The age-herald., 1900-02-07
THE HOUSE TALKS
 OF EXPANSION
Williams Who Opposed Annexa-
 ton Was the Star.
B0ER WAR WAS BROUGHT UP
Smith of Michigan Said Some of His Sympathy Was With the Boers But He Wished for Eng
 lands Success

Washington, February 6.-The Philippine question again occupied the attention or the house today with a slight Aggression concerning the war in South Africa. The feature of the debate was the speech of MT. Williams, of Mississippi, who present. ed an argument against the annexation of the Philippines, which attracted much at- tention. It was devoted almost entirely to the commercial aspect of the acquisition, holding that the absorption of the islands would be ultimately ruinous to the Amerl- can producers of cotton, rice, tobacco, hemp and sugar. The general debate on the diplomatic bill closed today and tomor- row it will be taken up for an amendment under the five minute rule.
 At the opening of the session the speaker laid before the house an invitation to con- gress from Secretary Root to attend the funeral services of the late General Law ton at the church of the Covenant Friday afternoon. The debate upon the diplomatic and consular appropriation bill was then resumed.
 MT Gibson, of Tennessee, opened the de- bate by way of a general argument In fa vor of expansion. We were, he said ex- pansionists by heredity and destination. If Bryan had been elected president in 1896 instead of Mckinley. Mr. Gibson said, he believed the Spanish war would have oc- cured as it did, Dewey would have fought Monteio in Manila bay. the United States would have acquired the Philippines, Bry- an would have been engaged in putting down the insurrection, and every democrat on the other side would be shouting .'hur- rah" and "amen.'
 Mir. Williams Speech
 Mr. Williams of Mississippi a member of the foreign affairs committee, submitted an argument against the the annexation of the Philippines from a. commercial standpoint. It was not very lofty he said, to discuss this question from the stand point of dollars and cents, but the spirit of commercialism made 1t necessary. From the standpoint of the American agricul- tural, industry, and American labor, the annexation of the Philippines would be disadvantageous in comparison with what would be done under comparatively free trade relations He believed that if we aided the Fllipinos in setting up stable government there, we could obtain per- pe,suad free entry for our goods and escape the great questions which were perplexing us. The cost of maintaining an army of 65,00O men. which would be necessary If we retained the Philippines, would be three times the value of the imports and exports of the islands.
 MT. Morris of Minnesota thought there were higher and nolbier issues involved dn the acquisition of the islands than the benefits of our trade.
 MT. Neville of Nebraska. in opposing an- nexarion, said he had promised his con stituents never to vote a dollar for the support of the sutan of Sulu with his eight wives and 146 slaves.
 MT. Corcoran of Missouri called attention to the fact that an agreement made with the sultan of Suu recognized slavery, and was therefore in violation of the amend ment of the cons stitution which provided that slavery should De forever prohibited not only in the United States, but in all territory over which it exercised jurisdic- ton.
 Useless to ORer Amendment
 Mr. William Smith, of Michigan, mem- ber of the foreign affairs committee, who offered an amendWent in committee for a minister resident to the South Africa re- public md the Orange Free State. said he knew it would be useless to offer the amendment in the house, as a single ob- jection would defeat 1t. He said the meet ings held all over the country evidenced the popular sympathy with the Boers. But while much of his sympathes went out to the Boers he wished only for Englands renown glory and power, because he be- lieved the glory of England would rebound to the benefit of Anglo-Saxon civilization every where.
 Now, when there was a popular demand that the president should offer to mediate in the struggle in South Africa he thought he could properly wait until the ripe judge ment of the president had decided to act "If you want to follow the president" said MT. Richards, of Tennessee, do you expect to follow him in his recommendation of free trade for Porto Rico, will you fol- low the ways and means committee re- commendation for 25 per cent duty?"
 'I am with the president" replied MT Smith, 'He is the leader of our party and the embodiment of more wisdom than can be found in all the cohorts of democracy. Republican applause.)
 After some remarks by MT. H. c. Smith, of Michigan, supporting the Boer side of the South African contention, the house.