Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-12-05
Lodoe's Bill,

Washington. D. c., Dec. 5.-Senator
Lodge introduced the administration
bill providing for tariff on goods COM
ing from and going to the Philippines.
This measure properly belongs in the
house, and will also be introduced there
as soon as the ways and means COM
mittee 10 in shape to take action. The
Lodge bill is q simple but extremely
comprehensive piece Of legislation to
meet all the decisions Of the supreme
court In the insular cases.
It re-enacts all the duties provided
for in the Dingley bill, and applies them
to all goods coming from the Philip
pine Islands to the United States. This
Is an assumption by congress of tho
right to assess q tax on goods coming
from the territories into the union,
and the principle is identical with that
In the Foraker act.
The Foraker lsw, providing for a tax
on articles imported from Porto Rico,
assessed duty OF Is per cent of the
pingley rates. and this was sustained
by the court as a proper exercise OF
the supreme authority of congress to
legislate for the territories. The Lodge
bin merely lakes all of the Dingley
rates. instead of Is per cent of them,
and SO 1t is Ianifestly well within last
epring's decision of the court.
It is assumed by the administration
that the tasiff now in force In the Phil
ippine Islands, as adopted by the COM
mission, Is valid The commission
now Is acting under authority of the
Spocner amendment as adopted by con-
gress last winter This probably would
cover the existing tariff in the Phil
ippines known as the Taft tariff.
There is a serious question, however.
as to whether congress can delegate its
powers. and 20 the Lodge bill specifical-
" re-enacts the tariff prepared by the
Taft commission, which Is uniform on
islands from the United States or any
other country.
TO strengthen still further the hands
OF the commission the Lodge bill pro-
yides that none OF the statutory laws OF
the United States shall have effect In
the Philippine islands until specifically
applied there by congress. The effect
81 this will be to relieve the people of
the Philippines OF the necessity Of fol-
lowing great mass Of federal statutes
which are largely, IL not entirely, inap-
plicable to the conditions in the islands.
The idea OF the Lodge bill is to leave
the Philippine islands, both as regards
their revenue and as regards their gov
ernment, entirely within the control Of
the Taft commission for the time being,
30 that there will be no confusion Of
authority or Of law In the islands.
Tv11i
aker act which has been found to work
30 well, the Lodge bill contains a care
fully guarded provision for the applica-
tion Of all Of the customs revenues col
lected in the Philippines to the payment
OF the expenses for the islands them
selves Under the decision of the SUI
preme court the Philippines have been
domestic territory ever since the ratif-
cation OF the treaty Of peace.
The money collected for customs,
however. will have to be refunded on all
goods coming from the United States
and from Spain, and as the islands We're
declared to be domestic territory, the
court probably would hold that all Gus
toms revenue would have to be turned
into the treasury Of the United States.
To avoid this disagreeable contingen-
cy the Lodge act provides specifically
that all money collected in the Philip
pines under authority of the Spooner act
or under the present bill shall be appro-
priated for the use Of the island govern
ment.
No attempt is made to donate to the
Islands the duties on goods brought
from the Philippines into this country,
but the revenue received in that way
will go into the treasury, as usual
There Is an important reason why the
Lodge bill has been submitted first in
the senate. The purpose is to pass it at
the earliest possible moment. and 1t is
introduced now to get 1t before the sen
ate and draw the fire of all the opposi-
tion possible. Later. when the house
committees are completed an identical
bill can be passed in the house and SUBJ
stituted for the Lodge bill when it
reaches the senate.
In this way valuable time will be
gained. It Is believed there will be no
serious opposition ON the democratic
side. but there are a number Of chronic
takers, like Bacon of Georgia, who have
to make about SO many speeches no
matter how long an important measure
may happen to be delayed