The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1901-07-05

before we ever thought of the Philip.
pine Islands, your whole contention
falls to the ground. And this is the
plain truth Of the matter. We did not
come into control of the Philippines
even nOminally, until February, 1899.
From 1890 to 1897, fiscal year. our ex-
ports to China had increased from $3,
600 900 to S12 600, 600. Our exports to
Japan had increased from S., 900, 900 to
$50, 600, 600. There is absolutely no
reason to suppose that this would not
have continued If we had not annexed
the Philippines. A fact stated in tho
report from which YOU quote is signif
cant-that fact is that this increase III
our trade with China has been largely
at the expense of Great Britain. Great
Britain possessing Hong Kong as %
gateway to China has seen her exports
both to Hong Kong and China steadily
diminishing. The United States
without any neighboring possessions
whatever, was at the same time enor-
mously increasing their trade And
not only there. but in every part of the
world the trade of the United States
throughout the last decade has steadily
and enormously increased, without any
colonial possessions anywhere In view
OF this fact and from the standpoint
of practical common sense, where does
the necessity appear for venturing
upon a perilous and untried colonial
policy i'll order to increase our foreign
trader
The strongest point made by Senator
CalmaCk in this is that we do not
necessarily have to own people, as lot
of slaves, to sell them goods. Our
trade in China and Japan has been
steadily on the increase since the
South recovered from the blight of the
civil war. We have been selling goods
in every market of the world, and we
do not believe that the figures will
show any material decline in single
! Oriental country for any decade since
1870. Sifted to the bottom the con
tention of the expansionists is that to
sell people goods, the United States
must hold a title to them and turn
them in to the tax assessors as so many
head of live stock to be assessed at
their market value. When they are
whipped from this position, they fall
back on the declaration that we are
! compelled to hold the Philippines as a
base from which to compete with
England for trade in China. They
offer in evidence the well known fact
that Hong Kong is owned by England
and therefore we must swing on to the
Philippines, as a sort of stand-off
against this alleged advantage. Sena-
tor Carmack completely knocks the
props from under this contention by
showing that while English exports to
Hong Kong, China and Japan are
gradually declining. those from the
/ United States are ON the increase.
The News has taken the position a
number of times that the fact that
/ Great Britain holds Hong Kong does
not increase English trade in the Ori-
emit We have also contended that
England 5 colonial policy has been a
money-loser from its inceptiOn-that
for every dollar OF trade and for every
dollar of taxes, wrung from the colo
nists. Great Britain has expended at
least 81 p, mainly in prosecuting wars
TO suppress rebellion.
The News is glad that Senator Car
mack has taken mp his pen in defense
of the Democratic position on this
question. He has given the subject a
great deal Of study. and no man in the
South Is stronger in presenting the
Democratic argument II he can pro
duce statistics showing what il has
cost England in blood. treasure and
trade b sustain her colonial policy. he
viii do his country and his party a
service which viii be appreciated