The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-12-14
FOR RAISING REVENUE
Democratic Leader Richard son Submits. .MinOrityRepOrt
It Says the Secretary of War Has Used More Authority Than is
 Possessed by a Majority
  of Kings.

of the Committee on Ways and Means, today presented the majority report on the Philippine tariff bill. It says:
 This bill Is designed to raise revenue for the government and benefit of the pbu,nn,nes archipelago. It Is intended to restore the status which existed prior to the late decision of the supreme court in The Diamond Rings Case Prior to that decision the government had been collecting duties on goods coming into the Tinted States from the Philippines archl- pelago at the same rates as those pro- vided in our tariff laws for like articles imported from foreign countries. The court holds that the Philippines archi- ,s,aoo is not a foreign country, ana therefore the general tariff law does not apply. This bill extends the rate no" existing upon imports from ioreish countries to articles brought in rom the Philippine islands.
 "In the Philippines archipelago the United States Philippines Commission prepared a tariff act after much care and study. Their object has been anu anu is to raise sufficient revenue to suppoi' a government in the Philippines to pro-
 
 ple. to open up the highways,ot commerce both foreign and domestic and to proVlde ann,e police force for the preserVauon ot order These different forms or tafhl in force there have produced surplus ol revenue after paying the expenses or the government This bill proposes III the 9rst section to make this Philippines tariff part of the statutes !oi the oiA'eN States. .,......,sag oy ..T.he necessity for the continuance or ampie revenue Is imperative. II we con tinue the police and constabulary system which has been inaugurateo anu "ihch is doing so much to restore ana preserve order in the islands 1t Will cal TOT d large increase in appropriation. we 1at9e 1so OO0 school children in the public schools More than one-half are without any school house accommodations. School houses must be erected at once' len thousand adults were at the last accounts enrolled for night schools, ana tnls huhh- her has since increased probaply to at least ,0O0. These people, anAio"e learn our language and to better thelr
 ,taI condition, must be amply pro -.idad for Four thousand teachers have hasn employed, nearly all recently, ana their salaries must be paid. This great work of education must not be crippled even temporarily, for lack of funds'
 CIr government has gone to "ork sys- tom inc improveme of the harbor at Manila rrbev have let the contract, calling Tor the avnenditure of three millions of dollars Tn the near future, to the lowest plduer' after public advertisement ana coHpe- five bids Roads are being constructeu; and the building of roads in this tropicai country IS expensive. These are but taw inoneratiye items of expenditures. All these expenditures are preparing the wav for a reduction of the army, ana Tn the end will prove of direct oenent to the tax payers of the United states. The hill also provides for the collection or tonnage taxes on vessels plying pelweer the ports of the United states anu the Philippine archipelago. It further pro- vides that vessels not of the United States may ply between these ports, not withstanding our coastWlse naVlsatlol laws. until the first day of January l9oo. when it is believed these islands may mafely come under the operation or our present statutes, and vessels only of the United States be employed Tn our coIh- merce with them."
 At present our own people who ship goods to these islands are handicapped by the internal revenue tax and dutles pqid upon foreign goods imported here and used in the manufacture of articles sent to the Philippines. The sixth clause of the proposed bill is designed to remedy
 
 the duties and taxes collected under the art shall not be converted into the gen. etal fund of the treasury of the United States. but paid into the treasury of the Philippine Islands to be used and eXpend- ed for the use and benefit of these isl- ands-
 ing emergency practically and efficiently. We present the tariff act of the commit fec as the best that can be devised in the limited time left for us to act.
 Democrats Roast Bill.
 Representative Richardson of Tennes- see presented to the House the minority report on the Philippine tariff bill signed by all the Democrats of the Ways and Means Committee. except Mir. Robertson of Louisiana.
 The report says in part:
 Tbe measure is but another step in the well marked line of imperialism. It Is enacting a policy of pure colonialism and +be worst form of that policy. We are opposed to our government attempting 10 hold territories as colonies and treat ing the inhabitants thereof as suoJects and imposing upon them goVernmeh ol force. which do we agree, even then we coulo not give our assent to the passage Of the nresent measure The colonial plan set UT bv this bill is unjust and illiberal in the extreme"
 The report further says that the Sec retary of War in effect made the tax la" for the Philippines and thus exercised greater power than most Kings. Contin uing, it says: The second section in et feet declares that the Philippine Islands are foreign territory to the extent tha All importations therefrom into the Unit ed Sates shall pay the same rates of dut! as are pro ided in she existing tariff laws of the United States, known thu Dingley tariff act The Dingley act ha proven itself to he the trust-breedinI treasure We witness daily the grea
 .Tbis in the method of an empire in
 ,Continued on Page Five.l