The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-02-05
THE PHILIPPINE
BILLS CHANCE
IN THE SENATE
Hale Is Believed to Have Power to
Kill lt.--HaWaiians in
Washington.

opposes it. Few doubt that if he is
! willing to oppose the administration
: to the extent of his power, on this
measure, it would never reach vote.
Mr.. Hale does not believe in the leg
islation. He thinks it unwise from
practically every point of view. In
this he is entirely consistent, for all
along he has declared his convictions
that our interference in affairs of the
Philippine Islands was i'll advised. He
is especially opposed to any modifca-
nearly everybody in Congress, that
lfhis bill, should it become a law
would be used as an opening wedge to
force a revision of the Dingley sched
ules.
With the Maine Senator in the COM
mittee struggle are Senators Burrows,
of Michigan; Nixon, of Nevada, and
Brandegee, of Connecticut, and posi-
bly,, Dick, of Ohio. The only Repub-
Hcans of the committee that Senator
Lodge is sure of are Senators Bever-
idge of Indiana and Long of Kansas.
So it remains for the Democrats of
the committee to decide whether the
administration bill shall have a ma
jority or a minority report.
q shall get my bill before the Sen
ate, said Chairman Lodge today.
1.-The vote, however, will be very
close. If I have not enough votes now
I believe I shall have enough before
we get ready to vote on the report
OF course, the unpleasant feature of
the situation for the President and
Secretary Taft, who have their hearts
set on the passage of the bill, is that
the opposition is so strong. A strong
opposition means that it will take
longer to reach a vote and that the |
vote may not be reached at all. AS
already stated if Mr.. Hale, who is now
the Republican leader of the Senate, |
is willing to oppose the bill with might |
and man, it is doubtful if it can pass. |
He told the President some time ago, |
when they were comforting on other |
matters, inst how he stood on the Phil |
ippine bill. 1t is not unlikely that |
AIr. Hale will have something to say
ahout the legislation, when it gets be- |
fore the Senate. At the same time,
with a statement of his position on |
r0"ord, he may yield, as the Senator |
rarely fights measure relentlessly |
y. .IcD the resident favors. Mr.. Hale |
has not, however, indicated yet how
far he viii go.
It is li4-elv that MANY of the stand
pat Republican Senators will go with
.nr. male in opposing the Philippine
bill. Several New Englanders will be
arraved AGAINST it, for, with the ex-
ception of Massachusetts, the New
Senators do not want tariff
sch edules touched. However, if the
bill comes to vote there are probably
n epublican Senators enough for it to
Join with Democrats who favor it TO
ensure the passage. In any event the
administration will hardly have any
occasion to feel proud over the enact
nent of the legislation. In the House
here We're Republicans enough CD
against the bill to have defeated it,
lad the Democrats voted solidly
against it. But the Democrats voted
almost solidly for the bill. In the
Senate there Will probably be some
What analogous situation, for it is very
doubtful if there will be Republican
senator's enough to pass the bill This
5 a very unusual situation, when both
he Senate and House have almost
wo-thirds majority of Republicans.
ERNEST G. WALKER.