The Greeley tribune., 1905-10-26

"cAiaIy VI OHc ASldHueTS W supply Juo
whole world with sugar.
'They do not do so now. but it
Is just because of the primitive
methods now in use there. But all
this Is on the verge Of being changed.
What Free Trade Means.
Now, let us look at this question
OF free trade with the Philippine
islands. They are the only ones of
our possessions that do not enjoy
this freedom of commercial exchange.
Pretty catchy, isn't it?
But what does it mean?
1T means free entrance of Philip
pine goods into the United States
and puts tariff upon United States
goods into the islands.
I'VE are holding the hot end of
that stick, and the Philippine COM
mission may erect any barrier it sees
fit against American goods entering
the islands. Spain would have ex-
actly the same privilege there as we.
I'VE cannot exist under condi-
tion in which the door is open from
the island possessions into the main
land, and the inland products are ex-
cluded from the falthest island pos
sessions.
Nov, it is proposed next winter
to enact law whereby practically
all the valuable farm products of the
Philippine islands shall be admitted
free to the United States. l am in
terested in sugar because l have
seen for myself how the industry has
increased the value of farm lands in
northern Colorado. You people of
northern Colorado have felt it for
yourself, and if your debts have not
already been paid they will be
shortly by reason of the great sugar
beet crop now being harvested.
Tariff Removal Needed.
Now, the object of the visit of
the Taft party to the islands was
simply to show of how little import
ance was the Philippine crop of
about 100, 600 tons of sugar annually,
and how little harm it would do to
remove the tariff.
This is true enough, but l did
not hesitate to say to Mr.. Taft :
'Mr. Secretary, If you will give a
bond that the product of the sugar
L., tho ;e,l,pJo fDr tba povt ron vao re
shall not exceed $50, 600 tons year,
it will remove my most serious OBJ
lection.
Some of my friends say MIR.
Patterson, are you a protectionist? ?
Are you belying all your previous
euucation?' Let me say there are
but few absolute free traders in
this country, but there is a general
movement for tariff reform all along
the line in the rural sections of both
political parties.
Now, since it is proposed to
strike the two articles, sugar and
tobacco, from the Dingley bill, any
senator or congressman who will vote
for it is traitor to the interest OF
his constituents.
''If the tariff is reformed so that
the duty upon everything we need is
shaded, then l would be willing to
shade the tariff upon sugar and
tobacco relatively, but l do not want
to see a few trust articles selected
and the duty arbitrarily reduced.
No Chance for Americans.
"You farmers know what it costs
to grow sugar beets. Can you com
pete with sugar that can be laid
down lin New York at l cent a
pound?
"As soon as the bars are let down
to free Philippine sugar capital Will
at once go there for the development
of the industry.
1.-The Filipino is not a good agri-
culturalist, but how long will it be
before the bars are let down to the
Chinese cheap labor? Real Ameri-
can labor can never become factor
in the sugar industry in the islands,
as two years residence there would
debilitate any set of workmen and
eventually kill them Off. Investiga-
tion by General Hughes showed that
even the Spainards could not live
there more than two years and not
lose their lives.
''There are no American farmers,
no American mechanics. There are
a few American merchants, but the
American laborer is unknown.
What Choap Labor Means.
"Then the only relief is from
China, and propositions are made
almost daily to the Philippine com
mission that the bar to Chinese labor
l., l., .o,,,o ,,oaSure LOFT down One