The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1900-02-24
RUIN INVOLVED IN EXPANSION.
DEBATE IN THE HOUSE ON THE
MeKTNLEY POLICY,
Strong Speech by Representative
Williams of Mississippi.

Williams of Mississippi.
WASHINGTON, Feb Representative
Williams, of Mississippi, presented powerful
argument in the House today against the an
nexation of the Philippine Islands. He was
but one of several speakers on the subject,
but his words are bound to attract much at
tention. He devoted himself almost entirely
to the commercial aspects of the question,
holding that the absorption of the islands
would be ultimately ruinous to the American
producers of cotton, rice, tobacco, hemp and
sugar.
Mr.. Morris MINI. made an exhaustive
legal argument in support of the right to hold
and govern the islands.
The other speakers were Messrs. Gibson
(Tenn.l. W. A. and H. c. Smith Mich. },
Cochran Mo- and Neville (Neb.).
Mr. Gibson opened the debate with gen
eral argument in favor of imperialism, re-
viewing the acquisitions of territory from the
foundation of The Government to show that
expansion had been national policy since
its inception.
FROM THE DOLLAR STANDPOINT.
Mr.. Williams, a member of the foreign At
fairs Committee, said he would discuss the
Philippine question from the standpoint OF
dollars and cents, which the spirit of com
mercialism made necessary. He said he
would undertake to show that from the stand
point of American agricultural industry and
American labor the annexation of the Philip
pines woald be disadvantageous in compan-
son with what could be done under compare
lively free trade relations.
He believed that if we aided the Fiipinos
in setting up stable government we could
obtain perpetual free entry on our goods and
escape the great question that was perplexing
us.
The cost of maintaining an army of $4,000
men. which would be necessary if we retained
the Philippines, would be three times the
value of the imports aud exports to the
islands. Mr.. Williams continued:
want especially to address those who are
engaged in cotton planting and who have
been led off by the arguments of men who
wanted to dupe them into the belief that they
would obtain a vast market there for cotton
and cotton goods. Now one Of two things
will follow. Either commercial conditions
in the Philippines will remain substantially
as they are or they will be vastly improved
under our flag. If they remain as they are,
then if all the Filipinos who wear clothes
were to put into one gigantic order all the
cotton they want for year aud send It within
one week to the city of New Orleans it would
not create ripple upon the cotton market.
Now If, upon the contrary, We teach them to
wear clothes. either in the sehoolhouse or up
ON the battlefield, and we produce a condi-
ton of great industrial progression and I'M
provement, then we may possibly create
valuable customer But he becomes a valua-
bic customer by first becoming an immense
producer. Suppose these people progress
more marvelously that Japan has progressed.
Upon what lines must they increase their
purchasing power? Today the main exports
of the Philippine Islands consist of sugar, to-
bacco, and hemp.
MARYLAND DIRECTLY AFFECTED.
Do the tobacco growers of Connecticut and
Maryland want to produce that sort Of indus
trial amelioration IN the Philippine Islands
that will enable men who are employed at 20
cents day to compete with the men in the
Connecticut valley and along the hills of
MARYLAND who are raising tobacco?
Do the sugar planters of Louisiana wont TO
get valuable customers for the manufactured
goods of this country by cabling these PEG
pie 10 put up improved machinery for sugar
manufacture and to enable them 10 sell 3, 10,
20, so and 100 fold as much sugar as they do
now in competition with the Louisiana man
who raises his cane sugar?
Does the man out West who has gone into
the new industry Of raising beet sugar want to
annex competition
Do the few hemp raisers who are yet lsft in
ton Of that sort
Do the rice growers of Georgia and South
Carolina aud louisiana want 10 annex that
sort of competition?
/ heard my friend, Nr. Bailey, of rexEs,
say the other day ''His free trade principles
had never been remotely staggered except by
one thought. and that was the prospect Of
competition, not Of the white man, who has a
standard Of living. but from the brown man and
yellow man from the Orient.
And II there be any iaea Of any sugar plan
ter Of Louisiana to the effect that any agree
ment between Senators can bring around
state of things where the Philippine Islands
must be kept at one and the same time out ef
the United States and in the United States
they are simply horribly mistaken. The
courts will be called upon 10 consider the
question, and if the courts follow the uniform
preeedents from the time of John Marshall to
Chief Justice Fuller the FIRST time It Is faced
with the question When a man has imported
goods from San Juan or from Manila they
viii decide that the Louisian sugar must meet
the competitor Of this people in the open mar
kets Of the country.
THE PUERTO RTcAN PROBLEM
Now these cries have begun to have some
effect. The President said il would be rank
injustice to tie Puerto Rico 10 as as part ofthe
a protective tariff the gentleman from New
York, Mr. Payue, introduced bill in this
House along the lines Of the President recon-
incubation. and a bill was Introduced in the
Senate, and then your ultra proteetlonist eon
stituents came after you and you got scared 70
DEATH Then the WAYS and Means Commit
tee appointed a committee on the dictionary
or lexicography TO determine what tbs words
''United State" meant. John Marshall has
decided, in Blake against Longhboro, that II
was the name our ancestors chose TO give
the great Republic. aud that included every
territory aud foot Of ground over which the
United States had jurisdiction.
Bat John Marshall was TO be forgotten,
Jay was to be forgotten, Hamilton, Daniel
Webster, all the great masters OF the school
of loose construction IS well as that OF the
strict construction were to be forgotten. The
Supreme Court decisions had been forgotten,
political necessity. the tyrant's plea, entered
into this House Of Representatives and | I'M
derstand that il has been now authoriatatiyeiy
reported that Omitted States does not in.
elude the territory Of the United States.
Why? All. because the Connecticut tobac-
co growers we're beginning TO find ont some
thing The Western sugar beet raiser was
beginning to see little farther than the end
of his nose. Louisiana sugar planters had
found new niger in the wood-pile who was
not as useful as the one they have nsw. Men
were waking up when the cries from Mace
donia had come.
Iaboring men from this country had learn
ed something about the decisions IN that au-
gust tribunal, the Supreme Court, and | de-
cline to believe that it is either corrupt or a
political machine even to this day. ! believe
Il will stand, as it has stood so many times,
athwart the path of political necessity and
athwart the path of party ambition.