The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1901-12-19
WASHINGTON.
rom our Regular Correspondent.
Washington, Dec. Id,

as Mr.. Roosevelt has termed iec-
iprocity, has been treated very caval-
ierly by Mr.. Payne and his Ways and
Means Committee this week. "No |
compromise has been the motto to
which the republican members of that
committee have strictly adhered in
framing their bill governing the Philip |
pine tariff regulations. An earnest
effort was made by Mr.. Russell of
Connecticut to secure some conces-
sions looking to the establishment of
more extensive trade relations be-
tween the United States and the
islands but the foes of Cuban reclp.
rocity feared that any concession to
the Philippines would be used as a
precedent in the contention for recl-
procity with the former and their in
fuence with the majority of the COM
mittee prevailed.
-.
Mr.. Russell, who has a very level
head on his shoulders, attached great
importance to the representations of
Secretary Root that the Philippine
trade was being absorbed by count
ries other than the United States,
notably Germany and the British col
onies. Realizing that the time would
come when the people would find the
burden of maintaining large army
in the islands irksome and would
call upon his party to show the in
creased trade which was supposed to
compensate for the expense, he made
an eloquent appeal for discriminating
duties, but his colleagues had ears
only for the siren voices of the Ok
nard lobby and cloaking their refusal
behind an alleged loyalty to the "open
door policy" they declined to enter
tain his propositions.
The bill, as presented by the Ways
and Means Committee, provides for
the application to Philippine com
merce of the provisions of the Ding
ley bill and the Taft Commission bill,
with the proviso that all the duties
collected on Philippine goods i'm
ported into the United States shall be
converted into the Philippine treasury
The measure also provides that unit
January 1905 foreign vessels may en-
gage in commerce between the Unitet
States and the islands and that the
same tonnage dues will be exacted or
ships carrying passengers and freigh
that are now collected from foreign
vessels entering the United States.
On Tuesday the House had th'
pleasure of listening to length.
speech from Representative Galush;
A. Grow, ex speaker, on the subjec
of legislation for the Philippines, il
which Mr.. Grow spent upwards O
an hour in demonstrating to hlmsel
and the members OF the republican
side of the chamber that Congress ha,
power to legislate for the Philippines
Most of the democrats were out il
the lo5bes and committee rooms.
In the Senate, Senator Lodge ha
been working faithfully to expla
away all the objections which hav
been raised against the Hay-Paunce
fote treaty. He has not succeeded
very well, but the objections are nc
of particularly serious nature an
as practically all of the senators al
Of the opinion that there is nothin
more that Secretary Hay can do, the
will ratify it as soon as they have ha
time to air their objections. TT
cost of the canal, as provided for b
the appropriation carried by Senate
Morgan's bill, is $3.50, 1000, 900.
Mr.. Lodges efforts to defend tt
treaty will prove sine cure cor
pared with the effort he will have
put forth to secure the ratification
any reciprocal treaty with Cuba. M
Roosevelt is counting on him to effe
something in the nature of conce
sion for Cuba, but it is doubtful
the "weighty reasons of morality al
interest" to which Mr.. Roosevelt 7
ferred in his message will have mu'
influence against the "Beet Sug
Convention which is holding
meetings, no one knows where,
Washington.
When it comes to logical argumel