Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1902-02-06
GOOD AUTHORITY.
REPUBLICAN, PAPERS ON THE
PHILIPPINE TARIFF BILL.
The San Francisco Chronicle and Chicago
lnter.Ocean on this Ubiquitous Measure.
They Predict the Downfall of the Repub.
lcan Party Should it Become Law.

Possibly active political life is too alb
-sorbng to permit the requirement OF
much real knowledge OF social or econom-
ic questions, but it is a life which is as
sumed to make those who lead it pre-
ternaturally acute in forecasting the ef
feet OF policies on approaching elections.
While it is therefore perhaps not sur
prisng that our republican statesmen
at Washington do not realize that a Phil
ippine tariff will make disoyal Filipinos,
it is astonishing that they do not see that
such tariff enacted by republicans
would furnish the one issue upon which
all democrats can unite in the hope of
carrying the next national election. The
course OF the democrats in congress has
not yet been announced, but it is not pos
sible, even in the light of all recent his
tory of that party, to anticipate leader
ship so incompetent as to fail to seize
the opportunity which some republicans
appear determined to offer them. Gree
trade with our fellow citizens" would be
tional nature as to economic truth and
common sense, and would give to the
democracy the best chance OF winning
which they have had since the election
of Lincon-and they have occasionally
won upon issues as they We're. As good
republicans we do not wish to see them
get that issue.
The Philippines were acquired with the
is safe to say that not one in ten of those
who approved that policy imagined that
we are getting, not American territory,
but an "appurtenance. Ii it turns out
that we have merely subjected an out
lying portion of Asia to our "colonial'
rule there is grave danger OF such a re-
vulsion of feeling as will result in our
getting rid of the incumbcrng "appur-
tenances" at all hazards, even il we have
to do it by sailing away and leaving the
inhabitants to cut each others Threats.
TO maintain the government of a 'col-
ony" on the other side of the world to
whose people we are bound by no ties
OF sentiment, and with whom we do rot
even trade, is too outrageously absurd
to long find support among a people so
eminently practical as our own. Sec
rotary Root seems to have had some
glimpse OF economic truth when he hoped
for some concessions" for the Filipinos
in order to promote trade, which will
make them friendly by making them
prosperous. He will see, however, if he
follows out his line of thought, that so
long as the vestige of a tariff wall ex-
lists between us and the Filipinos they
will remain as ''disloyap to the United
States as the eople of the Pacific Coast
would be under the same conditions.
There can be no real Nation, while tar
if walls run through it. Let not our
democratic friends call this free trade
doctrine. 1t is sound protection doctrine
free trade within the National bound
duries, effective protection OF all inter
ests within those boundaries, and impair
tial trade with the rest of the world.
Ii there is tariff wall between us and
the Philippines the islands are foreign.
Ii the Filipinos are foreign, the people