The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-12-23
DEMOCRATS OK PHILIPPINE
TARIFF.
Say It is But a Step in The Direction Of
Empire-That 1t is Really Colo
NAL Plan.

WASHINGTON, December l4-Re-
preventative Richardson presented to
tae House the minority report on the
Philippine tariff bill. signed by all the
Democrats of the Ways and Means
Committee except Robertson. The re-
port says in part.
The measure is but another step in
the Well-marked line of imperialism 1t
is enacting policy of pure colonalisnh,
and the worst form of that policy. We
are opposed to our Government at
tempting to hold inhabitants thereof
as subjects, and imposing upon them a
government of force. This is the me-
thOd Of the empire instead of that of
the republic. We oppose the whole
policy of the majority in dealing with
the Philippine archipelago. We believe
lhdG instead Of the effort they are
making to set up and hold permanent
colonies there, we should long since
have inaugurated a policy assuring to
the people of those islands stable gov
ernment and their ultimate indepeu-
dence.
But even If there is to be an admitt-
ed change in our institutions and our
form of government, and a wide depart
ure from the old land mark of political
truth that all governments instituted
among men derive their just powers
from the consent of the governed, and
il il be admitted that we are to embark
upon the. dangerous and desperate poll
cy Of colony holding and subject gov
ernlng, to none of which do we agree
even then we could not give our assent
to the passage of the pending measure.
The colonial plan set up by this bill
is unjust and illiberal i'm the extreme"
The report further says that the Sc
cIrJary of War, in effect made the tax
law for the Philippines and thus eXer-
cised Greater power than most kings.
Continuing, it says: The second sec
I ton in effect, declares that the Philip
pine islands are foreign territory to the
extent that all importatiOns therefrom
into the United States shall pay the
same rates of duty as are provided in
I the existing tariff laws of the United
States known as the Dingley tariff act.
We do not believe that the trade we
are now Obtaining or that we are like
ly to obtain under out operations in the
Philippines, is worth what we are pay
ing for it,"
The report then says that the United
I States shared in the Philippine trade
! la1t year to the extent of s.. 424. 800, re-
! presenting profits to our Government or
people of about 81, 1,SO5, Ash
This paltry sum-" it says lis insig-
nifcant when we consider the other side
of the account. 1t has cost more than
! 900 to maintain our army in the
| Philippines for the past year. Other
! nations, without incurring the expense
| of dollar toward that end, are getting
! $4S,OOO, 900 worth of the Philippine trade.
| We shall have expended, when the next
| year closes at the very lowest estimate,
! for the maintenance of our army i'm the
| Philippines and our operations in the
! Orient not less than $3.50 100000. And
! this does not include the immense in
j crease in expenditures and the $50 000,-
/ 600 paid to Spain under the treaty of
! 1899"
| The casualties both Of United States
\ troops and the insurgents are referred
to, and the report concludes: THE cas-
ualties which have occurred i'm the
| effort to enforce the policies of the ma
| jOrity in the islands are of such ap-
palling magnitude that it should shock
the public mind. And such list of
| include those of our soldiers whose
health has been permanently broken
! down, and of many others whose rea-
! son and intellect have been shattered
| and ruined by protraCted service in the
! torrid zone. We are squarely in oppO-
! SitiOn to the methods and policies of the
majority of the committee in their
! efforts to deal with the Philippine ISL
ands. We do not believe that the peo-
| pie of those islands can be made Ct-
zens of our Republic without gross in
| justice to our people and without doing
/ violence and perhaps irreparablc in
| juries to our institutions; nor can we
| hold them as subjects without the most
/ radical change in our form and theory
/ of government, which we are unwilling
| to see inaugurated."