The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-06-05
Ledge BiI Goes to the House.

The Lodge Philippine bill passed by the Senate is full of Inconsistencies and incongruities. as well as un-Ameri- canisms. It is essentially and primar- fly un-American, because it sets up and establishes a colonial system and policy-something that is much out side of the spirit of our institutions as l is the Russianizing Finland. The Su- preme Court may declare that colonies are constitutional, but the Supreme l Court lacks the power by bare sub servient majority to change the spirit of American institutions.
 The Lodge. bill applies the bill of rights to the Philippines, but with holds from the little brown people the right of trial by jury. In other words, it provides that carpetbag judge from over the seas may handle a charge against Filipino as seemeth to him best. This opens the door to much corruption, and also to much oppression.
 The government of the Philippines under the Lodge bill will be very Span ish. It is to be by executive order. If this is not Czar-like, 1t would be diffi- cult to say what would be. The Czar In point of fact acts only from and through a wide range of bureaus, but under the Lodge bill we will have a Czar in fact as we'll as in theory.
 There is no hope of anything better held out in the Lodge bill. The help less people of the Philippines are de clared to be citizens, not of the United States, but of the Philippine Islands, and when the insurrection has been subdued census is to be taken, and the Governor of the province Is then "to make recommendations" as to the future government of the islands. A thinner, less promising, more shame full declaration has never been made by a free government. The promises made by the British to the Boers ex ceed this immeasurably. There Is no promise of self-government in the Lodge bill, whereas there Is a very l distinct one in the agreement signed in South Africa.
 The milk in the cocoanut Is soon explained. All land in the Philippines is placed under the control of the Philippine commissioners, all conner cial intercourse in the hands of the President, and all franchises and con- sessions in the hands of the Philip pine government and of Congress. These provisions mean that the islands are to be exploited by carpetbaggers.
 Finally, the bill provides that the silver dollar, which the Republican party at home repudiates, and which India and Japan do not want, Is good enough for the Philippines. A mint is to be set up at Manila, and the Philippine commission is empowered to coin silver dollars-416 grains in each-at pleasure. Free coinage Is to be established at the proposed Manila mint, and the new Philippine dollar is to be legal tender in the payment of all public and private debts. What is not good enough for the home goose is now held to be fully good enough for the Philippine gander.
 The Lodge bill now goes to the House to confront the better Cooper bill, which the committee on insular a..airs favors. But the House is in the hands of three bosses headed by the Speaker, and if these three bosses say that the Lodge bill must be put through it will be passed in a jiffy The rules committee is the House at present.
 
 David Bennett Hill seems to labor