The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-12-18
DEBATE TARIFF BILL
REPUBLICANS CERTAIN TO IMPOSE
TAX ON PHILIPPINE ISLANDS
PRODUCTS
DEMOCRATS WILL OPPOSE I,
President McKinley's Recommending
tions Likely to Be Ignored by
the Majority of the
House.

WASHINGTON, Dec 1.-THE bill TO
provide temporary revenues for the Phil
ippine islands was debated in the house
today and will be voted on tomorrow at
o'clock 1t was the first debate of the
session, and was conducted calmly and
without display of temper. Several lively
exchanges and an imprisoned speech by
Mr.. Dearmond, of Missouri. who has just
returned from trip to the Philippines,
in opposition to the retention Of the ISL
ands, were the features. Mr.. Payne, the
floor leader of the majority, opened the
debate He aroused enthusiasm as he
described the great work Of civilization
which was going on along the line OF
education. 'tOur friends on the other
side said he, "howl about our I'M
perialistic government of the natives.
We are trying to lift them UP to the
standard of American citizenship
Are you trying to fit them for citi-
zenship in the United States or citizen
ship in the Philippine islands," asked
Mr. Gaines CTeXas).
1--WE will cross that bridge when we
come to it," replied Mr.. Payne. 'If you
on the other side will cooperate with US
we will fit them for citizenship in the
Philippine islands, the United States or
any other country" Republican ap-
plause.)
1--WE will cooperate with you" replied
Mr.. Ga ines, when you carry the constf-
tuition and the flag to the Philippines
Mr.. Swanson (Va.), in opposing, de-
clared that none of the benefits for the
Filipinos Of which Mr.. Payne had been
telling could accrue through the agency
of the pending BILL He deplored the fact
that the supreme court had reversed ;ts
previous decisions and had seen proper to
confer upon congress absolute power to
govern territories. He deprecated as per-
niciouS the principle of the bill, wnicn
fixed the tariff duties on goods going
from the United States to the Philip
pines. 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 power which no just nation
wanted to exercise and which could not
be exercised without abuse and oppres-
sion. He insisted that it was precisely
the same power that the British parlia-
ment sought to exercise over the Amer
lean colonies, against which they re-
belled. He said a fit place for such a
bill was in the cortes of Spain and not
in the congress Of the United States.
Grosvenor on Reciprocity.
Mr. Grosvenor (Ohio) called attention
to the fact that the Republican admin
istration had tried to avoid the war with
Spain. "At that time" said he, "the
same thoughtless cry of liberty rang
through this hall. / believe if it had not
been for the explosion of the Maine there
would not have been any war, but that
all the results which have followed would
have been worked out except the acquisi-
ton of the Philippines"
Turning to the question of reciprocity
he declared that the Republican party
was practically solid as to what Should
be done. Those who were yelling for tar
if revision, he said, were about as nu-
merous for the amount Of noise they
make as was the coyote which disturbed
Grants slumber on the Western plains.
Referring to the provision in the bill
relative to the suspension of the coast
wise navigation laws on vessels plying
between the United States and, the Phil
ippines, Mr.. Grosvenor said the provision
was necessary because of the congeSted
trade in the Pacific. 'Since this bill was
reported, however," said he, Il learn
that possibly We were in error as to our
facts and that the coastwise vessels may
soon be able to come to the rescue. If
that proves true, the provision can be
stricken out in the senate
Mr.. Shafroth (Col), who has recently
returned from the Philippines vigorous
ly opposed the bill. He declared that
there were many popular misapprehen-
sions abou the Filipino people. There
was highly educated class among them,
perfectly capable of conducting a govern
ment and governing themselves A gov
eminent by strangers must fail in many
respects. Mr.. Shafroth went over a list
of the salaries paid to the American Off
Gals in the Philippines to show the in
terests of the poor natives who paid the
taxes. Mr.. Shafroth declared that the
spirit of independence and liberty lived
in the Filipino as we'll as the American,
and until the Filipincs were free the sit
uation could not be satisfactory either to
them or to US.
Mr. Dearmond (Mo.), who also has re-
Gently returned from the Philippines,
aroused much enthusiasm on the Demo-
cratic side by denunciation of the pend
ing measure and of the entire Philippine
policy of the administration. He declared
that the bill proposed legislating after.