The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-12-18
DEMOCRATS
FIGHT HARD.
Bitterly Oppose Passage of Phil
ippine Tariff Bill.
Williams, of Mississippi, At
tacks the Supreme Court.
SHIFTING MAJORITY.
SHIFTING MAJORITY.
The Islands Sometimes Foreign
and Sometimes Domestic,
He Says, According to Ruling of
That August Tribunal.

| Washington, Dec. 1S.-The house to-
! day resun ed the debate upon the bill
! to provide temporary revenues for the
| Philippine islands under an agreement
! that the bill should be voted upon at
o'clock this afternoon The attendance
| in the galleries did not indicate much
| public interest in the debate Mr.. Henry
! CTexas), was the first speaker. He
| characterized the bill as oppressive and
] outrageous. Months instead of two
/ days, he said, would not be too long
| for the discussion of a measure OF
| vital interest to 100000 people He
| dwelt upon the injustice of the double
export and import tax on rice, sugar,
and tobacco and charged that this dou-
BILE taxation was in the. interest of the
sugar and tobacco trusts.
| Mr.. Henry took issue with his Louisi-
| ana colleagues as to the effect of free
trade with the Philippines upon the
! sugar industry of louisiana He point
| ed out that Porto Rico last year pro-
| duced more sugar for export than the
Philippines and denied that free sugar
! from the islands would threaten the
Louisiana industry with annihilation.
The benefits from the sale of cotton and
rice, he argued, would more than COM
pensate for any injury to the sugar in
dustry.
Mr. Williams (Miss.) followed Mr..
Henry He said that as long as the
Philippine archipelago was a part of
the United States and within it's do
main, it should be treated part of
the union with the same equality and
uniformity enjoyed by the other terri
tories. But to avoid the embarrass-
ments, hardships and difficulties of the
situation we believed we should get
rid of the islands as soon as we could
do so with honor to ourselves and ben
eft to the Filipinos-
Mr. Williams paid his respects to the
supreme court, which he said, arrived
at its decision by a shifting majority
of one" 1t decided that the islands
were sometimes domestic and some
times foreign. 1t made of the old in
elastic oathbound constitution an in
strument that would bend to political
necessities. There was no danger, he
said, if the country proceeded along it's
present lines of becoming mother
country for peoples in the east 1t was
more likely to become a ''stepmother''
country.
Mr.. Hepburn Iowa, followed Mr.
Williams. He supported the bill. He
SAID the Democrats offered nothing in
the way of bill to improve the pres
ent measure. He declared the FilipinoS
were incapable of Self-government and
in reply to a question by Mr.. Shafroth,
as to the capaDiilty of the Cubans, SAID,
they also were not fit for self-govern-
ment He SAID the Democratic party
forced the administration into a posi-
ton where it was compelled to declare
for the independence of Cuba
This was greeted with Democratic ap
plause.
You may applaud" said Mr.. Hep
burn, but the time is not distant when
you will acknowledge the unwisdom of
giving Cuba independence" CRepubli-
can applause)
MAKES ANARCHY A FELONY.
Washington, Dec. 1S.-Chairman Ray,
of the house committee on Judiciary to-
day introduced an anti-anarchy meas
ure which probably will be the basis of
legislation on that subject in the house
The measure is very elaborate and
brings together features of the many
propositions made for dealing with the
subject 1t provides the death penalty
for assaults on the president or other
executive officers. 1t is made a felony
to advise, or teach the overthrow of the
government, or any interference with
government officers. The death penalty
also is provided for conspiracies in this
country leading to the killing of for
eign king, emperor, president or other
ruler.
Washington Dec. 1S.-After the trans
action of routine business in the senate
today Mr.. Platt Comm offered a reso-
luton suspending the rule providing for
senate committees by ballot The reSO-
luton was adopted Mr. Platt then sub
mitted another resolution appointing
formally the committees for the Fifty
seventh congress- The names of the
members of the committees already
have been published.
1t was adopted.
A bill authorizing the construction OF
a railroad bridge across the Arkansas
river near Fort Gibson, Indian Terri
tory, was passed.
At AS the senate went into execu-
tive session.
The senate at 2:30 D. M adjourned.
UP.
Washington. Dec 1S.-The senate
committee on military affairs today
agreed to report favorably all the army
nominations before it except those to
staff positions concerning which ques-
tions have been raised The exceptions
which were not passed upon were the
nominations of Captain William Crozier
to be chief of the ordnance bureau, with
the rank of brigadier general; Col. Geo.
L. Gillespie to be chief of engineers, and
Gen. George B. Davis to be judge advu-
cate general and other nominations de-
pendent upon those three.
Owing to the fact that the committee |
will not meet again before the adjourn
senate on these nominations will neces- |
sarily be postponed until after the re- |
of congress on January 6. 1t |
is specifically stated by members of the |
committee that the delay is only for the /
purpose of investigating the circun- |
tions. The nominations to be favOrably |
include several hundred names. /
Among them is that of Gen. Funston |
to be brigadier general