The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-12-18

sions and had seen proper to confer upon
congress absolute power to govern Terri
tories. He deprecated as pernicious the
principle OF the bill, which fixed the tariff
duty on goods going from the United States
into the Philippines. He said this really
gave to this country the power to fix both
the price at which the Philippines should
sell their goods to us and also purchase
ours; that this was a power which no just
nation wanted to exercise and which could
not be exercised without abuse and Oppres-
sion. He insisted that 1t was precisely the
same power that the British Parliament
sought to exercise over the American col
onies, against which they rebelled. He said
that Philippine sugar to enter our markets
must pay a duty of $50 a ton, while ours
could be sold in their markets upon the
yme OF $I per ton; that their hemp
must pay a duty OF $50, while ours could
enter the Philippines at $1 per ton; that
our coal could enter at % cents per ton,
while theirs when sold here must pay 81
cents per ton; that our tobacco enters their
markets on a payment of IS cents per
pound, while theirs must pay here $1.S5 per
was in the Cortes of Spain and not in the
Congress of the United States.
AN ANTI-EXPANSIONIST.
Mr.. Thayer, of Massachusetts, in a ff-
teen-minute speech, explained the reasons
which induced him to oppose the passage
of the bill. He declared that we had over
powered the Fflipinos, but had not con-
quered them; that the same spirit of liber-
ty which led them to rebel against the
tyranny of Spain still animated them.
This bill, which proposed to tax them at
both ends of the line, would naturally
arouse their resentment.
Mr.. Grosvenor called attention to the
fact that the Republican administration
had tried to avoid the war with Spain.
AT that time" said he, THE same cry
of liberty rang through this hall. 1 believe
If 1t had not been for the explosion of the
Maine there would not nave been any war,
but that all the results which have fol-
lowed would have been worked out except
the acquisition of the Philippines. l wish
the opposition would stand with us as 10y
ally in bearing the burdens of that war
as they were in driving us into it," Jap
plause.l
Mr.. Grosvenor recalled the storm of crit
icism against a similar bill for the benefit
of Porto Rico. But 1t had passed and
money had been made available. Mr.. Gros-
venor described the benefieent result of
the bill in the Island of Porto Rico. Turn
ing TO the question of reciprocity he de-
clared that the Republican party was prac-
tlcally solid as to what should be done.
Those who were yelling for tariff revision,
he said, were about as numerous for the
amount of noise they make as was the
coyote which disturbed Grants slumber
on the Western plains.
Has the gentleman forgotten the last
speech of the late President Mckinley? '
asked Mr. Thayer, of Massachusetts.
Il nave not, dnSWered Mr.. GrOSVenOr.
Il wish the gentleman would take that
speech and read Ii and act upon 1t. If he
does ne Will rise in my estimation 80 odd
per cent"
Mr.. Shafroth, who recently returned
from the Philippines, vigorously opposed
the bill. He declared there were many
popular misapprehensions about the Fill
plnO people,. There was a highly educated
class among them, perfectly capable Of
conducting a government and of governing
themselves. A government by strangers
must fail in many respects. Mr.. Shafroth
went over q list of the salaries paid to the
American officials in the Philippines to
snow the interests of the poor natives who
paid the taxes. Mr.. ShafrOth declared that
the spirit of independence and liberty lived
in the Filipino as well as the American,
and that until the Filipinos were free the
situation could not be satisfactory either
to them or to us.
Mr.. De Almond. of Missouri. who also
has recently returned from the Philippines.
aroused much enthusiasm on the Demo-
cratic side by a denunciatiOn of the pend
ing measure and of the entire Philippine
policy. Of the administration He declared
tnat the Dill proposed was legislation after
the manner OF an empire. 1t disregarded
the rights of the FilipinOs as well as the
american representatives. 1t was legisla-
ton by the War Department. legislation
by alien for alien. He denied the necessity
OF taking the islands or of keeping them.
democratic applause.l we acquired them
In folly, said he; "let us dispose Of them
IN wisdom. Almost every man i'm the islands
longs for Independence and liberty. How
long Will IL be before another insurrection
breaks out! Who can tell how many of our
youth 1t Will lay away in country church
yards and how many dollars of extra levy
IL Will cost the peOple2 How much better
would IL be for us TO return TO the princi-
pies OF an American party and make an
end OF cur troubles. Why not dispose Of
them TO some country that wants colonies?
Any disposition of them is better than their
retention"