New-York tribune., 1902-09-09

Perhaps no freak OF anti-imperia logic ought
to be surprising. The fundamental doctrine of
the cult is that whatever is with respect to the
Philippines is wrong, and the voices which could
at the same time cry out at the shame of not
extending the constitution to the islands,
making them an integral and indissoluble part
of the Union, and protest because they were not
Immediately turned loose regardless of their as
sumed claims to American citizenship and as
sumed rights under the American constitution,
may he exnected 10 conclude all discussions of
all topics with one moral as monotonous as
Cato's dclcnda est Carthage. Yet we confess
TO some astonishment when we find The New
York Evening Post supporting the request of
the Manila Chamber of Commerce for the ad-
mission of Chinese labor TO the Philippines and
saving of the action of Congress IN extending
our Chinese Exclusion law to the islands: '1t
moi ONLY made a complete failure in dealing
with the Philippine money question. but also
"a fatal mistake about the labor needs of the
archipelago
II NAV he true, as the Manila merchants say,
that some other kind Of labor besides that of
"the Filipinos is necessary for the development
"of the islands, Many foreign students OF
tropical colonies including Mr.. Alleyne Ireland
and Mr Archibald Colquhoun. have thought
that the labor problem Of the Philippines could
be solved only by cooe labor as in the Straits
Settlements since the establishment of any
thing like the Dutch JavaneSe system OF com
pulsory native labor was not 10 be thought OF.
The Chinese are the natural laborers OF the
Orient the Fipnos not al present TO be re-
lied upon for the steady work OF civilization,
and commercial development of the archipelago
will doubtless be retarded If the Chinese are
shut out But why have they been shut out:
or,I only n
Philippines for the Filipinos. The Chinese Ex-
clusion act in the Philippines is the supreme
declaration of Congress that American capital
lists and adventurers will not be permitted to
exploit the archipelago to the hurt of its
native inhabitants. Its fields. its mines. It's
forests are to be held undeveloped, if need be,
until the FilipinOs are ready TO work In them.
The labor market of the islands is TO be kept
for the natives free from competition, though
the advance of civilization must await their
education If that is fatal mistake" it is
:; mistake of benevoence and faithful guardian
ship-the last mistake which anti-imperalsts
should rail at. They have been incredulous of
our country's unselfshness, predicted that the
natives would be robbed of all the virgin wealth
of their land, charged every American who took
an interest in promoting their industrial de-
velopment with trying TO cover with hypocrt-
when our government regardless of the Ameri-
can commercial interests there which want
cheap foreign labor, seeks to guard its Filipino
wards from competition they not prepared
to face, these same ant-imperialists pronounce
the step fatal mistake!
Possibly complete exclusion OF Chinese from
the Philippines is too rigid. 1t may be that for
the advancement of the islands on the road to |
civilization and industrial prosperity, and so for
the ultimate good of the native inhabitants. |
certain amount of imported labor is needed. IL |
so. ii should be possible to perfect scheme bv |
which limited number of coolies might be ad- |
mitted for limited time. Some such compro- |
mise might furnish labor without in any dan |
gerOuS degree threatening the position of the |
Fipinos in their own labor market when they
educated to work, or their control of tho |
retail trade of their own country, which the |
Chinese tend to monopollze This matter of pre
serving the Philippines for the Filipinos. and at !
the same time. through industry and commerce |
pushing forward the civilization of the archi |
pelago. is one OF the difficult features of orr
colonial problem. 1t requires careful study but
certainly. pending clear understanding ne
how far it is safe to open the door. CONGRESS-
has acted wisely in holding it shut If if has
been overScrupulous in regard for its trust as
the ruler OF the Philippines, not for European
merchants in Manila. but for the native races
1t Ill becomes the professed champions OF those
races against Mckinleys tyranny and Roose-
velts "despotsm' and Roots Cruelty and
Beveridges exploitation" TO criticise the him
der. ~