The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-04-24

s,ria q, revenue sp,ssh l . rs wes!s
q ~, ,.,b sss s T sfasis. SSs of ' ss9
dilemma. Ihs opfcsition. however,
wanted 20 obscure the real Issue and
strsngthen the ssanti-sxpapgiop cause, By
the CRY that the Praeident's proposal for
tree trade with poor Porto Rlqo bad bssh
sHTpia dsTe y ne o, in''f E.as
needs r. YES and BE si1pisss snd
least onerous method OF raising 10 is By o
tarin for revenue. The Dingley law,
with 80 per cent or rs rer cent on Will
probably wcfk Satisfactorily ns lazy
mans tariff. Il viii harm No industry
and can foster no trust A better way
weuld have been to frame q simple spec
fai tariff Arrangement between Porto
Rioo and the United States, in which our
food products should be imported tree OF
duty Into Porto Rioo, and the sugar,
should BE- adnittsdlfrss OF duty into the
United States. II Congress has the power
| to deal absolutely with che Question-and
I believe 1t hes--it might Just as we'll
deal with 10 In ths first place effectually.
capacity Of thshIsland makss L small
factor IN the industrial trade and affairs
OF the United States. For this reason
the principal consideration should be-
and, so far a. tbs present standardization
1 CO0C8FnNu. U@@n-EN8
fare Of the island itself.
sin the PHILIPPINES other and more
far reaching questions confront rs, and
it 10 this issue We have In reality been
debating while seemingly discussing
schedules Of the Porto Rieo tsrin. In
short, our power In Porto Rico IL ths
measure of our power In the Philippines.
However indiffsrsntly ne may view the
dseision as to the rates Of duty 10 be es-
tablished pstween Porto Rico and the
| United States, the question OF our trade
| relations with the Philippines Is far more
highest importance both % American
labor and Industry, and 70 our future
trade relations with the Ear HAST, that
Congress shan at all times have power
20 deal with II 90 10 sees nt. However
much ths spirit Of our Institutions may
vivify the population Of these islands
even 10 ultimately preparing them for
citizenship-it must be admitted that the
letter Of the constitution, II abruptly sp-
piled, would destroy.
For this reason the Republican party
he's wisely made the bgat for free hand
In laying GUS our commercial policy IN
the Philippines. Exactly what that rolicy
will be 10 IL impossible TO say at this
moment, but It Will probably be shaped
along the same lines ~ that Of CutA.
will be similar, bat the general princi-
pies upon which they are framed will be
followed. The Cuban tariff was
framed especially with q view 10
the present nesds OF Oaba. In the same
way the Philippine tariff policy should
be one that will give sufficient revenue
and at the same time not interfere with
the "open door policy which American
diplomacy has established In the East.
The Dingley tariff law around the Philip
pines miRhs prove fatal 10 our growing
China and japan trade and bring about
an hIo fpada Naya nIiaafinna. With
out entering upon the detail Of our tariff
policy for the Philippines it must bs,
first Of all, . flexible policy, one that can
be changed from time 20 time BY Con
gress as trade conditions require IL.
This 10 apparent ct the very Threshold OF
the quts'ion. Geographical. climatic
and chronological reasons demand separ-
ate treatment Of this tfrritory for some
time to ooms. The American people,
practical as they are. res llss this, and
our fiscal and governmentsl policy 10
accordance with these general princi-
ples, ths spirit OF our Constitution, with
out the letter.
"our tariff policy mp to date in Cuba
has worked satisfactorily. The future
the future status Of the island that the
discussion can hardly be separated. The
Island Of Cuba Is NOS only the most i'm
postant FROM q nsonl pUins VI view, VI all
these territories, but IL has required the
most careful and skillful treatment. The
r1ent to Cuba are far more complicated
than our relations with Porto Rioo,
though the Issues are totally different,
Assuming that an entirely independent
and separate existence is the ultimate
destiny Of that island, how can It best be
brought aboutf II IL IL brought about.
how can Cuba maintain 1t without
q navyf Having. at great sacrifice OF
blood and treasure, evioted spain, given
Cuba her industrial Independence, es-
tAblished q fiscal system administ sred by
CubaBs for the benettgof Cuta, there is
no future Cuba without the Unitsd
Ststss ~ an tmpoi tart factor In the
equation. Cuba 10 perfectly capable Of
ssn-government. Those who have. had
experience In the reoont truttlon work
know ta,s perfectly well. Tue tariff
policy and the general policy toward
Cuba has been a policy looking toward
"There is no disposition on the part Of
the people Of the Unit3d ststss to grab
or appropriate Cuba In the manner r.
Gently sugget I'D by Presi dent Cleveland's
Score tary OF st: to. In the due course of
time Cuba will bscome self-sovernins
tsrrItory. but the people OF that island,
in my opinion, will never relinq uish t1eir
alliance with the Unitsd tt tsf. however
much We may want to be relieved Of tie
EOuticoAf tA90t uttaAs CotntaoA-
DIAL and social reasons too powerful fer
mere sentiment to permanently overcome
orssts q unity OF interests and purpose
bs Ween Cuba and the Unit I'd st,tss that
will In time hiring about naturally q
union which force could never accom-
plish. The oloeer this union the better
for the commercial interests OF both
countries. The Cuban, however, has
good deal OF sentiment In his makeup
and In the existing friendship and self
interests should end In annex alton, IL
must come about by the free will Of the
Cuban himself.
"Free access into eur markets OF Cuban
tobacco and sugar would be tremendous
been to Cuba, and would soon make the
island rich and prosperous. The effect,
however, on American industry would
be serious and far-resohing. The Amert-
can best-sugar producer and the Louisi-
ana sugar planters would naturally
oppose 1t, while many would contend
that tree admission Of Cuba cigars would