Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1901-06-03

Cedar RAPIDS, Iowa, May 29.-The
decisions of the supreme court III the
insular cases occupied much OF the
time of the president and cabinet on
the trip across the state OF Iowa yes
+erday. The decision in the De Lima
case. if followed in the Philippines
case, might result in calling an extra
session of congress. In the DE Lima
case the court decided that duties col
Iected on Porto Rican goods before
CONGRESS- enacted the Foraker law
were illegal and must be refunded. 1t
is presumed the court, following the
same lines of reasoning, will decide
that duties collected on goods for the
Philippines were also illegal, and are
subject to free entry into the Unlted
States until congress acts. Such de-
cision would open the ports OF the
United States to merchandise and
goods of every description from the
Philippines, until congress meets III
December. Importers might take adj
vantage of this to ship goods into the
United States through the Philippines
revenues. Whether the danger from
this source is great enough to warrant
calling congress in an extra session IS
one which will be decided only after
full elaboration 1t is possible, how
ever this danger may have been al
ready obviated in the enactment of
the Spooner resolution delegating tenn
porarily to the president the power to
govern the Philippines. But it is
delicate question and members OF the
cabinet decline to discuss the subject
for publication.
San Juan, May 29.-The first report
of the supreme courts decision IN the
De Lima case, which is interpreted as
declaring that taxation of imports
from Porto Rico to the United States
at Is per cent. of Dingley duties is un-
constitutional was received here with
great satisfaction When the full re-
port of the case was published there
was evidenced a general feeling of dis
appointment among Porto Rican mer-
chants who had hoped the courts de
cision would give them a years free
trade
The consensus of opinion seems to
be that the Porto Rican legislature
should be convened in an extra sas-
sion to declare Porto Rico selfsup-
porting without the collection Of cus-
toms on imports between Porto Rico
and the United States. The general
spirit of complaint that all the SUI
preme courts decisions were against
Porto Rico is noticeable. When San
Juan merchants were questioned on
the subject they manifested mucn re-
greet at the outcome as they had hoped
to have refunded all moneys paid I'M
the fifteen per cent. application of the
Dingley duties. 1t was generally eX-
pected that the courts decisions would
grant Porto Rico free trade. When told
if constitutional privileges had been
granted, the internal revenue laws or
the United States would be applied TO
the islands and that all funds and GUS
toms hereunder collected would be
deposited in the federal treasury, all
Porto Ricans questioned in the matter
acknowledged that this would be bad
and that their present status was pre-
ferabie, as they did not believe the
island would stand the collection Of
internal revenue and that such collec-
tions, attempted, would necessitate
even a heavier property tax for the
maintenance of Porto Rico. Only \
few Porto Rican business men under
stand the Importance Of the supreme
courts decisions. Those who are
bankers predict an immediate revival
of business now that the status of thc
country has been decided.
Washington, May 29.-Interest in
the supreme court decisions centeted
at the war department yesterday aid
efforts were made to ascertain the III
tention of the department regarding
the Philippines as they are under the
departments control Secretary Root
would express no opinion, saying he
had not yet the full text of the deci-
sion before him.
Several senators and representa-
tives called on the secretary yesterday
and discussed the situation with him.
Among these were Senator Lodge Of
Massachusetts, chairman of the Philip
pine commission of the senate. He
expressed the opinion that the deci-
sions of the court would make Philip
pine legislation absolutely necessary
IN the coming session of congress. lie
also was clearly of the opinion that I'M
der the Spooner law the president had
absolute power to provide for revenue,
both customs and internal, for the f'hi-
lippine islands in the general scheme
for Philippine government. 1t is be-
lieved that the war department will
promulgate tariff for the Philippines
soon.