The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-26
TAFT ON COST OR PHILIPPINES
TELLS OF PARkERS NDORSE-
MENT or ATKINSON'S FIGURES.
He Has Great Respect for the Moral Quai''
ties OF Atkinson and the Anti'Im'
perialists, but They Are In an Ecstasy
Cost shown TO he S2OA ,OOO,OoO.


Krueeer Auditorium. He was introduced
by Senator John F. Dryden, at whose
house he dined previous TO the meeting.
Senator John Kean. Gov. Murphy and
Congressman r. Wayne Parker were among
those on the platform.
Senator Dryden took UP forty-fve min
utes in a political speech and then Secre-
tary Taft arose and, after the cheering
subsidized, talked to his hearers like teacher
to a class OF earnest pupils. Only once
was he interrupted by applause. and that
was when he made u pertinent reference 10
President Roosevelt The cheering silenced
him for two minutes, and then he resumed
his demolition of Judge Parker's and Ed
ward Atkinson's statistics.
Secretary Taft did not attempt to be
eloquent, did not crate, but just talked
like father to a child and the aud fence
listened in wrapt silence. 1t was one oil
the most peculiar and yet one of the most
effect i've political demonstrations ever OBJ
served in Newark.
Mr.. Taft devoted his speech to answer
ing the allegation of Judge Parker in his
speech OF acceptance that the possession
OF the Philippines had cost the United
States $3.50 900 900 and his subsequent
acceptance, in speech, OF the statement OF
Edward Atkinson that the real cost was
81 200, OOO, 900. These statements Mr. Taft
showed to be as wide OF the mark as the
charge OF Judge Parker that the Administra-
ton had suppressed the estimates for run
ming the Executive Government, part OF
which had already been published, and
had also refused information as to public
receipts and expenditures which, as nearly
every intelligent business man knows, are
published by the Treasury Department
on every day except Sundays and holi-
days and are telegraphed TO newspapers
throughout the country.
Mr.. Taft had great respect for persons
Of the small class who sincerely believed
that the Philippines should be Immediately
abandoned These nti-imperiali5ts III
Mr.. Taft's opinion permitted themselves
to fall into an ecstasy of feeling That made
them blind to common sense rules TOT
weighing evidence and accepted as proved
statements inherently and on their face
without foundation. Mr.. Taft paid his
compliments to those Democrats who are
in full sympathy with the disfranchiSe-
ment Of negroes in the South, but are
worked up over the fact that the Filipinos
do not have the fullest degree OF selt-eov-
eminent.
Judge Parker, Mr.. Taft said, had placed
himself completely in the embrace of the
anti-imperialists and had accepted their
statements which were more untrust-
worthy than those from Democratic sources,
although the motive Of the latter was not
so highly moral.
Finding that Judge Parker gave no author
ity for his original statement that the
$3.50 900 900 said that after some investi
CATION he had found that it's source was the
Democratic campaign text book, in which
the cost was itemized. Taking up each
item in turn Mr.. Taft said that the first
was $40. 0Oo,OOO paid to Spain under the
NJ ~ tba anil.
item in the statement The second item
was 81 200 600 paid for the friars' lands
and 1t was shown b. Mr.. Taft that this money
was not only paid entirely by the Philip.
pine Government without cost to the United
States. but the sale of the land to tenants
will reimburse the Philippine Govern
ment, The charge that the army expendi-
lures from 1890 to 1903 inclusive had been
increased $500, 600 was shown to he
palpahly wrong, the entire cost OF running
having been included, the appropriations
for rivers and harbors alone during that time
amounting to klOO, 900 900. Other items in
cluded and charged to the Philippines,
we're sos 100000 for Notifications in this
country. the whole cost OF the Spanish,
war, and the whole cost OF the increase OF
The army from 27,O00 to 81 900 men.
@The method by which Mr.. Atkinson
reaches this Is by taking the total expenses
OF the Government in MIR: Clcyeland's
and Mr.. Arthur's administrations, or nearly
two decades ago, and finding the per capita
expense, and then taking the expenses
OF the Mckinley and Roosevelt admins
trations and taking the per capita during
those administrations, allowing so cents
a head as the natural increase for all ex-
penses, and subtracting the total expense
under Arthur's and Cleveland's admins
trations for eight years from the cost of
the administrations of Mckinley and Roosc-
welt; and this increase he charges wholly to
the Philippines. He does exclude there
from 5000 900 900 for the cost OF the Spanish
war, reducing the $500 900 900 which he
found to be the increase to 81 200 600 ,0OO.
In other words, he charges the poor Philip
pines the cost Of the total expansion in
the expenses OF this Government for every
utterly unconnected with the Philippines
at all, and including one year before the
Philippines were heard Of.
aThe ludicrous absurdity Of this theory
OF figuring, which could only come from an
anti imperialist inspired with the ecstasy
OF a moral issue is shown by the fact that II
We add together the total expense for the
ak years beginning with the year ending
June 80, ls99 which was the year including
the great expense Of the Spanish war be-
before that, and include every year down
10 the end OF the fiscal year 1904, June 80
last the total expenses Of the War Depart
ment and the Navy Department-not only
OF the army and navy, but OF the War De-
partment and the Navy Department
amount to 81 ,233 100000 This total
expense includes 1882 900 900 for rivers and
harbors. It takes a brain that is labyrin-
THAN TO attribute to the Philippines policy
the river and harbor expenses OF the United
States.
Then In the same calculation there is
$75 600 900 in Notifications, coast defences
of the United States How they are caused
by the Philippine policy perhaps Mr., Atkin-
son can explain, but certainly 1t is beyond
my capacity. Then there are all the other
civil expenses OF both the War and the Navy
departments, hundred different items
"He says in his letter, to which Judge
Parker refers so fcelingly, that an account
ant would wish to know first how much the
Government OF the United States expends
In supporting the civil government Of the
Philippine Islands Az a matter Of fact,
there is no expense to the United States
Government in the maintenance Of the civil
government In the Philippine Islands"
.Now, In the face OF all this extravaganza
OF wild reasoning" said Mr.. Taft, -may we
not come down to the facts and inquire
what were the actual expenses Of the Philip
pine Islands to the United States? Let
us start with the proposition that the Philip
pine Islands, 80 far as the civil establish
ment in these islands Is concerned, and
that includes the .constabulary,. has always
been self supp ortirg-t is. the civil en-
penses have ALWAYS been paid out Of the
rey ~ tho ielapIs tex IN million