The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-12-21
NO GAIN IN TAKING THEM
WILLIAMS STRONG ARGUMENT
AGAINST ANNEXATION.
THE COST OF HOLDING THE ISLANDS
An Annual Tax Of si4O, 600, 900, Which the
Farmer Would Finally have to Pay.
Passage ofthe Agricul.
tural Bill.

Washington, ID. c., Dee. 20.-The
House to-day listened to the first speech
ON the subject of the annexation of the
Philippines. Mr.. Williams, of Mississ-
ippi Democratic member of the For
eign Affairs Committee. in an hours
speech. stated his opposition to a policy
which would bring the islands under the
sphere of United States influence. Ply
sically, he said, the islands would prove
great disappointment. They were
thickly populated with peoples of
heterogeneous races. They could never
afford home or opportunity for American
citizens. In the annexation of territory
in the past the area annexed had been
always coterminious, except in the case
of Alaska, and we had in each increased
our population and our power of national
defense. These had been the tests in
the past. The Philippines fulfilled none
of these tests. In the case Of Cuba, il
Cuba should be willing in the future to
throw in her lot with US, the case would
be different. Sixty-six per cent of Cuba's
population was Caucasian, fact not
generally known. Her people could
easily be assimiiated. Cuba was practi-
cally contiguous. She lay directly
within the sphere of American influence
We want no unwilling subjects
said Mr.. Williams. I'VE want no op-.
portunity for the exercise of tyranny.
The South is especially hostile t) the
absorption of a great popu,asion. alien
in race. blood, color and customs.
He summed up the objections to the
annexation of the Philippines. They lay
1000 miles from our coast. Not a
single geographical, defensive or racial
test could be applied. Annexation would
project rs 1000 miles into the melee
of the Orient. We would have to hold
in subjection 100000 Filipinos ut a
cost of S140,000,000 annually.
And as the House was considering IN
agricultural bill. he said it might be
well to bear i'm mind who i'm the end
would have to pay the increased taxes.
Taxes could be shifted and shifted until
they reached the farmer. Then they
were shiftable no longer. He argued
that citizenship could not be denied the
natives of the islands il they were an
nexed. They came within isla purview
of the Fifteenth Constitutional Amend
ment. They became citizens ipso rlcto
as soon as the islands were annexed
He had been asked why, if Mississippi
had been able to deal with the race
question the people of the United States
would not be able to do so III the Philip
pines. The difference was that the peo-
pie Of Mississippi understood the pio.
blem with which they hal to deal 1t
came home to them by actual contact
The people of the Unit Il States who
would have To solve it would do so
theoretically and they would fail There
must be white supremacy. II white SUI
premacy were not guaranteed in Hawaii,
he declared. that 80 per cent of the Cau-
casian would not remain there.
While he opposed annexation. he said,
he should not return the Philippine IS
lands to Spain. Il should leave the is
lands where they were the day after
Dewey's glorious victory at Manila. L
should haul down the American hajg.
II am for the flag, for what it means,
not for itself. 1t is nothing but p:ece
OF bunting and when some one announces
that it must not come down, ] care
not how high his station, he says soiae-
thing unworthy of himself ana his
country. The flag should come down il
it is right that it should do So, and
the American people must pull it Down.
We would not let any other country DO
it, prolonged applause on Democratic
side.)
Proceeding, Mr.. Williams argued that
If the Philippines could not take care
of themselves. they would fell under
the influence of England, or France, or
Germany Our interest in them was
the commercial interest. We had III the
East generally interest in an open
door" policy. If any other country got
possession of the Philippines it would not
do worse than Spain did. In any event
our trade with the Philippines was u
mere drop in the bucket. and if we re-
tanned possession of them we would have
10 sacrifice the .open door" policy in
the Orient or go back on the Constitu-
ton. lie argued that our tariff laws
must extend over the islands, and if they
did it would be absurd for us to exer-
else one policy in the Philippines and
contend for another in China There
was still another solution of the problem.
Mr.. Williams said if we did not want
TO give the islands their independence
or let them fall under the sway of an.
other country, we could sell them as II
war indemnity to England She would
bring TO them civilization. The islands