The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-09-26
CANNOT IGNORE WAGE FARMERS.
Filipino Competition with American
Labor ImpossibIe-Free Trade.

If the opposition leave the heights of
moral appeal and enter upon the common
ground of campaign arguments, even there
we will meet them. If they declare that if
we keep the Philippines the American
workingman will suffer by competition with
Philippine labor, 1 answer that one Ameri-
can will do more in single day than a
Filipino will do in a working week. And
therefore. they cannot compete with US. if
Shey would. But they produce what we
want and cannot so we'll produce; we pro-
duce what they need and cannot we'll
produce. And, therefore, we are by nature
industrial brothers, not industrial foes
and they would not compete with us If they
could. Their products, their climate and
their soil are Compliments. not competitors.
with ours These possessions make us a
world to and of ourselves.
II the opposition declare that Filipino Ia
Dor Will come into competition with our Ia
Dor, because the Constitution, following the
flag, already extends over the Philippines.
and with the Constitution. unrestricted
trade, answer that the opposition were in
favor of free trade with all the world but
yesterday, and declared that free trade
with all the world would benefit. and not
cypress, American labor. If they were
right yesterday, then surely free trade with
an inferior race, peopling a small part of
the world. and that belonging to the Re-
public itself, cannot injure American labor
to-day.
But 1 waive this inconsistency. and ask
II IL is true that the American Constitu-
ton follows the flag, it is already over
the Philippines as well as Porto Rico; If
the Constitution is already there we must
have free trade with those islands; and
so L ask how the opposition will get rid
of that free trade. If they say that they
will get rid of IL by getting rid of the
Islands themselves, L answer that no power
can sparate from the Republic any terri
tory over which the Constitution has al
ready extended. If the Constitution is al
ready over these islands, they are part
of the Republic forever. No power can
cut loose part of the Republic from the
settled at Appomattox And therefore, If
the opposition is right, ii would have no
power to cut adrift from the Philippines,
Cuba and Porto Rico even if il controlled
ing to the opposition. the Constitution
following the flag, is already over them;
they are thereby already a part of the
Republic; their inhabitants thereby al
ready embryo citizens of the United States:
and free trade with them for veal or woe
is thereby already fastened upon the Amer
lean people till the end of time. This is
the proposition of the opposition to the
government. ! deny and denounce it.
affirm that the Constitution has not
followed the flag over the Philippines,
Porto Rico and Cuba: but that this ocean
empire is possession. of the United States,
between whom ana the Republic the Amer
lean people through their servants in Con-
gress can establish a tariff if interest or
Justice demand it, or establish liberty of
trade II that course will be best for the
Nation and our wards. If the opposition
is right. the Philippines ought not to be
ours, but nevertheless we have power to
sell them, surrender them, set up an in
dependent government over them, keep
them or do with them whatever the Amer
is safe in the hands of the American peo-
pie