The times., 1901-06-03
An Administration Ducmmn,

Senators and Representatives in con-
eress will be more greatly interested
than anybody else in the result of a pa
cisions. in which Attorney General
knox is engaged. Upon his conclusions
will depend the question whether or not
President Mckinley VIII at once call
Congress in extraordinary session.
Yesterday the chances appeared to be
that he will While people in the Ad-
ministration circle were hoping that
some way could be found TO evade the
logic of Mr.. Justice Browns Porto Ri
can opinion, in its application to the
Philippines. the general idea prevailed
that this could not be done. Indeed. the
fact is admitted that on any conceiv-
able sane construction of the courts
ruling, the Philippines in their relations
TO the Government stand exactly on the
ground occupied by Porto Rico after
the Treaty of Paris was ratified and be-
fore the passage of the Foraker-Payne
act.
Unless the Attorney General can find
some way to get around this impasse,
the Administration, in the interests OF
the trusts and monopolies, will feel it
necessary to secure legislation imme-
diateiy- to prevent our Pacific territory
from exercising the right of free trade
with the mainland, to which it would be
entitled under the late Constitution, and
for temporary purposes is entitled
under the Brown opinion. The situation
I'D y q.
Presidents war power as interpreted
by Judge Brown, he might continue to
occupy the possession in military
sense, and impose Dingley or any other
duties upon commerce between the
| islands and our shores. But it is by
no means sure that the court would up
| hold him in establishing civil govern
ment by executive order and then col
! lecting customs duties. According to
the best legal opinion in the city. all
such taxes would have TO be refunded.
President Mckinley has promised
| civil government to the people of the
/ Philippines, to become operative on
/ July / of the present year. He is rep
resented as determined that this prom
ise shall be kept But, in existing cir
| cunstances, performance would legally
open our ports TO Philippine hemp, to-
bacco and sugar free of duty. and that
is something which Messrs- Duke,
Hayemeyer, and others of our rulers
could not contemplate without indig-
nant emotion. The only avenue Of es-
| cape from the dilemma appears to be
| an extraordinary session. If it be
called, Congress viii be asked to pass a
law for the government of the Philip
pines similar TO that enacted for Porto
Rico, including a tariff clause which
will place an American territory in the
position of a foreign country for pur-
| poses of taxation. Such an act, per-
| haps. might be inconsistent with the old
| Constitution, but would seem to be in
harmony with the new, or Brown, fun
damental law.
Senators and Representatives who
| have planned excursions to Europe or
| the antipodes will not contemplate the
prospect Of even brief summer session
| in Washington with equanimity. The
matter of so important and startling a
| change in our institutions as the de-
cisions Of May q have brought about
at this time, when their meaning is still
| ranking in mems minds. could hardly
fail to become the subject Of heated de-
bate in the Senate. In the House, Of
course, discussion could and doubtless
would be suppressed But at the ether
end Of the Capitol it would certainly
occur and furnish the country with fuel
TO make the coolest summer seem tor
rid.
on this account it is probable that
the Administration will go almost any
length TO avoid an extraordinary ses-
sion, If that can be done without open
ing our doors to the commerce Of one oi
our territories. Perhaps today. or after
tomorrow's Cabinet meeting. we may
know what is 10 happen. For our Tas-
tors and masters it is a wild dilemma
with exceedingly long and sharp l.Crns
!