The Greeley tribune., 1905-11-02
MORE SUGAR
DISPATCH FROM WASHING
TON NOT ENCOURAGING
The Writer Seems, However, to
Count Upon Several Mem
bers of Senate Unknown
to Him

Right on top of the announcement
that the Colorado beet sugar inter-
ests are beginning an active cam
paign against reduction of the
tariff upon Philippine cane sugar
comes the news from Washington
that there is but little doubt that
the proposed tariff revision will
carry. According to this dispatch
the favorable attitude of Secretary of
WarTaft towards free trade for the
Philippines, and the recent utter
ances of Representative Grosvenor of
Ohio and of Serene E. Payne of New
York, chairman of the ways and
means committee of the house, in
encouragement of free trade, seems
in Washington to make it almost
certain that free trade for the is
lands will become fact accomplish
ed at the next session of congress.
Nearly ALL" it says, and prob
ably all, of the congressional party
that went with Secretary Taft to the
Philippines stand for free trade.
The democrats of the party, of
course, such as Senator Patterson of
Colorado and Representative De
Almond of Missouri, did not need
an actual study Of conditions in the
Philippines to induce them to favor
the freest trade with the islands,
and they will aid materially IN pass
ing such bill through the house.
The republicans who have been con-
verted are less powerful and intfuen-
tial men.
There is no question that passage
of such bill would increase to a
large extent the trade OF every port
on the Pacific coast, and naturally
in greatest degree that of San Fran
cisco. There will, Of course, be
three forces in opposition-the to-
bacco and sugar trusts, and the an
tagonism of the stand-patters, who
assume that any step toward relax
ing the rigor of our tariff law would
endanger the entire system, and they
are opposed to any step in this di
rection.
But it is pointed out that while
the western sugar industry might
feel the effect, other western inter-
ests would be so fostered and pro-
NOTED by the encouragement of trade
with the islands that in the aggre-
gate even the Pacific coast would be
the gamer.
''It was urged once that Cuban
sugar would destroy the prospective
development of the beet sugar indus
try in the United States, and also
would work great damage to the re-
tining business in this country, but
as matter of fact. advocates of free
trade with the Philippines insist
that none of these expectations were
realized, and that on the other hand
both Cuba and the United States
have distinctly protited by their
relations.
1T is also argued by the free
trade contingent that it is worse
than folly for this country to use it's
credit to develop the commercial
possibilities Of the islands, when it
is enforcing tariff policy which will
make it utterly impossible for the
United States to get the benefits of
that commerce.
The advocates of freer trade be-
lieve their argument is unanswer-
able. They, say that 1T would be
just as sensible for the United
States to build railroads in China
with the money of the United States
and credit of the American govern
ment, and then permit China to re-
turn to its old policy of absolute
commercial isolation. "A period of
great agricultural and commercial
development is confidently expected
by those who are most familiar with
in the island to be syn
chronous with the opening of the
new railroad system.
There is reason for the belief
that the friends of free trade with
the islands have felt from the begin
ming that the policy of building rail-
roads there would, in the near fu-
ture, bring about situation in
which it would be impossible for
congress long to refuse to recognize