The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-12-31
DIVIDED BY TARIFFS
MAJORITY PARTY IN CONGRESS is
NOT AT ALL UNANIMOUS ON
THE QUESTION
PHILIPPINES DESERVE FAVoRs
Influential Men in the Senate Not
Satisfied That Cuba Should
Have Privileges Denied
the Archipelago.
FROM THE GLOBE BUREAU,
WasbingtOn, ID. C.,


WASHINGTON, Dec. 3O.-The shipping
interest on the Pacific coast is .objecting
so earnestly to the Philippine tariff bill
because it does not extend the coastwise
| laws to the Philippines that the senate
may kill the provision of the bill that
| until otherwise provided the provisions
I of law restricting to vessels of the United
| States the transportation of passengers
and merchandise directly or indirectly
from one port of the United States to
another port of the United States shall
not be applicable to foreign vessels en-
! gagged in trade between the Philippine ar
chipelago and the United States.
When the bill was under consideration
| in the house Representative Grosvehor,
| replying to questions as to why the coast
| wise laws had been suspended, SAID IL
had been done at the suggestion of MEM
| bers of the cabinet who pointed out that
there were not enough American vessels
| in the Pacific trade to do the business
i between the United States and her de-
| Tendencies across the Pacific. This state
ment is challenged by the business men
| of San Francisco, who assert that
| enough Pacific mail steamers are now
in the service to carry all the trade and
that If there should be demand for more
ships they can and will be brought
i around from the Atlantic
1 Treaty Not in the way.
In proposing to amend the bill by
! striking out the clause quoted and in
sorting one applying the coastwise laws,
| the fourth article of the Paris treaty
with Spain has to be respected 1t Is
| to the effect that: 1.-The United States
will. for ten years from the date of the
| exchange of ratification of the present
treaty, admit ships and merchandise to
| the ports of the Philippines on the same
terms as ships and merchandise of the
| United States" There has been some
| question as to whether the coastwise
| laws can be applied to the Islands IN
| view of the provisions of the treaty adj
| hitting Spanish ships to the ports of the
| islands on the same terms as those OF the
| United States, but Senator Perkins. OF
| California, and other men who have
| studied the subject, declare the treaty
does not in any way Interfere with the
| shipping laws 1t may be that the senate
will see fit to let the provision of the
bill in. question stand, but it is now evil
| dent that the subject will be considered in
| all its bearings when the bill is again
taken up.
May knock Out Tariff Rates.
The impression that the senate may
not agree to the tariff rates fixed by the
bill is gaining strength day by day.
| There are indications that the sentiment
| in favor of free trade with the dependen-
| cies is taking root. 1t is we'll known
| that some of the ablest men on the
| majority side of the senate believe the
| United States must sooner or later adopt
that policy; and some of them are inclin-
/ ed to believe it might be wise to take
| the step at once
| If it were not that most of the sena-
| tors feel it a duty to look out for
the special interests here in the United
States, there would, it is believed,
be no hesitancy in abolishing duties on
| imports from the insular possessions. III
| the private talk that is taking place Is
| any indication the subject will be DEBATED
at length in the senate. The point IS
| being made that the claims of the phil
| ippines are vastly superior to those OF
| Cuba, and yet the president and the
! secretary Of war are insisting that Cuba
shall have relief. If the administration
could have it's own way Cuban sugar and
| tobacco would be admitted free, while
all that Gov. Taft and the Philippine
| commission ask is that the duties on I'M
| ports from the Philippines be reduced 5O
| per cent on these articles. Cuba must
! be treated, in a way, as foreign territory,
! while the other must be considered as q
| part of the United States.
Cuban Question Troublesome.
The Cuban situation is rapidly coming
| to the front The conservative view
! here Is that this country must make
| tariff rate on sugar and tobacco that
will let those products of the island into
| the United States on a paying basis or
| must prepare to annex the island. Pres
ident Roosevelt, it is said, Is not In
| favor Of annexation in the near future.
/ 1t is understood that he believes the
United States is morally bound the see
| that the people of the island have fair
! opportunity to establish an independent
| government If, after having been af-
forded this opportunity they fail and seek
annexation, it win be time enough to act.
/ Under the circumstances a conflict be-
tween the house and the senate on the
question Of letting Cuban sugar and to-
bacco in free, or even providing for
differential tariff, seems inevitable. The
ways and means committee has the whip
! in hand, and if Mr.. Payne and his asso-
| ciates stand firm they can prevent con-
gress from carrying out the recommen-
dations of the president, his secretary Of
/ war and the governor general of the ISL
and. At any rate final action on the
question may be delayed until late in the
session, for the reason that the independ-
ent government In Cuba will not be estab-
lished until late In the spring.