The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1902-01-03

The House having under consid-
Grafton the Philippine tariff bill,
Hon. NJ. r. Patterson delivered the
following remarks Tuesday, Dec
18th, 1901:
Mr.. Chairman, IN a notable address at Ann Ar
Dor, President Harrison closed in these
markable words:
Gin conclusion / propose this sentiment: God
forbid that the day should ever come when in the
American mind the thought of man consumer
should ever submerge the old American thought of
man as a creature Of God and endowed with ina
lenable rights"
This noble and inspiring thought of distin-
guished soldier, profound lawyer, and pure
statesman will fall unheaded upon party which
he once honored, held now in the grip of a sordid
commerciaism which it dare not shake loose, If it
would, and which bids it to pass this American,
unjust, hasty, and wholly indeiensible measure.
Ostensibly the bill is to provide revenue for the
Philippine Islands, but its true purpose and mean
ing is only thinly yelled by its title Instead of
bill temporarily to provide revenue for the Phil
ippine Islands, and for other purposes" it should
read ga bill to fasten the protective tariff and its
resultant system of trusts more securely upon the
American ueOple and for no other purpose"
Opposed are to the general tariff law as ap-
piled to foreign countries being grossly unjust
both to the American consumer and producer, we
in still greater measure opposed to its applica-
ton to any part Of our own territory. We can not
assent to the doctrine that any part of American
territory wherever situate, is foreign to the Anne
lean laws and Constitution. 1t is little wonder
that statesmen belonging TO different schools of
political thought should deplore the departure as
contemplated by this bill from well-established
historical precedents and rules for governmental
the rapid assaults made upon constitutional gov
eminent and the repeated efforts to graft the off
shoot of monarchy the fair tree of the Republic.
The Supreme Court in its latest decision, known
as the Fourteen diamond rings case,'' holds that
importations from the archipelago to the United
States are not dutable, because the Islands are
American territory and not foreign under the
treaty of Paris. Congress now proposes to make
thea foreign by passing this measure. relying up
on the majority of one. The court seems to have
no difficulty in determining what is and what is
not American territory until Congress passes a tar
If law, and then by a clear majority of one it may
be relied upon to reverse its decision and to de-
clare foreign that which it had before declared
domestic The question which lovers of liberty
and constitutional government will ask is, What
shall be the end of it all? For, if Congress should
see fit to place tax upon all goo Is from Oklahoma
New Mexico entering the States of the Union,
such law, if precedent is followed, would be de-
clared constitutional by majority of one.
Some of the American people who have been in
the habit of supposing they were inseparable
part of the Republic would be made to realize
their error and those wonderful countries clamor-
ing for space on the flag for two to rep
resent sovereign States would their high hopes
perish, they would be inadmissibie to the Union
by majority of one. All honor to those judges
who have refused to follow the devious and peri
lOus windings of these opinions, and who have de-
elared that tariff bill assed by Congress can
amend the Constitution of the United States or
ALLEVIATE one foot of American soil But in sub
uniting to decision giving Congress absolute au-
thority over our possessions, and making its
will the supreme law of the land, shall still in
sst that it shall not be used except in fairness and
moderation-with due regard to the rights of our
own people and the rights of the islanders who have
iDvoluntarily been brought under our dominion
and control. GApplausel
We insist that the tariff schedule prepared by the
Philippine Commission should not be validated by
Congressional action for it is less flexible and more
prohibitory than that of any other enlightened col
ony holding nation of the world. We insist, If we
must keep the archipelago, that its products shall
enter ports free of duty and that absolute free