The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-08-31
oUR FAR nAsTERN PRosLEM.

OUR FAR LANTERN PROBLEM.
 Just now the Fhilipblnes are occu- pying a disproportionate share of public attention: at least in so far as the press and the budding spell-binder are able to force the country to regard the sit- uation in the Far East. The New York World and The Brooklyn Eagle. both ardent supporters of the candidacy of Judge Parker, having differed as to the precise significance of the passage in which the Judge dealtswith the Phil ippinsa .in nia speech of acceptance. has been inGde the occasion by MT. Milburn. late of Buffalo. now of New York City. to draw a letter from the candidate on this subject. etats cf
 Our candidate is willing to turn the inhabitants of the archipelago loose to shift for themselves as soon as they are ready. The Secretary of War, who is, of course, the mouthpiece of the administration so far as the islands aie concerned. says emphatically the peo- pie there are not yet ready for self government but the United States is doing wonders to prepare them for the experiment. He insists. however. that 1t will never do in the world to give those semi-civiiized races a hint of our present intention ultimately to con fer greater privileges upon them. This, ,secsetary, Taft thinks, would ruin the whole scheme of salvation for the islanders.
 We are not prepared to believe that many votes will be influenced by the announced policy of either party with respect to those eight millions of dark skinned peoples, inhabiting their moun- tains and mud-holes out there, that we bought and took over under the pro- visions of the Treaty of Paris. Our expenditures have been suficient. near ay three auarsers ox K billion of dollars, to stAsser any racsi less sanguine than we are. In ststs Of this mounting pile of cost to retaanSthe Philippines. no- body spfoposes. neither Party suggests, that we should take hands off at once and forever, leaving our so-called war booty to become the prey of internal revolution, violence and crime. or leav- ing us to hail with giadness accessions to the territory of Japan or Germany. It Is clear that every American Is will ing to wait little for the happiest so- lution of our troubles at Manila. Ana waiting there Is one plain line or at- tack upon the Republican policy. as an- nounced and pursued that should com mend Itself for It's fairness and sound ness. S
 and hid behind our enor- nous tariff wall. the Republican man. ufacturers have been guilty through their control of Congress. of all manner of discrimination against the highest interests of Cuba. Porto Rico and the Philippines. They have hampered Cuba's trade with us and with the rest of the world. They have permitted Porto Rico to trade freely with our selves and at the same time destroyed her markets abroad; and this is but to say, they have proffered a market that does not exist. for the staple crop ot the Porto Ricans, coffee, does not ap- peal to the palates of Americans. It did appeal to the palate. of the spaniard and now the Spanish custom has been cut off.
 In the Philippines. governed by this same narrow, brutal spirit of restrict ing trade, we have put a tax upon all they produce when 1t is offered TOT sale in the United States, and with other edicts have deprived the Manila mer- chant of any but frail opportunities to sell the native produce in other lands. Absolute free trade between the United States and the Philippines would offer some sort of incentive to the invest ment of capital. It would be infinitely better If the islands could trade freely not only with us, but the rest of the world. If this is to hope for too much then the Democratic Party ought to make 1t clear and plain that if once they regain control of the Government, every tariff barrier between us and the Philippines will be thrown instantly to the ground. This is the first, great and necessary step to be taken, in qualifying the peoples out there to stand alone.