The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-04-26


has taken alarm about Philippine competition
with home industry.
t. Some American mercantile adventures IN the
islands have addressed large number OF Chambers
OF Commerce and other commercial bodies IN this
country asking their assistance to secure abolition OF
tariff on Philippine imports to this country.
This is the appearance of the head OF the procession
OF difficulties and complications which will draw its
length along many years. as one OF the collateral
curses let loose upon us by the imperial policy.
The use of cheap and serve labor in the islands and
the admission OF its products to compete with white
and free labor in the United States means
but one thing, and that is the retirement OF
white labor from the competition altogether or
its decline and degradation to the level of
the servle laborer The proposition is to garrison
and govern these islands at the expense OF the Amer
can laborer and to hold their people down by armed
force while they are exploited and their labor brought
into competition with that which pays for holding
them in involuntary servitude.
The wants of tropical people are few and not
capable of increase. Nature imposes necessities
upon them Her bounty is sufficient for their susie
nance. Our exports the Philippines will be prin
cipay liquors. and not necesSaries of life. If cheap
labor can be forced there and its products admitted to
competition here the effects will fall harmfuy where
they can least be borne
The farmers OF this country seek anxiously for
profitable diversion of their crops They have found
in the production Of sugar and tobacco These ar
tices differ from other farm crops by aordng extern
sive and well paid employment to labor in their trans
mutation for the market
In other ways and other articles ruinous
petition will appear. But suppose do not break
down the tariff and admit Philippine products, but
we go to all the heavy public expense necessary to
force labor there in production that will into the
markets OF the world what benefit will come to the
American taxpayer who pays the cost? While he
will not be struck at home by competition that
drives him out Of the field, he will soon discover
that he is being taxed to support competitor who
meets and undersells him in the markets OF the
world
Whether the door be open or closed in the Philip
pines the American taxpayer must pay for keeping it
open for holding shut, and his money goes prac
tically subsidze and pay bounty to his competi-
tor.
England originally seated on the storm-swept
British isles with her variety of production limited
by her climate, had some excuse for an expansion
which gave her command Of production in every zone,
But we have no such excuse Our domain covers
the planet from Key West to Point Barrow from
north latitude % to 75 We produce tropical, semi
tropical temperate zone and polar articles of
we already possess can supply ourselves and the
world No wonder the manufacturers and producers
Of California are early in evidence protesting against
sending an army and navy into the East Indian
tropics to force cheap and servle labor into compe
tition with us in field where white labor cannot live
Brother Jonathan and his continent able and
ready to master the trade OF the world and bring its
profits home for the benefit OF white and white
labor in a climate friendly to them
We would be glad to have from the Manufacturers
and Producers Association a statement OF what it is
expected this country will gain in the Philippines,
with door open or shut that it cannot gain at home
with less cost to The American taxpayer.
II the commerce of the East has needed protection
against cheap labor in Europe, the commerce of the
West has surely an equal right to protection against
the cheaper labor of Asia. Asatic labor takes on no
new characteristics by being performed under our
flag and guns scourged to its task by the greed
OF the English and German proprietors who own all
the production Of the Philippines that is in the
proprieorship Of the church orders It is servle and
involuntary labor still.