The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1899-08-12
BAD BUSINESS POLICY.

Cuba, Porto Rico and the Philip
pines afforded market for over S40,.
600, 900 worth of Spanish goods year.
The information comes through the
British consul at Barcelona, who gives
the statement in detail. About three
fourths of the amount was in manufac-
tured goods. To this trade our country
ought to succeed as soon as conditions
shall be settled, and vastly increases
it.-Oregonian.
Our imperialistic friends have been
telling US that if, for no 'other reason,
we should hold the Philippine islands
because of their great commercial in
terests and the market it would give
our producers. But when the cost of
holding them is counted, and We are
told that the trade which Spain got
from Cuba, Porto Rico and the Philip.
pines amounted to only $4,000, 900 a
year, it begins to look discouraging
from a financial point. 1t looks like
we are liable to pay pretty dearly for
all the trade we may got from our new
possessions.
Porto Rico is already ours and the
people are satisfied to come into the
union, hence the only expense neces-
sary to hold the trade of that island
will be the maintenance of civil Of
fcers and one or two regiments of
soldiers to keep down Instructions.
Cuba will probably vote for anIexa-
tion when given an opportunity. and
the expense of maintaining an army
there, to get the trade of the country
for our manufacturers, will be reduced
to the minimum. But what about the
Philippines?
The people of those islands are not
willing to become part OF this
country. They are opposing our
domination with all their might, and
the only way to get their trade is to
whip them into subsection, and make
them buy of US whether they want to
or not. There are 5000, 900 million of
of them, ,'and almost every officer ex.
cept Otis who has dared to express his
opinion, says it will take 100000 men
to subdue the insurrection, and that
they cannot be conquered in less than
half year. To send an army OF lOO,-
600 men across the Pacific and main
tain them in action for half year
will cost no less than s5O,0OO,OOO. We
have already paid Spain 20,OO0, 900 for
the islands and have spent another
$40, 900, 900 since last February in con-
Quoting the war agains0 the Insurgents.
To to subdue the Filipinos and get
them In humor to buy our commodi-
ties will have cost no less than $780,
600, 600. It is idle to expect to hold
the 100000 Filipinos, scatterd over
innumerable islands, in subsection
with military force of less than 3d.
600 men. To maintain an army of that
size in foreign land cannot cost less
than $500 a year per man, or $15, 900, 900.
Now what are we to get in return
for this outlay? The Oregonian says
Spain had trade amounting to $40,
600, 900 a year with Porto Rico, Cuba
and the Philippines. Suppose we can
increase this so that the Philippines
alone will buy that amount of products,
what will we gain by securing it?
First we will have expended S90,000,-
900 in gaining possession of the islands.
But suppose they were to fall into our
hands as voluntary gift, could we |
afford to expend s15, ,OO0,OO year for
the sake of securing trade of S40.-
100000? We would certainly have to
make an enormous profit on everything
sold those heathens in order to make
it paying investment,
Without counting the number of /
lives it will cost to subdue the Fill
pinos and make of them customers for
the American manufacturers, we
would pay more to get their trade than
1t would ever be worth. Viewed as a
cold business proposition it is de-
cided failure. 1t is not an investment
any sane business man would make.
No manufacturer or merchant would
sxpend $3.50 to get S400 worth of
trade. The profits of business would
not justify such recklessness. If the
people of the United States would
view our attempt to hold foreign ter.
ritory from cool business point there
would be fewer imperialists.