Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-11-21
-ASOtRS NOT GETTING SQUARE DEAL
Trade Regulations and Tariff
Laws Are Inconsistent.
'EOPLs ARE BETWEEN TWO MlLLsToSEs
Laws Complained of Made for Merchant
Marine, Sugar and Tobacco Trusts.
THE DANGER is LARGELY IMAGINARY
Exports of Both Products sfrom
Islands to United states Cannot
Become Large Enough 20 he
DisturbinG Factor.

KANSAS CITY. Mo, Nov. 2o-secretary
OF War William H. Taft. who was the
guest of honor here tonight at the annual
banquet OF the Commercial club. said in
responding TO tho toast The Philip
pines"
The Philippine islands are ours and
must hc ours for more than a generation.
to act as legislators viii not live 10 sec
the day when separation consistent with
the welfare OF tho Philippines can he
made.
The occasion Of the banquet was the
anniversary of the signing of the John jay
commercial treaty. Plates were laid for
900 and the capacity Of the hall room at
the Midland hotel was taxed to it's utmost
Secretary TAFT had arrived from ST Louis
early in the day In company with D. r
Francis, S. NJ. FELTON,, president of the
Chicago & Alton railway, and Corwin H.
Spencer of St. Louis After being es-
corted from the railway station by 80
colored troopers Of the Ninth cavalry, Fort
Leavenworth, to the Commercial club
rooms, where a public reception was held,
he was rendered a luncheon and later
driven over the city. Thousands of per-
sons greeted Secretary Taft during the
day and everywhere he was given the
most enthusiastic reception. Immediately
after the dinner he left for Chicago on a
special train over the Chicago & Alton.
Secretary Tafts Speech,
At the banquet Senator Warner was
toastmaster Secretary Taft was given an
ovation when he arose to speak. lie said in
part:
a Filipino may well question The good
faith of our declarations that we are there
ts tor their 81, good good when we decline to open our
them the benefit of the markets of this
great country for the things which they
which congress is responsible affecting the
Philippine islands, there are hut two acts
which can be criticised as having self
ish motive One is what we might call
the coastwise act, the effect Of which is
to require that after July |, 1906, all freight
from the Philippine islands to the United
States and the reverse shall be carried In
American bottoms. And the other is the
of the philippine islands coming into the
United States % per cent Of the pingiey
The eoastwise act il sdbposed TO b. IN
the interest Of the American merchant
marine. As a matter of fact II would
never prove to be so, but really II can have
no other motive. The imposition Of a tax
upon the Philippine products coming into
eXeuding PbIinnino TOT tne PURPOSE or
products common to both the Philippines
and the United States, to-wit: sugar ana
| to come into effect, and the tax upon
Philippine products is not removed we
detensible position that for the purpose OF
| the sale Of the Filipino products by the
Fllipinos, the Philippines shall be regarded
ana treated as foreign country, while
| for the purpose Of furnishing business to
the American Merchant Marine they shall
be treated a domestic country, and
shall be made to pay the higher rate OF
/ freight which such a coastwise provision
necessarily entails and implies. The OBJ
| fellow citizens, is to enlist your sympathy
IN an efort so to amend the Legislation on
! tent IN our conduct OF the Philippines. and
| shall repeal laws which will give the liz
! 10 every assertion of disinterestedness and
| good faith in our dealing with our wards
| Of the Pacific.
The LEGISLATION proposed for the relief
application Of the coastwisa trading laws
| TO the trade between the Philippine islands
and ana the United States until 1909, the re,
( duction of the tariff on SUGAR and tobacco
| from 70 per cent to % per cent OF the
/ DlngIey rates and other products of
! the Phiipnines, free trade until 1909 when
there shan be complete free trade in the
products OF either.
The two interests in this country that are
arraNed In opposition to free trade with
| the Philippine islands are the sugar inter
! est and the tobacco interest
What the Analysis shows.
| IL wiz be found, when the facts are fully
! anaiy2ed that these complaining interests
are not oDlecting TO this measure of Justice
I 10 the Philippines because Il Is going 10
cause them immediate loss but becaus..
! the encouragement that the American MAJ
/ ket Will give to the production OF tohacco
and and sugar in the Philippines, there may
come a une when the tobacco and sugar
| OF the Philippines will enter into conopetI-
| ton with that which they produce in this
| country. In order that there should be
any danger whatever they have 10 build
| hypothesis upon hypothesis and to expand
! a business in the tropics with the same
| degree Of arithmetical fervur that Colonel
Sellers painted the profits OF his eye WASH
! 20 be purchased so eagerly by 400,0CO,0OO OF
people In China. The attitude OF these men.
who really know the facts, cannot be de-
scribed as other than the quintessence OF
selhshness In opposing the gradual better
bacco in the Philippines by opening the
American market, when their fear of in
probable In the years 1851, lSSS and 1889
I some three fourths Of all the Philippine
sugar In the Philippine islands was sub
stantially twice what it is now, or 10000
tons annually. In the year 1902 not pound
Of Philippine sugar came to the United
sugar were imported from the Phil
ippncs into the United States and there
/ were, imported from other countries about
Of Hawaii and Porto Rico, which are re-
garded as United States territory just
we believe the Philippines ought to be re-
garded. Philippine sugar in other words
made up ~ per cent OF the value OF the
about tho same relative showing is made
The United States. then. seems TO be spend
ing cents for sugar from the Philippine
lSldilAn tE'iA lllil' u ol''li'Al a h"lAal lbl
Cuban sugar II the United States took
all the Philippine sugar produced. il would
not cNpend more than G7s pcr cent Of that
which IL is spending for this article IN
cuba alone. or 2-s per cent Of what u IL
/ spending IN n foreign countries including
! Cuba To state the case I'm another way.
This country is now using about 2a0OH
! tons Of sugar a year. or this about 10000
tons are raised IN Hawaii. Porto Rico and
thr United states proper. II Is necessary.
, therefore. 20 import 10000 tons. or these
I a. present I so 600 tons are imported from
! Cuba. and n pays 80 per cent or the Ding
lev rate Of duty. 010oO tons are imported
| nom other foreign countries and this sugar
pays 100 per cent OF the present Dingley
! rates.
Philippine sugar Possibilities.
! The amount Of sugar raised In the Phil
ippines for export IN the year ending July
l. 1904 was $500 tors; Tor the year end
Ing JuIy l. 1896. about 10000. As long as
The United states demand creates the need