Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1901-12-21

Hecommit-BiIl imposes Dingley
Rates on Goods Entering United
States From the Islands and FhiI.
ippne Commission Rates on Goods
Entering There.
Washington, Dec. 19.-Thc bill to pro
vide revenue temporarily for the Phil
ippine islands passed the house ycStrr-
day by II vote of 1G3 to rs. Five Re.
publicans- MeSSrs. Mccall Mass.
Littletield lMe.), lleatwolc. Eddy and
Stevens lMlnn.), voted with the Demo
Gratis against the bill. ana ,llrcc Demo
crats-McSsrS. Robertson. Davry and
BrouSSnrd u.n.). voted with the Repuh-
iicans for il. Mr.. Meyer tDem. La,
was paired in favor OF the bill with Mr..
Foster Dem. llls.). Mr.. Warner ,lllS),
who voted against the Porto Nican bill
last congress. voted for the Philippine
measure yesterday. Mr.. Crumparkrr
IndD, who also voted agaillS, the Porto
Rican bill. was absent.
In the course of the debate Yesterday
the Democrats were several times
~
alternative proposition for the pending
measure. but jus; before tie vote WAS
taken on the passage of the uill The aiti
tude of the minority was defined in n mo-
tion to recommt. offered by Mr.. Rich
artsOn. the minority leader. 1t in
structed the ways and means committee
TO report the bill back ,meEdcd so as
to reduce the customs ana Internal rev
enue laws of the United States to a
revenue basis and TO extend them to the
Philippines until the latter. with the aid
of the United States. should he ahl" TO
set up Il stable independent government.
This proposition did rot command Il Re
publican vote ana the three IouiSi;. II
Democrats above mentioned voted
against it.
The bill passed yesterday imposes the
Dingley rates on goods entering Il q
United States from the Philippines and
the rates eSta bliShed by the Philippine
commission on goods entering the Phil
ippnes from the United States.
1t also provides for collection of ton
mage taxes on vessels plying between
the United States and the Philippines
and that foreign vessels may ply be-
tween these ports until Jan. !. 1909.
The duties and taxes collected under the
provisions of the bill shall 20 into the
Philippine treasury to be expended for
the use and benefit of the islands.
Mr.. Mccall, Republican member of
the ways and means committee.
opposed the pending measure in Il vigor-
Gus speech. referring to the Porto
Rico decisions by the supreme court,
Mr.. Mccall said:
-Four of the five justices who upheld
the law were of the opinion that the
fifth justice in deciding with them as
sumed a position inconsistent with lh.t
taken by the same justice in another de-
csion promulgated by him on the same
day. One justice said that tie two pU-
Sitions were irreconciiablr. If his posi-.
tions We're irrccOnciliable, who shall say
which one was right. and which was
wrong?
What have we seen in the last three
SiES, llt tSktti. w T. We W llHt'SStu
the solemn farce of four or five very
eStimable American gentlemen sitting
as Il Legislature over ten million of peO-
pie, of whose language, customs, con-
ditions and existence they We're proba
bly, ignorant four years ago. We have
witnessed the spectacle of an American
army, numbering over 10000 |. on. en-
gagged in cOnquering Il people struggling
for independence. We have seen cur
highest court apparently forgetful that
this nation was established as Il protest
against the power of one people to tax
permanently another people. declaring
congress exempt from the constitutional
limitation upon the great central pc wrr
Of taxation, and thus opening the way
for autocratic government and for the
exploitation of subject peoples We
have seen our permanent standing
army multiplied more than thrcpfold
and the expenses of our military estab-
liShments approach that of the most
army-ridden nation of Europe. We
have seen ourselves take Il position
highly Inconsistent in point of justice
with the M,.iroe doctrine. when, de-
manding that the governments of the
eastern continent shall keep their hands
off from this hemisphere. we ourselves.
with hundreds of millions of untitled
acres and vast untouched forests. seize
at one stroke a thousand islands in the
other hemisphere.
II believe now. as | have always be-
lievcd, that when our commissioners
set their hand to the treaty anneXing the
Philippines, they inaugurated as in
fatuated policy as any upon which Il
great nation ever embarked. | know it
is said that it will give us commerce.
Our trade with those islands appears
today to have reached the mn Hgniiicent
proportions of the trade of corner
grocery: but if it should promise to
bring to this country all the wealth of
the Indies. believe our national honor.
Republican institutions, our future
peace and safety, every dictate of in
tereSt and Justice, demand that we shall
now so shape our steps that we may re-
turn again to The God of our Fathers"
After few remarks hy Mr.. Greene
Pa.). in opposition to the bill. Mr.. Nc
ClellnntN. W closed the debate for his
side. The acquisition of the Philippine
islands. he said. was the most costly
plunge ever made by reckless gambler
at the Monte Carlo of international
politics.
The navy department has announced