The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-12-18
PHILIPPINE TARIFF
DEBATED IN HOUSE UNDER FRI
DAYS AGREEMENT.
PAYNE LEADS FOR MAJORITY.
HE is FREQUENTLY INTERRUPTED
FROM THE OTHER SIDE.

Leader and Mr.. Gnines of Tennes-
see-Mr. Swanson of virginia
Makes Vigorous Argument
Against the Proposed Measure.
To-day the Bill VIII BE Opposed
by Representative Mccall. Repub-
Ican From Massachusetts.
Washington, Dec. 17-The bill to
provide temporary revenues for the
| Philippine Islands was debated in the
| House to-day and under the agreement
made last Friday will be voted upon
tomorrow at 4 O'Clock 1t was the
first debate of the session and was con-
Quoted calmly and without display of
temper Several LIVELY exchanges and
an impassioned speech by Mr. De Ar
mond of Missouri, who has just return
ed from a trip to the Philippines, in
opposition to the retention of the ISL
| ands were the features. Mr.. PAYNE.
the floor leader of the majority, open
| ed the debate on his side. Owing to
| the indisposition of Mr.. Richardson
the duty of opening for the minority
devolved upon Mr.. Swanson of vir-
| g'nia.
Tomorrow Mr.. Mccall. a Republl-
can member of the Ways and Means
| committee from Massachusetts,. will
oppose the bill in a speech, time for
the delivery Of which he has secured
from the Democratic side
Mr.. Payne reviewed at some length
the events leading up to the formula
ton of the tariff by the Philinnina
commission. which succeeded the old
Spanish tariff. He contrasted the old
Spanish rates with those fixed bv the
commission. On -four, for instance. ha
said, the rate had been reduced from
$l.sS to so cents; on rice from SO cents
70 49, ana on hams aud smoked meats
| tioln ~. - TO $3 Proportionate reduc-
ticns mad been made on other articles
Mr. Payne explained that the COM
mission had also deemed it wise to con
tinue portion of the old Spanish ex
| FoIt tax on hemp, sugar and tobacco
owing to the difficulty of levying ana
Coiiectlns a land tax. Personallv h.
sala' ne aid not like the idea of an ex-
nMol M taN, out there seemed no other
way at present. There was nseeasitv
lor immediate action to meet the sit-
nation created by the decision of fra
Supreme Court '''1
Mr.. Payne Interrupted.
Mr.. Payne sketched the vorL 30 ~.
Fhiiippine Commission in establishing
! clVll government to show the in,nar
ative necessity for the continuancs oe
revenue for the islands. He aroused
enthusiasm as he described the great
work Oh civilization which is going on
along the line of education
our friends on the other side - sai5
ne howl about our imperialistic gov
erhment of the natives. We are trv-
| ing 10 hit them up to the standard NJ
| American citizenship"
are you trying to fit them for cit-
lzenshlp In the United States or citi-
zenshlp IN the Philippine Islands?
asked Mr.. Gaines Of Tennessee
We will cross that bridge when we
come TO it, replied Mr.. Payne But
II YOU on the other side, will Cooperate
with US we will fit them for citizen
snip IN the Philippine Islands. the
United States or any other country"
tRepublican applause)
we will cooperate with vou" 70
| piled Mr.. Gaines. when Won carry
the constitution and the flag n tha
! Philippines
Il am surprised to hear the GENTLE
man from Tennessee make that state
ment. He has just returned from the
ISLANDS. Is it possible he did not carry
the constitution with him?" said Mr.
| Payne.
Il ascertained that you had covertIv
sent copies Of the constitution to the
Islands, replied Mr.. Gaines. "and
propose to show you up"
on! l suppose the gentleman who
made a visit to the islands," said Mr..
Fayhe, VIII be able to give us
! more information than all the officers
members of the Taft Commission and
| all the Americans who have lived
there for two and half years.
Proceeding Mr.. Payne said the other
side oHered no substitute for, this bill.
me opposition criticised the bill. he
| said, because ii established the ping
ley rates against goods from the phi
ippines and the Dingley bill, they said.
was the mother of trusts. If protec,
ton was the mother Of trusts I'm the
United States, he said, what was the
mother of trusts in free trade in Eng
land. --''e
Mr.. Wheeler of Kentucky interrrnt
ed to inquire whether the assurance
which aggregate capital had in this
country that the Attorney General
would not do his duty was not respon
sible for the great trusts now I'm ex-
istence in the United States.
Il will allow the gentleman to an
swer his own question:" replied Mr..
Payne. 1T is beyond me. or course
he does not believe that any more than
do"
swanson Answers Payne.
Mr.. Swanson of Virginia followed
Mr. Payne. In opening he said that
none of the benefits for the Filipinos
or which Mr.. Payne had been telling
could accrue through the agency OF the
pending bill. His voice was the voice
OF Jacob, but his hand was the hand of
Esau.
He reviewed the recent decisions OF
the Supreme Court in reference to the
Philippines, deploring the fact that the
court had reversed its previous de-
cisions and had seen proper 60 confer
upon Congress absolute power to gov
ern territoritles. He deprecated ais
pernicious the principle OF the bin
which fixed the tariff duties on goods
going from the United States into the
Philippines. This really gives to this
country the power TO fix both the price
at which the Philippines should
sell their goods to us and also pur-
chase ours; this is a power which no
just nation wants to exercise ana
which cannot be exercised without
abuse and oppression. He insisted that
II was precisely the same power that
the British Parliament sought to exer-
else over the American colonies
/ against which they rebelled. Philippine
/ sugar to enter our markets must paw
a duty OF S36 per ton. while ours could
! be sold IN their markets upon the pay
ment OF sl1 per ton; their hemp must
<Continued on Fifth PaRsl a.