The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-03-07
Trust the Administration.

10 III lut DVOt
Il to the foot" in the matter of
legislation for the new de-
pendencies is vital to the success of
our new undertaking. This has no.
where been more strikingly brought
out than by Senator Foraker in the
speech accompanying his reporting to
the senate of the bill to impose q
revenue tariff upon articles entering
the United States from Puerto Rico
and vice versa.
The United States in the Paris treaty
of peace. which is now law. agreed to
give to Spain for ten years freedom of
trade in the Philippines. No duty dur
ing that period can be charged against
Spanish imports into those islands. The
legislation of the United States with
reference to the archipelago must be
adjusted to fit that unalterable fact.
Since the Paris treaty was ratified
our state department has concluded
another negotiat tion of vast import
ance. 1t has secured from every for
eign power having jurisdiction or in
fluence in China written agreement to
maintain in that great Oriental coun-
try an open door. This means that
when an American article seeks admis-
sion to any part of China through a
custom house under French, German,
Russian. Italian or other control it can
get in by paying the same duty inn
posed on similar articles from other
sources; and, once in, will not encoun-
ter unfair determinations. Having
asked and secured these pledges re-
garding China it follows in logic that
the United States will have to maintain
an open door into the Philippines. 1t
cannot fairly discriminate in favor of
Spain; if Spain has free trade the
other nations must also have it.
Whether or not this was expressly
stipulated in the exchanges of COM
munications between our state depart
ment and the foreign offices Of Europe
we do not know; but 1t is a plain obli-
cation of honorable dealing. This
much being understood. We proceed to
quote from the speech Of Senator
Foraker:
In my own mind the fact that this bill
raises that question lof the powers of
congress in legislating for territoresl is
more important than any revenue that
1t provides for. Why is it so important?
Not on account of Puerto Rico, for there
Is nothing to be imported from Puerto
Rico that will come preJudicially, or at
least seriously prejudicially, into compe-
tition with our products in this country.
1t is a revenue duty simply and solely,
nt,1 At tv,
President, beyond Puerto Rico come the
Philippines. Soon we shall be called
upon to legislate with respect to these
islands l wish to say that with respect
to the Philippines 1t has been suggested, =,
and it has been contended for by many,
that We should have an "open door" pol
icy. If that policy should be finally
adopted. and all the nations Of the world
be allowed to so with their ships and
their merchandise into the ports of the
Philippines, an She same terms we so
there with our ships and our merchan-
disc. there will be an overthrow at once
of our entire protective policy and system
unless we have the power to protect our
selves against the results, against the in
jury that would come to us from these
islands by reason of all the world being
permitted to come here or anywhere
else in the United States without pay
ment of duties. The claims of those in
opposition to this proposition leads to
this. The bill was drawn not only
TO meet the necessities Of the situation,
but also, necessarily, as an incident, to
meet the question as to the policy which
must be pursued by this country We
are now all alike in common interest, and
the question must be settled now and
should be in the case of Puerto Rico,
which is the first legislation of the kind
that congress is called upon to enact.
Great opposition to the placing of a
nominal duty between Puerto Rico
and the mainland has appeared. Its
existence among the Democrats is
natural. They want free trade with
Puerto Rico, hoping that it will be the
entering wedge which will either COM
pei the abandonment of all protective
duties in the United States or, as an
! alternative, force the abandonment
/, of-the..whole programme Of expansion
rue existence of this opposition among
( Republicans Ii NOT thus to be account
. ed for, but rests, we believe, largely
. upon Il misapprehension of the facts
The attitude Of the Republican OBJ
: jectors to the pending Puerto Rican
I legislation is that which Presiden,
!, Mckinley, Chairman Payne and most
other prominent Republicans held
some months ago; but in the mean
time the president and the party lead.
ers have come TO see the matter in Its
wider relations and their views have
been modified accordingly.
. Take, for example. the experience OF
. Senator Lodge, certainly as high.
: minded and devoted public servan,
as there is in Washington. This Is
y what he says: when I came tc
o, Washington l believed. without hav.
: ing examined the matter thoroughly
:. that we should establish free trade
with Puerto Rico as a mat.
ter of course, but when I came
to look Into ! found that in
the interests Of the Puerto Ricans this
would be most undesirable. The peo,
pie Of the fis6d have just passed
through sswar and a transfer of the
goveTnnent. This has produced a grea
disturbance Of business. almost com,
pleta stagnation.' In addition the is
land-eyas visited last summer bv Z
hurricane--of unexampled violence
which caused untold damage and