The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-12-19
TARIFF BILL PASSES.
DingIey Law Will Apply to the
Philippine Islands.

dSAiAIiS IO1I, L. ~, 0Gc. 81 he Jill
to provide temporarily for the Philip
pine islands passed the house by a vote
of 163 to 12s. Five Republicans-Messrs.
Mccall (Mass.), Littlefield (Me.), Heat
wole, Eddy and Stevens, all of Mime
sofa, voted with the Democrats against
the bill, and three Democrats-Messrs
Robertson, Davey and Broussard, all of
louisiana, voted with the Republicans
for it. Mr.. Myer (Dem-, Lap was
paired in favor Of the bill with MIR.
Foster GIL, Denl.)- Mr.. Warner (IlL),
who voted against the Porto Rican bill
last congress-. voted for the Philippine
measure Mr.. Crumpacker Qnd.), who
also voted against the Porto Rican bill,
was absent
In the course of the debate the Demo-
Gratis were several times tainted with
their failure 20 present an
proposition for the pending measure,
but just before the vote was taken on
the passage Of the bill the attitude OF
the minority was defined in a motion
to reconmit, offered by Mr.. Richardson,
the minority leader.
1t instructed the ways and means
committee to report the bill back
amended SO as to reduce the customs
and internal revenue laws of the United
States to a revenue basis and to ex-
end them to the Philippines until the
latter, with the aid of the United
States, should be able to set up a stable,
independent This propo-
sition did not m a Republican
~ dllQ LIE - III
Gratis above mentioned voted against it.
Mr.. Meyer DAD was paired against 1t.
The speakers were Messrs- Hepburn
(Ia.) and Dalzell (Pa-) for. the bill, and
MeSSrS. Henry (Tex.), Williams (MiSS.),
Mccall (Rep., Mass.), Greene (Pa-), and
McClelland N W against it.
The bill passed imposes the Dingley
rates on goods entering the United
rates established by the Philippine COM
mission on goods entering the Philip
pines from the United States. 1t also
provides for the collection of tonnage
taxes on vessels plying between the
United States and the Philippines. and
that foreign vessels may ply between
these ports until January l, 1905. The
duties and taxes collected under the
provisions of the bill shall go into the
Philippine treasury to be expended for
the use and benefit of the islands.
Mr.. Mccall tMass.), a nsembe of the
ways and means committee, who OPP
posed the Porto Rican tariff bill in the
last congress. opposed the pending
measure in a vigorous speech. Refer
ring to the Porto Rico decision by the
supreme court, Mr.. Mccall said:
-Four of the justices who upheld the
law were of the opinion that the fifth
justice in deci,iing with them assumed a
position inconsistent with that taken by
the same justice in another decision pro-
mulgated by him on the same day. One
Justice said that the two positions were
irreconcilable. If his positions were
IL lSCOllClldO1C, VIZ Cildli oaS IN JIG
was right and which was wrong? 1t
may therefore fairly be said that upon
these questions will involve our power
to make the people of the Philippine ISL
andS mere chattelS without a country,
to confer upon them a bastard, common
law citizenship and c~ynically to force
upon them a. cruel commercial isolation,
the court stands with four and a half
justices ranged upon ore side and four
and a half on the other"
So far as he pending bill was con-
cerned. Mr.. Mccall said that he dis
tration in the Philippine policy that he
could not support it.
What have we seen in the last three
years." he asked. We have witnessed
the solemn farce of four or five very
estimable American gentlemen sitting
as a legislature over ten million peopl
of whose customs, conditions
and existence they We're probably ig-
norant -four years ago. We have wit
messed the spectacle of an American
army numbering over 10000 men en-
gagged ~conquering a people struggling
highest court, apparently forgetful that
this nation was established as a pro-
test of the power of one people to tax
permanently another people, declaring
congress EXEMPT from the constitutional
limit upon the great central power of
taxation and thus opening the way for
autocratic government and for the ex-
~ploitation of subject people.
owe have seen our permanent stand
ing army multiplied more than three
fold and the expenses of our military
esta blishment approach that of the
most army-ridden nations of Europe.
We have seen ourselves take a position,
highly inconsistent in point of justice
with the Monroe doctrine, when de-
handing that the governments of the
overcrowded eastern continent shall
keep their hands off this hemisphere, we
ourselves, with hundreds of millions of
untitled acres. seize at one stroke a
thousand islands in the other hemis-
phere. If, four years ago, a writer of
burlesque opera had put those things
in a play he would have stood apart
and alone in his profession as the con-
summate creator of impossible situa-
tons"
The debate was closed by Mr.. Dalzell
Pa.) in a speech of an hour. He drew
a parallel between the government oil
the Louisiana territory Immediately
after its acquisition and the govern
ment of the Philippines to show that
the latter was less arbitrary and des-
potic than the former. He commended