
public is to be enriched by the affair, that the
country as a whole will get back dollar
for old one; but as there is a certain amount
of salvage for somebody from shipwreck, so
great change in the character of the government
of these rich and fertile islands, will mean mil
lions 10 those who know how to get on the right
side OF the deal.
The report has gone forth that Washington is
full OF lobbyists representing speculative inter
csts in Cuba, Porto Rico, and the Philippines,
who are working uron Congress TO bring about
wholesale system Of annexation. As yet, however,
such efforts are not openly made, except in the
ease of the Hawaiian islands Two powerful sugar
interests one for and the other against. are bat
tling over that project, but the Philippines and
the rest OF the, lot have hardly reached the stage
where they become fit subjects OF interest for the
lobby
fact the naval movement against he Pltfiip-
pines came 50 suddenly, and Dewey's success was
50 nearly instantaneous that American spccu-
lators had TO opportunities TO get possession of
rights ard properties until the prospect Of
Philippine annexation suddenly flashed before
the whole country There kas been since then
no opportunity for prospecting, and American
spectators are merely awaiting disposition ot
the question; but as soon as peace is restored
there viii be an active boom in Philippine inter
c5ts if any appears for believing that those
islands to be permanently possessed by the
United States.
According to John Foreman an English traveller
who has recently returned from the Philippines,
a million of fresh soil in those islands now
await only the corporation of the husbandman
and the capitalists to turn them to profitable
account. He insists that though the local laws
there are reasonable enough, the want Of a proper
observance Of them operates unflvcrably to all
but the clique OF officcbolders. lie believes that
the simplifcation of legal processes the building
OF roads and the lcssening OF the taxes would
regenerate the Philippines. The story is prob
ably much the same in regard 10 Porto Rico. An
ncxation, while it would be very costly for the
United States Government. could not ial TO make
property mlre valuable and a safer investment
for American capital. The stronger and better
government, added to the great practical adyan-
tage Of American market for their products,
duty free are reasons enough for expecting such
result.
II, therefore, at a later stage in the game
Philippine annexation seems 10 be hanging in the
balance Congress must be prepared to meet a
pressure OF commerciaism the like OF which
Washington has never before seen Look over
the products of the Philippines. and see how
much il would be worth to somebody to have
them admitted TO the markets OF New York with
out paying tribute at thte custom house. and
some intiTatiCn OF the source and strength Of
this annexation sentiment viii appear. Or course
there will be some interests at home which VIII
not competition with these tropical island
products, and they in turn may pour into Wash
ington on the other side. Owners OF American
beet-sugar properties and Of caHe-sugar lands in
Cuba and Hawaii are naturally foes. just as. in
the last tariff campaign here American owners
cf white e-pne lands on the Canadian side OF the
Great Lakes came into violent controversy with
their feliow-countrymen whose lands were on this
side the tariff line. This kind of commercial
warfare will be repeated in a hundred instances
over the annexation project, with the execution
that where a tropical product has American
grown rival there viii be opposition on that
score. No group OF lobbyists will represent the
United States Government in the millions OF
revenue which il Will lose by the free entry of
tropical goods under the proposed imperial sys-
tom.
The relation of this whole scheme to the protec-
/ tiyetarif theory and system is interesting. A
few days ago Senators Lodge and Elkins went to
the President and among ether things pre-
sentcd this argument to him. You have stood
fer the great American doctrine of protection
to American industries. thus insuring the posses
sion of the home market for manufactures
So far so good But the time has now come
when this market is not enough for our TEEN.
ing industries, and the great demand of the
day is an outlet for our products. We cannot Sc
cure that outlet from other protective countries
for they are committed to the same policy of ex-
clusion that we are, and so our only chance is
to extend our American market by acquiring
more trade territory With our protective tariff
wall around the Philippine Islands its ten million
inhabitants as they advance in civilization
would have to buy goods, and we should
have so much additional market for our home
manufactures. As natural and logical sequence
of the protective system, if for no other reason
we should acquire these islands and what
ever other outlying territories desirable
From this theory the President expressed
no dissent. Although the remarks of the senators
may not be quoted with absolute accuracy the
idea is safely expressed, and it is CT which
much is now heard in Washington.
1t will readily occur, however, to all students
! of the question that there is another large side
to this story from the production point of view.
! We should annex producers as well as consumers
with every extension of territory, and, in these
/ instances laborers OF about the lowest grade in
! the world. We should admit into the same COM
peting groups with ourselves the coolies of Asia
! and OF the islands Of the Pacific. While it is
! true that the products of the Fall River mills
| might find a market in Manila it is also clear
| that nothing would prevent the establishment
OF mills in Manila and the sending of their manu-
| factured products into the United States The
| thing is about broad it is long