Omaha daily bee., 1900-02-07
TALKING Of THE PHILIPPINES
War Discussion Still Taking Up Time
in House and Scnatc-NeviIIc
Heard From.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6.-The Philippine
question again occupied the attention of
the house today, with a slight depression
concerning the war in South Africa. The
feature of the debate was the speech OF
Williams Of Mississippi, who presented an
argument against the annexation of the
Philippines which attracted much attention.
1T was devoted almost entirely to the COM
mercial aspects of the acquisition, holding
that the absorption of the islands would
be ultimately ruinous to American pro-
ducers of cotton, rice, tobacco and sugar.
Morris of Minnesota made an exhaustive
legal argument in support of the right to
hold and govern the islands. The other
speakers were Gibson of Tennessee, w. A.
and II. C, Smith of Michigan, Cochran of
Missouri and Neville of Nebraska. The gen
eral debate on the diplomatic bill closed
today and tomorrow it will be taken up for
amendment under the flve-minute rule.
In the course of his speech Gibson said
the American people were expansionists by
h%eredity and tradition. If Bryan had been
elected president in 1896 instead of Nc
Kinley, Gibson said, he believed the Spanish
war would have occurred as it did. Dewey
would have fought Montojo in Manila bay,
the United States would have acquired the
Philippines, Bryan would have been engaged
in putting down the instruction and every
democrat on the other side would have been
shouting hurrah and amen.
Williams Of Mississippi, a member of the
foreign affairs committee, submitted an
argument against the annexation of the
Philippines from a commercial standpoint.
1t was not very lofty, he said, to discuss
this question from the standpoint of dollars
and cents, but the spirit of commercialism
made II npppSgnrV Hp said no would nm
dertake to show that from the standpoint of
the American agricultural industry and
American labor the annexation of the Phil
ippines would be Instantaneous in com
parison with what would be done under
comparatively free trade relations. He be-
lieved that If we aided the Fllipinos in set
ting up n stable government there we could
obtain perpetual free entry for our goods
and escape the great question that was per-
picking us. The cost of maintaining an
army of G5 900 men. which would be neces-
sary If we retained the Philippines, would
be three times the value of the imports
and exports of the islands.
Morris Of Minnesota thought there were
higher and nobler issues involved in the
acquisition OF the Philippines than the ben
efts to our trade. He devoted himself to
the constitutional view Of the case, arguing
mat the IlB II W uclullt LtlIiNoIS Hul Z
come established by the decisions Of the
courts.
Neville Objects 10 the sultan.
Neville Of Nebraska, in opposing annex
alton, said he had promised his constituents
never to vote a dollar for the support of
the sultan of Sulu, with his multitudinous
wives and 1916 slaves.
William Alden Smith (Mich), the men,
Der Of the foreign affair committee who Of
fcred an amendment in committee for a
minister resident to the South African re-
public and the Orange Free State, said he
knew II would be useless to offer the amend
mont In the house, as a single objection
would defeat it. He should, therefore, urge
a separate bill, not to embarraes the gov
ernment. but because he believed a diplo-
matte officer of the government was needed
in South Africa. Turning TO the Philip
pine question Smith said il was useless to
pttcmpt to please the other side OF the
house. The democrats were always in the
OF Iosition. Speaking Of Cuba, he expressed
Lis regret that the government had been
committed to a policy there by the resolu-
tiers put in by Senator Teller as a sop to
tb- powers Of Europe.
Recurring to The question of the Trans