The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1903-01-10
National Affairs.
Spec. ""-h"'yt"" n'..r sp""'ir"r.

Spec" = "Sh'"Df"" f''.r SpTn'ir""
THEHE is intense interest in the
fate of the Cuban treaty. AT
L the last Cabinet meeting ii WAS
determined to force the iSSIc.
in 50 far as the administration has the
power. and to make n vote for lis rHtiti-
cation Il test of loyalty 10 thc President.
Nevertheless there are some Senators
who regard tn" bill as the first step in Il
movement which has for its ultimate end
tn" lowering uf the Dingry Tariff and
they are. a. yet. strongly opposed To the
convention. Senator platt, of Conurcti-
cut. returned to Washington early with
view to getting Il grasp on the Situa-
tion ana Of furthrrng the interests of
III" measure of which he is II known
champion. Senator Scott is one of those
believed to oppose the bill. although he
refused to acknowledge his opposition
when approached by your correspondent.
On the 9TH. hearing will be given to
the friends of the New Foundland treaty
its opponents having already been heard.
1t is not regarded ut this time as likely
that the treaty will be ratified, however.
The most interesting political feature
of the week, is the publication of Scna-
tor Ioar'S antitrust bill which. if not
an Administration measure conforms
closely to the recommendations of the
President and the Attorney General. 1t
provides for full publicity for the usual
form of trust and prohibits combinations
in 81, ,i,,t at lran
opposition has developed in the person
of Representative Jenkins. chairman of
the Judiciary Committee. the support of
which committee must be secured before
the bill can come before the House for
consideration. There are many who re-
gard the bill as unconstitutional, but it
may be passed if only to test the law.
The protests of Great Britain and Ger
many against what they termed viola
ton of the open door policy in the Phil
ippincS. were noted in my last letter to-
gethcr with the fact that Secretary
Root had referred the matter to Con
greSS. Since then, however the officials
Of the War Department have been max
ing some Investigations as to the work
ingS Of the law and its relations to the
international agreement concerning Phil
ippine trade and have secured some sur
prisingly gratifying statistics. That
there has been any violation of the open
door policy is now positively denied. 1t
is argued that in rcfunding the export
duty of 81 per ton on Manila hemp,
the United States is doing nothing not
equally possible to any other nation
which, if it so desires may help its manu-
facturerS by refundng the duty also. 1t
is shown moreover that under the provi-
sionS of the law the importation of hemp
by this country has increased to the rate
of 10000 tons per annum and, where
formerly fully half of this amount was
imported from Great Britain and other
nations, now the importation from Great
Britain and all other countries has de-
creased to the rate of 1884 tons per an
mum. In other words, the United States
is becoming the great hemp manufact-
uring country Of the world. The impOr-
tation Of this vast amount of raw ma
teral is materially aiding American
manufacturers and artisans, to the I'M
doubted injury of their foreign COMPETE
tors.