The Forrest City times., 1902-01-17
TARIFF FOR PHILIPPINES.
Probability of n Protrncted struE- uIc over the Measure When It
 Comes Before the House.

In tanning through the Philippine tariff bill just before adjourning oyer the holidays, the leaders of the ma ioritv a.ave distinct notice, not only that the senate would not be permitted in change in any particular the rates ofduty imposed on Philippine products entering the United States, but that in no way can the sacred Dingley tariff he meGdled with in favor of any prod net of any country. Mir. Dalze.I, who closed the debate on behalf of the maiority. declared that there would ,e no leyisla ation, so long < the repub- Gcans controlled the house. by which the existing tariff law would be amend ed directly. nor would they permit any change to be made in customs duties by unfair reciprocity treaties or many other way. says the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
 But the senate has some rights in the case. and there are reports that it may impress that fact upon the house. The Philippine commissions report. made public in Washington on
 
 the ukase of the ma iority of the house, recommended d reduction of 50 per cent. from Dingley tariff duties on sugar, tobacco and hemp from the Phil ippines. Perhaps this recommends tion was unknown to the committee on ways and means when the Philippine tariff bill was prepared and reported, n of ta,. when he delivered the decree cf the majority. but the senate cannot avoid taking eognizance of it.
 There is a report from republican sources ill Washington that some of the majority senators think the house acted hastily and unwisely in liam ming through the tariff biil without ascertaining what the Taft commits sion advised. Al all events. they hold that the senate has full authority to correct the mistakes of the house and should do so. The secretary ef war having shown in his report that com merce between the United States and the Philippines has not followed the flag" as expected under the Dingley
 
 States from the Philippines have ma teria,ly decreased while imports into the Philippines from other countries have increased much faster than inn ports from the United States. and the Taft commission having promised that commerce between the United States and the islands would increase by leaps and bounds" if the suggested re- auctions in the Dingley tariff rates be made. these republican senators feel inclined to try the experiment ot a re duetion. If ma jority of the senators should be of that way of thinking, which is not impro babie, what will Mr. DalZeN's trueulent notification amount to?
 The constitutional power of the sem ate 10 amend a house bin for raising revenue i> undisputed. The senate has before now asserted and susta ained its right to amend" by cutting out every thing but the enacting clause and sub stinting what is practical fly q n entire ly new bill. The house may eject an amended" Philippine tariff bill and the fight may be protracted one, Mean time the recent supreme court decision will be the only law in the case, and all Philippine products will enter the United States as free from tariff tax as the products of those other insular "appurtenaDces." Hawaii and Porto Rico. And why not?