The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-11-30
FIGHT 10 REDEEM PLnDans.
Why Mir. Taft Let Place on Su-
 preme Bench GO.

Why Mir. Taft Let Place on Su-
 premc Bench GO.
 Washington Special to New York Eve-
 ming Post
 TO good many people tho efrort to have Congress enact law reducing or entirely removing the import duties paid by products Of the philippine Is lands coming into this country hos right, and has become a personal cru- ago. The inaction of Congress has cost pssms Beneh He Rlass %as wsIns Nn snf so to5e se so the ambition and desire of a life- time and stay in politics with the siE.- gle minded purpose of giving the Fill, homie relief which he believes to be their due.
 Tn last July. when 1t yas told that Mir. Taft had declined to accept the justice Brown and of the sscretarys : purpose to visit the islands IT. the conl- ing spring or summer, ft was also relinauishment of the honor he had looked forward to aimee he went vt the circuit bench was due to a desiT g to see the iong-pending Philippine tar- fir bill enacted into law. Tnis surmtse ia now definitely known to bo true. Mir. Haft did not refuse to go on the bench in order that he might seek further political honets. He will not be candidate before the Republican for the Presidency. He retained the portfolio of war to retain his conner. ton with the Philippine Islands ana to continue the aght to redeem the pledges he gave the FilipiDos.
 After rough and stormy progress, g bill was passed in the House last Jan- uary reducing the present duties Of tariff to twenty-five per cent on sugar, tobacco and rice. all other items of lm- portation to come in free. The bill provided further that after April II 1909. ali articles of n,erchandise gcing pine Islands and ail articles wholly the growth and product of the islands coming into the United States from the Philippines. should be admitted free of duty. This bill was fought In the House by a strong insurgent' movement, and was only whipped through by the employment of all the power of the Speaker and the pressure members. It went over to the Senate, and has lain there ever since. Senator Lodge has been unai 3 Jset it out of sachusetts Senator found that Q ma jority of the members of his own com mittee were opposed to the bill, he 70 reported to Secretary Taft, and It was Jet the whole proposal lie over until this winter.
 The President was q tip--tos with eagerness to get his rate !Asll through and was strongly adverse 70 clogging the legislative channels with any ex- traneous business. 1t now becOes Mr. Taft's problem to work the bill through the Senate In the coming short session, hardly more than eight leg- islative weeks. It is fairly assured that whatever sort of a measure the Senate agrees upon will be accepted by fine House The problem presenter to Secretary Taft is one of practical legislative politics. The arguments for this against a reduction of the duty on Philippine imports have been work ed threadbare by. constant ptlLion since the proposal was irss made ts Congress. There win be 10 necessity for long and tiresome hearings noe tedious technical Arguments on sugar and tobacco raising. It remains 10 al- lay the fears of those who believe tha' a reduction of the duties will swamp this country with "coolie-grown" tc- bacco and sugar to the exclusion of the high priced domestic product.