The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-12-24
j. TAWNEY EXPLAINS
FIRST DISTRICT STATESMAN SAYS
HE rs UNJUSTLY CRIT
ICISED
POSITION ON PHILIPPINE BILL
Says He Did His Best TO Reduce the
Dingley Duties, but Was
in the Minor
ity.
POSITION ON PHILIPPINE BILL
Special to The Globe.

Special to The Globe.
= WINONA. Mimi, Dec. 23-Congress-
man James A Tawney arrived home
on Sunday evening from st. Louis, where
he went to deliver the principal address
at the ceremonies connected with the
breaking of the first ground on Saturday
last.
Mr.. TaWney made the following state
ment regarding the newspaper criticisms
of his attitude on the Philippine tafl1
bill:
Notwithstanding the severe editorial
criticism of certain alleged republican
newspapers in our state, l wish to say
that my position on this bill has been
grossly and deliberately, and, in one m
stance at least, nlaliciously, m1srepfe-
sented Instead of favoring the full Ding
ley rates on articles imported from the
Philippines into the United States, L, to-
gether with Congressman Russell, OF
Connecticut, and Congressman Long, OF
Kansas, also members of the commit
tee, fought for two days in the committee
for a reduction of these duties on such
articles as we import from the archlpel-
ago. We also endeavored to repeal so
much of the Taft commission tariff law
as went into effect in the islands Nov.
Is as imposed export duties on certain
products when exported from the ISL
ands.
q also endeavored to secure the adop-
ton of amendments expressly limiting
the duration of the act to March 4, 1893,
but we were outnumbered on the NSte
on all three of these propositions, certain
members of the committee, who for some
time have advocated reduction of the
Dingley rates of duty on articles when
imported from foreign countries to the
United States, voting against any rednc'
l. o,4: o1a TxrI1a inn
ported from the Philippine islands.
"As for my whipping in Republican
members Of the house for the purpose
of passing the bill after it was reported,
I wish to say that statements to this ef-
feet are purely the result of editorial inn
agination. 1t was my duty as the Repup-
lican whip of the house to secure the
attendance of absentees on the day the
vote was to be taken. [ discharged this
duty, but beyond this did nothing in the
matter of securing votes for the meas
ure.
IT have also observed that, uncon~
sciously perhaps, I have been represented
as being opposed to any reduction in the
war revenue taxes. l have made no pub
lie statement as to what my position
was on this question. L am free to state.
however, that in view of the claim on
the part of some that there should De
a reduction of certain import duties, 2Hd
the fact that we are collecting internal
revenue taxes under the Spanish wal
revenue act only from brewers, bankers,
bucket Shops railroads, sleeping car
companies and stock gambling transact
lions, that before these industries and
institutions shall be entirely released
from this tax we should know to what
extent if any, congress. will reduce our
revenue by reducing the rates of dury
now imposed under the Dingley tariff
law If, as I think, we can take off a
portion of the Spanish war taxes, or
possibly all of thc;n, without endanger'
ing the revenue of the government, or re-
ducing it below the point necessary to
meet governmental expenses, 1 shall "a
Yor such reduction"