Omaha daily bee., 1903-02-28

sage to the senate:
Il have Just received a cable from Gov
ernor Taft. which runs as follows:
Necessity for the passage of the house
tarim bill is most urgent The. conditions
Of productive indus ,ry and business are
considerably worse than in November. the
date Of my last report. and are growing
worse each month. Some revival in sugar
and tobacco prices have beer experienced,
due 10 the expects ton Of a tariff law. 1h5
interests of Eilipinos in sugar and tobacco
are extensive and the failure Of the II
will be a blow IN the face Of those inter-
ests A number OF tobacco factories will
have to close and many sugar haCiendas
will be put up for sale at a sacrifice II the
customs receipts have fallen of this
month one-third, showing the decrease OF
the purCha sing power Of the Islands. Gen
eral business IS stagnant. All ,.artles, IN IN
cluding labor unions, most strenuously
petition for the tariff bill.
'Yice Governor Luke Wright endorses in
the strongest manner all that Governor
Taft has said and says he has the gravest
apprehension as to the damage that may
come to the islands II there IS not a sub
stantial reduction in the tarih levied
against Philippine goods coming into the
United States. l most earnestly ask that
this matter receive the immediate attention
Of congress and that the relief prayed for
be granted.
LAS congress knows. 3 series of calami-
| ties have befsllen the Philippine people.
| Just as they were emerging from nearly
/ six years OF devastating warfare, with the
accompanying destruction OF property and
| the breaking up of the bonds Of social order
/ and the habits OF peaceful industry, there
| occurred an epidemic OF rinderpest which
destroyed 90 per cent of the caribous, the
/ Philippine cattle, leaving the people with
out drsught animals to till the land or tn
aid in the ordinary work Of farm and vii
| lage life. The extent of the disaster can
| be seen from the fact that the surviving
caribous have increased over ten fold in
value. At the same time a peculiar orr
entail horse disease became epidemic. fur
ther crippling transportation. The rice
crop already reduced BY various causes TO
! but a fourth of its ordinary size, has been
damaged by Iocusts so that the price OF
! rice has nearly doubled.
Under these circumstances there is I'm
mi7ent danger Of a famine in the islands.
Congress is in course OF generously APP
propriating $4,000 TO meet the immedi-
ate needs. but the Indispensable and pre-
| eminent need Is the resurrection of produc-
tive industry from the prostration into
which il has been thrown by the causes
above enumerated.
81 ask action in the tarin matter not
merely from the standpoint Of wise govern
! mental policy, but as a measure of hu-
I mauitY IN response 20 an appeal to which
/ this great people should not close its ears.
] We have assumed responsibilities toward
the Philippines which We are IN honor
/ bound to fulfill. We have the specific duty
/ OF taking every measure in our power 10
/ see TO their prosperity. The first and most
! important step in this direction has been
accomplished by the join action OF the
military and civil authorities In securing
| peace and civil government. The wisdom
/ of congress at the present session has pro-
yided for them a stable currency, and It's
| spirit of humane liberality and justice will
! be shown in the appropriation now sub
! stsntialIy agreed upon. but there remains
a vital need that one thing further shall
be done. The calamities which have be-
fallen them as above enumerated could
have been averted by no human wisdom
They cannot be completely repaired. bit
the suffering can be greatly alleviated anf
a permanent basis of future prosperity as
sured II the economic relations Of che is
a satisfactory basis.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT"
Little Hope for Cuban Treaty.
The discussion at today's cabinet meet.
ing revolved principally about legislation
in congress Little hope is felt that the
Cuban and canal treaties will be ratihei
at the present session, and each days delay
is increasing the probability Of an extra.
ordinary session of the senate.
The president has reiterated his deter
/ minatior to call a special session in th,
event OF the failure of either one or botf
OF the treaties. So far as can be aseer.
tanned. the president has not determined
upon any date,for the opening Of he extra
session, but il is regarded as likely thai
it will be almost directly after the Gloss
of the present session.
Editors Adopt Resolutions.
The National Republican Editorial asso-
citation today adopted the following resolu-
tion:
The unbroken prosperity which has KiveT
the country an unparalleled growth anC
publican rule in 1897 is the complete vindi
/ cation OF the value and success Of repub
lican ascendancy and the great achieve
liant administrations Of Presidents McKin
ley and Roosevelt and the faithful fulfll
ment OF republican pledges continue N,
highest appeal for republican supremacy.
Resolutions also we're adopted defninj
the object Of the organization. which Is u,
promote the cooperation Of the republican
editors in the United States. advancement
OF the principles and policies OF the re
publican party and 20 secure united actor
for the education OF public sentiment II
the intelligent understanding and accept
anee Of the spirit and aims which are illus
trated in republican administration an,
legislation"
Also accepting and adopting the repub
lican national platforms Of 1886 and 100
as the authoritative declaration Of the re
publican creed. and as the chart by whicl
the government should be guided in dealinl
with the living and vital questions Whicl
are presented TO the American people 70
settlement.
Prior to the adoption OF these resolution
Senators Hanna and Depew made short ad
dresses.
Senator Hanna Was enthusiastically re
oeived. He said that the republican ed
itors OF the country were doing well Il
organizing the comprehensive association
through which they could keep well Il
touch with the political events Of the ds
and the ideas and sentiments Of the Who'll
country. We are not 10 deal altogether
he sad, with the Ohio idea or the low
idea but the idea Of the republican part
as a whole. The broad republican idea
the old policies and the old tenets Of IL
republican party have won notable victorie