Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-12-26
NAY WAIT FOR TAFT
Congress Is Likely to Delay Ac.
ton on the Philippine Tariff
Measure.
-.
Taft's Views Wanted as to the
Provisions the Law Should
Contain.
Chaffee and Taft Said to Have
Different Ideas on the
Subject.

from Manila that Governor Taft and
General Chaffee do not agree as to the
extent of pacification in the Philippines
may have tendency to delay the pas
sage of the Philippine tariff bill until
after the arrival of Governor Taft that
he may present the situation as he sees
1t to the president and congress. The
house passed the bill without knowing
the recommendations of the Taft COM
mission. tho the ways and means COM
mittee had copies of the commission 9
report.
There has been a disposition In the
war department TO rely more upon the
reports of General Chaffee than upon
those of the civil governor, because
Chaffee Is an old and experienced mill
tary officer in whom other military men
in the department have confidence. The
army officers naturally have more con-
fidence in one OF their members than in
a civilian, but congress. made up OF ci-
villains, may reverse this order and the
men in congress will be more guiueu W
Taft than by Chaffee.
he is more suspicious of the Filtpinos
than either Gen. Otis or Gen. Mac Ar
thur. Chaffee's reports have been more
discouraging than were the reports OF
Otis and Macarthur He regards the
Filipinos as treacherous by nature and
education and experience with the
Spaniard and in his reports to the war
department he has given more encour-
agement to those who opposed the ces-
sion Of the Philippines than to those
who believed the Islands could be gov
erned as territory OF the United States.
1t is perhaps unfortunate that Taft
and Chaffee should disagree on this
question, but 1t is here regarded as per-
fectly natural that they should see the
situation in different ways. One is a
civilian with large experience in ques-
tons Of civil administration and the
other is soldier with no experience in
civil administration. Gov. Taft Is a man
of ouch excellent judgment regarding
civil law and the administration of 1t
that his views will be more readily ac-
cepted by congress than those of Chat
fee.
The report from Manila regarding the
points OF disagreement Is, in a measure,
confirmed by the report of the Taft
commission recently sent to congress. In
this report the commission recommends
that congress make appropriations to
construct army posts or garrisops out
side the towns SO that the army shall
not be quartered In the towns. Gov.
Taft and the commission believe that
the Philippines can be trusted and that
the presence OF the army should be
made less conspicuous. Gen. Chaffee
does not SO believe.
Gov. Taft evidently believes that the
Filipinos are rapidly approaching con-
dition for civil government similar to
that in Hawaii and Porto Rico. In the
report the commission requests congress
to confirm the legislation of the commits
sion already enacted, and vest by con-
gressional enactment the civil governor
and commission with the authority
heretofore exercised by them under the
Instructions Of the president until JAN
I. 1904. The commission also requests
and recommends that provision be made
by legislation for a government to begin
on Jan. I, 1904 which shall be similar to
that in Porto Rico.
b Governor Taft outlines bill which IL
modelled after the Porto Rican act. He
recommends that the new tariff act put
In force In the Philippines on Nov Is be
expressly confirmed by congress. and
that congress reduce at least 80 per cent
the United States duty on tobacco, hemp
and other merchandise coming from the
Philippines into the United States.
These recommendations OF Governor
Taft and the commission are more lib
eral than the legislation proposed In the
Philippines tariff bill, which passed the
house last week. While the house bill is
given the title OF temporary legislation,
there is no time limit fixed for the du-
ration OF its provisions. There is no
Of the tariff on articles
brought from the Philippines as recon-
mended.
The commission believe that the legis-
lation should. like that for Porto Rico,
provide a civil government in the Phil
ippines to begin on Jan. l. 1904. 1t has
been the plan In congress to make this
legislation separate from the tariff bill.
and take up the question of civil gov
eminent at a later date. But Governor
Taft will reach this country within
thirty days. and be in Washington prob
ably before the tariff bill is finally voted
upon In the senate.
President Roosevelt and Senator
Lodge, the chairman Of that committee,
have full faith in the Judgment of Gov
ernor Taft, and will be inclined to de-
fer to his judgment and recommends
lions. While there has been a disposi-
ton to enact tariff legislation 10 meet
the peculiar situation created by the su-
preme court decision that our tariff laws
do not apply to products from the Phil
ippines, a delay until Governor Taft can
appear before the Philippines commit
tee can ndwd ylyalyu upoup upoup up
tee will not be serious, and it may
change the character of the proposed
legislation.
CuRANS DINE AlGGINS0N