The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-01-23
Tm Mrssenger.
PHILrppINE TARIFF Bill.

The debate on the Philippine tariff
bill which ended In the passage OF
that measure by the house of repre-
seutatives last Tuesday, was a most
interesting II and it showed, togeth-
er with the vote, that there are
many republican who think that the
time has come for a revision of our
present tariff laws, and it was also
shown-and that by republicans-that
the legislation of the American con
had not always been in the interest
of those people. \ most notable ex-
preston regarding the latter was
that of Mr.. Crumpacker, of Indiana,
in a speech delivered January 18th in
which he said:
About two years ago congress passed
a law extending the coastwise laws of
the United tates to the Philippine
Archipelago, to become operative on
the 1st day Of July. 1906. After that
law goes into operation every pound
of freight and every passenger between
the United States and the Philippine
stands must be carried in an Armeri-
can boa It is admitted on all hands
that the effect of the law win DE to in
crease substantially the rate on COM
merce and travel between the United
States and the Philippines. 1t is now
generally conceded by those who are
familiar with the situation that the
law will operate diSaStrOuSly upon the
and the prosperity of the
people of the islands. That Law was
clearly not in the interest of the people
of those islands. put was for the :.:le
benefit OF the ~shipOWners and ship
builders of the United States.
The following extract from a speech
made on the 18th instant by Mr.. WIKI
liams. the democratic leader, gives in
the last paragraph the substance of
the committee majority bill, the II
which the house passed. 1t provides
for free trade between the United
State and the Philippines on all pro-
ducts except three. sugar, tobacco and
rice-the last having been added to
the exception clause after Mr. Viii.
liams' speech. These are to pay
twenty-five per cent OF the duties i'm
posed by the Dingley bill.
1t will be seen that the democratic
a thinks the republicans are be-
ing driven toward tariff revision and
II this bill is the first step in that
WrefflQn: He said in part:
Mr.. Chairman: We have Just listen-
ed to another Of those we'll known reg
publican speeches upon the tariff uues-
ton which illustrate the aptness of the
Latin adaSe. "Qui ambulat in tencbris,
nescit quo Vadit." Whoever walks in
n shadows is ignorant beforehand Of
the point at which he is coming out.
The closing part Of that speech illus
trated the fact that when a tariff kill
fails it benefits the American people.
The object in imposing a tariff is to
raise the price of the article upon
winch 1t Is imposed. If the tariff be
imposed for protection. whenever it
fails to do that. then the object of
the protectionist has failed. and tnen
the protectfonist in due course Of time
comes before the American
and boasts of its failure as n Of Inc
BLESSINGS of nrotectionism.
T Th6 gentleman has lust shown that
American salt is so much cheaper than
foreign salt that American meat cur
ers use it all the time. He has proved
that the object in laying a protective
tariff upon salt has failed, and Their
the gentleman congratulates the coun-
try upon the benefits which were de-
rived for the consumers from cheap
salt.
Now, MI. Chairman. if a man We're
to attempt to dam up a stream and
We're to discover afterwards that the
stream had dug itself a new channel
around the dan with a current as
strong as ever. n were to come in
n boast that he had created an ad-
ditiOnal current, he would stand in
just about the attitude that the gen.
tleman stands.
Mr.. Chairman. let us get our bear
ings. I want to talk about these par
ticular bills. What is the choice Of the
house today when it comes to the qes-
ton of fixing the commercial relations
between the Philippine islands and
continental United States or the bal
ance of TIE United States? We stand
with a majority bill before us. and I
am glad to welcome as it's advocates
among the democratic following in this
house the A~gamemnon of the republl-
can party. the gentleman from New
York (Mr Payne):e old Ulysses him.
self. the gentleman from Ohio (Mr.
Grosvenor). and young Achilles. per-
haps with a vulnerable heel. but moth
ing else vulnerable about him. the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr.
Dalzell). Laughter.) The gentleman
from Colorado was right when he said
these gentlemen even in advocating
their own bills We're following in dem
ocratic footsteps. We nave been for
years trying to drive the republican
party to the very position which this
majority bill NOW expresses. and what
strikes me as . Iriuus is that there are
some few mel. upon this side of the
chamber who. when we have succeeded
in bringing them to that position. want
us now TO quit driving because they
are about to do what we have been
trying to make them do for years. One
proposition before the house is he
majority bill. What is it? 1t is a rec
ignition of the democratic claim that
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