The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1906-01-17
CONGRESSMAN HENRY SPEAKS
AGAINST THE PHILIPPINE
TARIFF BILL.

During ten years service III the
house of representatives it has been
my habit to support legislation when
ever recommended by all of the ma
jority members of the reporting com
mittees. With this record in mind
it is consoling to be assured that the
pending bill did not have the unqual-
flied approval of the republican mem
bership of the ways and means com
mittee. Nevertheless, regret that
the committee did not agree upon q
measure that with a consistent regard
for the interests of my constituents
could support ..-....
"The bill now being considered
would be more satisfactory to many il
amended to provide for a duty in the
islands 80 cents on filler and 81. So
per pound on wrapper tobacco import.
ed from elsewhere than the United
States-in other words, placing the
tobacco growing and cigar manufac'
turing industries of the island on q
common level, comforting the same
privileges with like restrictions as
in continental America,
SIN this connection I may say that
such an amendment was suggested by
my colleague, q member of the com.
mittee on ways and means, and was
understood to be acceptable to Score.
tary Taft.
lit is claimed doubtless with can
dor by advocates of the proposed leg
islation that if enacted American
wrapper tobacco will find a ready
market in the Philippine Isalnds.
"This is an attractive but delusive
proposition, and does not appeal tc
tobacco growers in Connecticut, Penn.
sylvania, or Florida, the principal
wrapper producing states, where it if
found difficult to compete with fine
light-colored Sumatra- grown wrap
pers, although subject to a duty OF
nearly 50 pound, and of which, de
spite a seemingly high duty, more
than 50, 900, 900 worth is annually
imported.
'With this fact in view, American
tobacco growers are naturally reluc.
tant to believe that Philippine cigar
manufacturers requiring light wrap.
pers will purchase the American.
grown article, when Sumatra, of su.
perior quality in some respects, can
be more easily obtained from a neigh
boring island by paying a duty OF
only 224 cents per pound, each pound
equal to wrapping nearly four times
the number of cigars than the same
weight of Connecticut wrappers will
cover.
eff the Philippines are to remain
permanently under American juris-
diction, as most of the statesmen,
members of the ways and means com
mittee, and other distinguished gen.
tlemen who recently visited the is
lands believe, then the Philippines
should be recognized as American ter
ritory, alike with Hawaii and Porto
Rico, and as congress may direct the
constitution and laws of the United
States should follow the national flag,
for under our form of government
there can be no place for colonial
system without endangering the sta.
bility of the republic. Wherever the
American flag is raised as token OF
sovereignty the constitution and rights
of citizenship inherent in that instru-
ment should speedily follow.
eff correct in the assumption that
the Philippine Archipelago will con-
tinue to be an American possessi on,
the ways and means committee should
withdraw the makeshift bill the house
is asked to approve and report COM
prehensive measure extending to the
Philippines the customs duties and
internal-revenue laws, the merchant
marine and coastwise shipping laws
now operative in our other insular
possessions. Should it be claimed
that our treaty obligations with Spain
prevent such drastic legislation at this
time, then say that until these obli-
cations lapse our first duty is to pro-
tect the rights of American citizens
rather than to consider the interests
of an alien race upon the other side
of the globe.
"When legislation upon the broad
lines have indicated is brought be-
fore congress it will be a patriotic
duty to support the measures proposed.
but until this is done, as a representa-
tive of one of the largest tobacco
growing interests in the country, a
constituency notably intelligent, pros
porous, and fair minded, a people who
usually reach correct conclusions and
who generally believe that the enact
ment of legislation proposed in the
bill before the house will be injurious
to important industries, must, when
a roll call is had, cast my vote in &C.
cordance with a sense of duty as we'll
as in Difference to the views of con-