The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-06-05

der the Foraker act.
The President anu the other members OF
the Cabinet agreed with him in this view.
and concluded that as the action of the
court ON the Porto E.can cases. taken In
CONNECTION with its failure to act on the
Philippine case. seemed 10 indicate that
the President had power to administer the
customs laws both in the PHILIPPINES and
In the United States as at present. there
would be little more risk In continuing the
present system than in asking Congress to
IL esislate.
Will Continue Collecting Duties.
For these reasons il was decided not to
cali an extra session OF Congress. and TO 80
on collecting duties in the Philippines un-
der the military authority of the President
and collecting duties on goods coming from
the Philippines into the United States. II
the court next fall decides that this ~
wrong the duties will he refunded. /, j.
assumed that all the duties at both ends
will be paid under protest.
Secretary Gage does not believe that there
IS any danger CT importers bringing any
considerable amount of goods into the
United states through the Philippines in the
hope of securing a refund OF duties. The
cost of transportation to and from the
Philippines would BE- considerable and the
amount OF money that would be locked UP
I'm the DUTIES. that would have to be paid
under protest both In the Philippines and
In the United States. would be sufficient to
discourage importers from shipping many
goods through that channel on the slim
, chance of the Supreme Court taking n Diff
ferent view of the matter from that taken
by such able lawyers Attorney General
Knox and Secretary OF War Root. For
these reasons Secretary Gage believes that
II he is called upon TO refund duties the
amount will be comparatively small
The administration has decided that there
shall be no material change In the char
acter Of the new government to be estab-
lished in the Philippines on July l. In all
| the provinces where the authority Of the
United States has been completely estab-
| lished, there will be purely civil provincial
and municipal government. such as are at
! present being Installed by the Taft Com
, mission.
For the islands as n whole there viii be
| n government such as that which the Pres
ident and the Taft Commission have been
planning to institute. 1t will be essen
TALLY a civil government. administered by
civilians. but it will be instituted under
military authority and will be administered
under the War Department all reports
being made to the Secretary OF War IN
stead of the Secretary OF State. as would
probably have been the system II II had
not been found necessary to preserve the
form Of military government.
Sp0Oner Amendment Ignored.
This will necessitate a complete ignoring
Of the Spooner amendment. although Judge
Taft and his associates have been organiz-
| ing the civil government under that amend
ment.
Since tho days Cabinet meeting the
Spooner amendment has been dropped like
| hot coal and the Philippines are to be
ruled "civilly." but under the military
power.
AS soon as the revised tariff for the Phil
| ippines. which Is now being prepared. can
, be completed 1t will be put into effect at
all the ports in the islands. This will not
be done as a civil act. as would have been
the case had the decisions OF the court been
different. but IT will be promulgated under
the military authority OF the President as
was done in the case OF the present tariff.
1t had been hoped that the tariff would be
ready TO be put into force on July /. but II
| is now believed that it cannot be ready
before August l.
The Formal Announcement.
The decision OF the Cabinet was an
nounced after the Cabinet meeting in the
| following statement issued by Secretary
Corteiyou:
THE President has determined that ex-
| listing conditions do not require or warrant
calling Congress together during the pres
ent summer. or making any change In the
policy hitherto pursued and announced in
regard to the Philippine Islands,