The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-09-06

Bath, Me-. Sept. 6.-Firing telling
oroadsldes into the arguments Of SAM
uel Gompers, who seeks to array the
members OF the American Federation of
LABOR against candidates who have won
nus hn9. daspieasure and declaring that it be-
can congress in view Of the vast good
accomplished by the party under the
leadership Of President Roosevelt. Sec
rotary of War William H. Taft held the
attention of a vast audience in a sneech
dtIeHvered here last night in behalf of
the candidacy of Representative Little
heId, whom Gompers has chosen as the
su9Iect OF his political experiment.
the wonderful results achieved bv SIN.
port OF his recommendation in the in
terests OF the people, are the issue of
tarry Taft. ~ ''''A =
"Do we approve the course of Theo-
gore ROOSEVELT as president Of the
Uhlted States or do we disapprove itYN
a ASKS !, Mr. Taft. Thunderous applause
REM na the hall, showing implicit conf
oence In the nation s chief executive.
and appreciation Of labors in behalf of
the nation.
Results Are Shown. =
The railroad legislation enacted at
the recent session of congress, the ef-
iectlVe war on the trusts that has
brought the powerful Standard (lil
company to its knees, begging a cessa-
ton OF the'war against its notorious
practlces, were. cited as sufficient rea-
sons Tor trust in the president and in
uorsement OF his policies by the re-elec-
lion OF republican candidates for con-
gress: Tho useless and vehement de-
n!lunciations of trust evils without detin
lte remedies, Of a practical kind, the
practlce OF democrats, was set forth in
contrast Of the battle being waged IN
DER the guidance of the president that
IS fast curbing this evil. TO give
democracy power in congress would re-.
SUIT IN confusion and the estopping of
nv! 1ne war; temporarily at least, and the
loss Of much that already has been ac.
complished Wv
/, Inc prosperity of the nation under
the wise. administration of republi.
can president and congress was a no.
tent argument Of the secretary. The
lnad1sputable increase in the earnings
OF labor since 1900, proved by figures
VI me census bureau, were arrayed
aasalhs! the indefinite plea of Gompers
10 defeat men whom he had marked
for slaughter.
Republicans for Revision.
60; ;adsPseaki ne e. my individual opinion, -
sa1d mr.. Taft, II believe that since
the passage Of the Dingley bill there
mas been a change in the conditions Of
the country making it Just and wise
to revise the schedules Of the existing
tariH: the sentiment in favor of a
revision OF the tariff is growing in
the republican party, and in the near
future the members of the party will
doubtless' agree on a reasonable plan.
But the work of the present session.
which was pressing in it's urgency.
could never have been accomplished if
there had been introduced into con-
gress and the councils of the party
the heated discussions certain to arise
tariff -
The. difficulty Of wise and just re-
vision was cited in refutation Of the
announcements by reckless democratic
spellbinders of a speedy adjustment of
the trouble, in return for a vote.
Has intimate knowledge of the Phil
1pplnes made Mr.. Taft s treatment of
the Philippine tariff most important,
and is ). quoted here together with the
49,, The Philippine Tariff.
There is one important measure con-
sidered by the present. congress to
which | must refer. It passed the
house and is now pending in the SEN
ate. The bill provides that all goods
coming into the United States from
the Philippine islands, which are the
product. and manufacture of the Phil
ippine islands, shall come in free, ex-
cept sugar tobacco and rice. and these
ARTICLES shall pay duty Of 25 per cent
until 1909, when they shall come in
free. and that thereafter all goods and
products of the United States shall be
introduced free into the Philippine
islands. In other words, this is bill
to give to the people of the Philippine
islands the benefit of the markets Of
the United States the benefit Of the
free markets of the Philippines.
It is intended to build up the bust
ness of the Philippine isulanQs, encour-
age production and exportaEsAn by Of
fering to the producers Of those islands
a market in which the profit of dealing
is likely to develop their resources.
The bill passed the. house of repre-
sentatiyes by vote Of $50 to II and
received the support Of large part of
both the republican and democratic
members. In the committee Of the SEN
ate having charge Of the bill, however,
| it encountered the opposition of both
republicans and democrats. This oppo-
sition was based chiefly on the ground
that the sugar, tobacco and rice inter
ests of this country would be affected
injuriously by the development Of the
| sugar, tobacco and rice interests of the
Philippine islands, ~ ~ 3 =:
No Harm in Competition.
I am very hopeful that at the next
session of congress, the facts with re-
spect to this issue will come to be bet
ter known to both the republican and
democratic members of the senate, and
that they will underst and what the
truth is, that any business likely to
be developed in the Philippine islands
is so hampered by natural conditions,
by the insuffciency Of labor, by the
lack of capital and by the uncertainties
| of tropical agriculture, that neither the
sugar nor tobacco nor the rice inter
ests OF this country, enormous as they
are compared with those interests in
the Philippines, will be affected in the
slightest by. Philippine competition.
We in this country have to import
more than half the sugar which we con
sumo now, and if we were to let in the
! Philippine sugar it would not -tconsti-
tute more than one-tenth Of that (which
| now comes over the. tariff wall. The
conditions with respect to tobacco are
very much the same, and in regard to
rice, the fact is that it is being i'm
ported into the Philippines rather than
being exported. r.
| We are engaged in the. Philippine
islands in a great altruistic work. We
, islands without our design, and we find
bor dc or ~ ~