The Philippines and Recent Tariff Legislation Author(s): Charles G. Washburn Source: The Journal of Race Development, Vol.

1, No. 1 (Jul., 1910), pp. 75-85 Published by: Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/29737848 . Accessed: 04/10/2013 02:05
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THE PHILIPPINES AND RECENT TARIFF LEGIS? LATION

By Congressman Charles G. Washburn. during the Conference upon

An Address Delivered

at Clark University
the Far East.

I hope it is no impeachment of the intelligence of my coun? trymen when I say that I doubt if, outside of this audience,
course, declaration of one intelligent of war with person Spain, Islands. would, in ten have could, before located, there was have the on not correctly I am sure that at that time,

the map, the Philippine one in a hundred who should they

contem?

plated with anything but disapproval the suggestion that we

acquire do an area over those as sovereignty islands, covering over two and one-half times that of the state

of New York, and with a people speaking many different dialects; and yet this result, effected in the treaty of Paris,
was apparently of the American been accepted people. of insurrection the since 1896, an insur? with approval by a great majority

When we assumed control of the Philippine Islands they

had in a condition not rection only against Spanish of the friars as a political but for government, element in the commu?

the removal

nity, who held large areas of agricultural land in the thickly populated provinces, which they leased to 60,000 or 70,000
tenants. treaty natives ation treaty Conditions of Paris to work, a difficult was was were ratified, unsettled and in April, guerrilla the 1899, when warfare continued

until June, 1902. This, coupled with a disinclination

and dislike one. in of the Americans, in January, Meantime, the Senate, Commission, investigate constructive made

of the
the situ? the

1899, while

appointed "Sehurman Commission the be condition

pending the first was

President

Philippine to Commission" able that to do no of war

McKinley as the known The

conditions.

remembered

of work, because then existing in the islands. It should at one time we had more than 65,000

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76

CHARLES G. WASHBURN

men under arms in the Philippines

the to insurrection the Commission extract there. can from

engaged in suppressing

The spirit of the instructions given by President McKinley

following perhaps them : be best understood by the

are enjoined of this duty, the commissioners In the performance and to to meet at the earliest possible day in the city of Manila their presence and the mis? announce, by a public proclamation, sion intrusted to them, carefully setting forth that, while the mili? is to be maintained and con? already proclaimed tary government tinued so long as necessity may require, efforts will be made to to establish industrial and com? the burden of taxation, alleviate and to provide by such means as may be found mercial prosperity, ... It is my desire that . . . the com? conducive to these ends. for all the ideals, customs, and exercise due respect missioners the population, of the tribes which institutions compose empha? of the intentions the just and beneficent sizing upon all occasions of the United States. government

The President
sioners may

then expressed the hope that the commis?

in a manner due to them as "bearers

be received than

of the good will, protection,

rather liberating In February, of which Mr.

and the richest blessings of a

appointed, of organiz? the islands ^undertak?

a conquering nation." a new was Commission 1900, for the purpose Taft was chairman, The Commission reached full authority on September

ing civil government. in June and assumed lands funds ber, as were raised 1900, not

ing the duty of enacting

legislation

in such parts of the is?

at war and making from appropriations civil for Between taxation Novem? purposes. by visited and April, every por? 1902, the Commission

tion of the archipelago,

and

established
certain

civil government in 37
in which the people elect? limitations establish?

in 800 municipalities, provinces own ed their officers, and, within

and determined the amount of ed by law, fixed their salaries of Mr. the the reelection Fed? their taxes. McKinley, Upon a platform of peace eral party was under upon organized, in the the belief that islands would be American sovereignty, governed government the With ized civil for the benefit would cooperation government be of the Filipinos, extended gradually of this party, in substantially and to that the popular people. organ?

the Commission all of

the provinces.

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PHILIPPINES

AND

TARIFF

LEGISLATION

77

July 1, 1901, military government was declared to be ended. Upon the appointment there of the civil governor, the Com?
mission three nine. finance consisted Filipinos. In addition was justice, and four other Americans of the governor, The number has since been increased legislative at the head of one interior, commerce to the work each and to

American

commissioner instruction.

of of the departments and police, and public

Peace was officially declared to exist by President velt's proclamation of amnesty of July 1, 1902, the the organic act passed by Congress: "To provide administration of the affairs of civil government Philippine Islands." This act provided that within two years after the
tion of a census, for the choice to be taken when peace should

Roose? date of for the in the comple?

be completely to be known

established and continued, a general election should be had

of delegates to a popular assembly,

as the Philippine Assembly. Under the military administration, civil courts had been established, and the Commission passed a law dividing the islands into fifteen districts, establishing a court of first in?
stance in each district, and a supreme court of seven. A Fili?

pino was appointed

chief justice of this court, with two Fili?

This act of the Commis? pino and four American colleagues. in the organic sion was confirmed act, and an appeal was pro?

vided to the Supreme Court of the United States.

For the

of suppressing the Philippine constabu? purpose lawlessness, was officered of 5,000 Filipino men, lary organized, consisting as a act who force to aid the local by Americans, police officers. Reference ship were of land. owned has been These made to the friars and their owner? to 425,000 acres, lands, amounting of the religious orders; theDominincans, num? and the Recoletos. tenants Their persons. was These called and to go lands were appro? by Agui? established, to recover

by three

the Augustinians, or 70,000 bered 60,000 tional naldo.

priated to the republic of the Philippines

which convention, When order was bodies were restored enabled

by the constitu?

into existence the courts into court

the religious

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78

CHARLES G. WASHBURN

from tenants the rent which had been in arrears since 1896,
from the in case of non-payment, to eject the tenants con? a serious The tenants were to and inclined resist, It was dition confronted the Philippine government. and, land.

happily relieved of its difficulty by the purchase of the land by the government for $7,000,000.
Another perplexing question involving an extended exami?

nation was the claim for damages by the Roman Catholic Church for the occupation and destruction of property by the United States troops. This involved the payment to the archbishop of Manila in the Philippine Islands, as the
representative and occupation and trustee of the Roman Catholic in said Church, islands,

the sum of $403,030.19 in full satisfaction of all claims for use

of the property of said church

and for damages done thereto by the military forces of the United States prior to January 15, 1906. Involved in the settlement of this claim was the judicial determination of the fact that the right of possession and control of these proper? ties, exercised by the Roman Catholic Church prior to 1898,
was complete.

The Philippine
because Only of the seven per fact

problem has been made more

that of as a whole the people them speak Spanish, are the

difficult
ignorant. remaining

cent

93 per cent speak 16 different dialects. Much has been done

in establishing a common-school and the schools are system, conducted in English. in our control, 1,000 teachers Early were sent from the United States. The work is under the charge schools, domestic something engaged 400,000. Section That deprive no of the Bureau primary, of Education, arts intermediate, and and there trades, schools. are now 3,687

and provincial science, over 700 American in this work. 5 of law the The

high and 6,000

agricultural, are There teachers is about

enrollment

Filipino of pupils

shall

act of July organic 1, 1902, provides: be enacted in said islands which shall

of life, liberty or property without due any person of law, or deny to any person therein the equal process of the laws. protection These include all those of the Federal Constitu guaranties

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PHILIPPINES

AND TARIFF

LEGISLATION

79

tion excepting the right to bear arms and trial by jury. The writ of habeas corpus runs without obstruction; the liberty
of the press and freedom of speech is complete.

The Philippine
guaranteed than

Assembly,

numbering

80 members,
October

and

in the organic

act of 1902, met

16, 1907.

This Assembly must contain not more than 100 and not less
50 members, among by the Commission apportioned the provinces to The Philippine legis? according population. and the Assem? lature consists of two bodies, the Commission

bly.
up

Before the elections to the Assembly,

various parties. was the The partido

there had sprung

progresista, there were

nacionalista Then

which believed that the people were not ready for immediate
nacionalista inmediatista, partido immediate all nacionalista partido explosivista, urgent?simo, as of of insistence, degrees independence varying parties were known The conservatives by the names. suggested as as progresistas, for immediate and those independence nacionalista independence the partido conservative party.

nacionalistas.
were progresistas, who pendientes, of among various

Of the 80 members
30 were had shades not nacionalistas, committed

of the Assembly,
and themselves and the 20 were

16
inde?

question

immediate

independence, of opinion.

the upon rest scattered

The
the Benito

two commissioners

to the United

States chosen by

as provided for in the organic act, were Mr. a a Mr. Pablo and Ocampo, progresista, Legarda, in the House have seats These commissioners nacionalista. legislature, and the right of debate. of Representatives are Manila for export The chief products of the islands cocoanut and tobacco. copra or dried sugar, meat, hemp,

Rice The

and is the staple food of the people. produced for sugar is not as good as that in Cuba; suitable are nec? or the United and wrappers from Sumatra States is also land in the manufacture of these in earlier to 265,000 that industries times tons. there should be levied all articles of will when that It is not likely cigars. the increase point beyond of sugar the highest export

essary either reached amounted was

In the tariff bill which became a law on August 5, 1909, it

provided upon

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80

CHARLES

G. WASHBURN

coming into the United States from the Philippine Islands the same rates of duty paid upon like articles imported from foreign countries, excepting, with certain limitations, that
all articles the growth or product or manufacture of the

Philippine Islands, excepting rice, shall be admitted into the United States free of duty and also excepting in any
fiscal tobacco year sugar and filler in excess tobacco when of 300,000 mixed gross tons, wrapper or packed with more and cigars pounds, of this, all articles,

than 15 per cent of wrapper

tobacco in excess of 300,000

in excess of 1,000,000 filler tobacco pounds, excess of In consideration in 150,000,000.

with certain limitations, the growth, product ormanufacture of the United States are to be admitted free of duty into the Philippine Islands. There appears now to be objection on the part of the Filipinos to free trade with the United States.
Mr. Legarda, the internal one of the Filipino commissioners, a view in a

speech in the House of Representatives

that revenue revenue in anticipation States, drew

on April 3d last, said

to provide a portion of the sums than

law, enacted with of the time when of taxes

customs revenues should be lost through free trade with the

United in the way greater

were justified by the economic condition of the islands, and that in order to get the surplus into circulation, pending the establishment of free trade with the United States, the
Philippine public government which works, made cannot continuous now be for appropriations without abandoned

doing great injury to the public interests. He said that the production of sugar is only about one half what itwas during the latter years of the Spanish r?gime, and that it can be
increased States increase only as the result of great he says effort. that it will In speaking result not of in

the free market

afforded, to a limited extent, in the United

sugar,

to Philippine

largely increasing imports into the United

States, but to an

for Philip? the natural market in the price in China, same true of the is that and Philippine sugar, thing pine for re? Mr. Legarda thinks that, had the proposition cigars. before the Philippine free trade been made Assembly ciprocal to it, no made was been have would opposition created,

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PHILIPPINES

AND TARIFF

LEGISLATION

81

but that now they take a different view, because of the fact
that mated the will create an esti? free entry of American products deficit of $2,500,000 and that no way is now annually,

seen in which to make up this deficit. He is of the opinion that it would have been better if instead of free entry with?
out limit of American to necessity agricultural needed of the products, such free and confined prime machinery for the agricultural islands. entry had been of other articles and industrial

development

In closing his speech, Mr Legarda said :

The Filipino for what the American people are not ungrateful has accomplished and is accomplishing for them in government In several respects the laws which govern the Fili? those islands. pino people are superior even to the laws in some of the most states of this union. advanced We have a superior system of laws regarding coinage and weights and we have practically and measures, banished from the islands the curse of opium and drug-using. We have in operation a most banks and an agricultural system of postal-savings satisfactory bank, and, as I said before, in these and several other respects the Filipino people have reason to be and are grateful to the American in those islands. government The Congress of the United States has always been inspired in its acts by principles of justice and wise equity. has it Especially demonstrated its generosity and liberality when the interests of the poor and the weak were at stake. The Filipino people believe that, coming before this Congress with a just cause, they will re? ceive the same measure of equity as that which the American in this Congress, have always, people, through their representatives in the past, conceded under similar circumstances. My firm conviction has always been, and remains to this day, un? shaken that a prosperous and happy future smiled on the Philip? Islands from the moment that the Americans pine planted there the flag which represents liberty, progress, and civilization. Mr. Ocampo, the other commissioner, a speech who made at the same time, and who is in favor of independence of the a fixed time, expressed islands within the opinion that free trade would be disastrous to the islands, it would because cut part off the customs of the revenue. which receipts, He said, in part constitute : the greater

The internal creased without all undergone

revenue taxes in force in the islands cannot be in? them odious to the taxpayers, who, having making sorts of calamities the economic through which

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82

CHARLES G. WASHBURN

of that country have been subjected conditions for the past ten and unwilling to be taxed any more. years, are already exhausted can? On the other hand, the budget of the Philippine government not be radically decreased, for reasons obvious to the upper branch of the Philippine The Assembly, in its initial session, legislature. to reduce the appropriations undertook of the insular government thus the long-felt wish of the people; but little was ac? interpreting bill came from the upper complished when finally the appropriation The reason that has always been alleged in opposition house. to reforms of this kind is that the reduction of the high salaries paid to American officials would involve the risk of the government not having of the competent men to serve in the administration are capable islands. This fear ought not to exist, for the Filipinos of holding responsible positions at much less salary than that paid were the government to Americans, only to do complete justice to the native, who, in whatever position he may have been placed, has always proven that he knows his business. As and the bearing the first upon this subject, paid to I may add that the average officer in the were and

salary paid to the Filipino

average salary

is about $37.50 in gold per month,

the American there were 2,479

employe

in the Philippines
of January, and employes,

is about $130 per month.

1908, of which Americans

On
service

day officers 6,559 and 4,080 were Filipinos. Both the commissioners resolution of

were in support speaking the Philippine in Assembly opposition trade between the islands and the United States. In closing his speech, Mr. Ocampo said :

of the to free

If really the retention of the Philippines is not done with the object of exploiting them, but to uplift and liberate them, as here? tofore admitted by the American in good faith people and believed this House of Representatives should not pass by the Filipinos, section 5 of the Payne bill, which provides for a free trade between this country and the Philippines. The only reciprocity we ask is that our sugar and tobacco be admitted here free of duty, evento the limited quantities set forth in the bill, and in exchange allow all and implements of United States manu? agricultural machinery facture free admission into all ports of the Philippine islands. After the Philippine Islands free trade become independent, would be more to both countries. The United advantageous States would be able then to reimburse herself, through the com? merce that would be established between the two countries, for all the expenditures of the islands, upon the occupation consequent and the Filipinos would be in a better position to develop the resources of their country. of this Therefore, taking advantage

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PHILIPPINES

AND TARIFF LEGISLATION

83

of the political aspect offered by the close connection opportunity I ask in the which the question bears upon its economic viewpoint, name of my people?better in the name of the still, I request in the most of the Philippines?imploring inhabitants 8,000,000 a to resolution that Congress adopt granting respectful attitude, if not now, at least the Philippine their independence, Islands after a definite number of years. In this way the American people as it the Philippines will sanctify the noble work of liberating liberated Cuba and other countries.

I have dwelt at some length upon the views expressed by

these coming has been cost two men from the because they possess representatives, to us. peculiar acting under interest instructions as

from the Philippine Assembly,

entrusted us?" It

of the people whose welfare " What do the Philip?

easily to a recent asked than the has inquiry, that no compilation

The question
pines satisfactorily War Department

is frequently asked,

is a question In reply answered. has informed me

more

ever been made

of expenditures

out of the United

States

of the Philippine Islands. Such expendi? treasury on account tures have been made of several bureaus different by many of the government, and in the case of different departments a great many expenditures it would be impossible to say

what part of them, if any, should be chargeable to the Philip? pine Islands. Since the occupation of the Philippine Islands the military forces of the United States have, in addition to performing their usual functions in the United States during
of peace, in Cuba, Porto Rico, Hawaii and operated accounts and War not have been China, Department kept as to show what in such a manner part of the cost of main? times

taining the army is properly chargeable to the Philippine

Islands. It is also in our to ascertain what part of the impossible naval establishment is due to the retention of War, in his increase of the

Philippine
Secretary

Islands by the United States. Mr. Taft, then the

the cost

special report of January, 1908, said of to the cost the the United war, that, excluding a year. States of remaining in the islands is about $5,000,000 This would of the expense be exclusive trie bay of fortifying of Manila, the port of Iloilo and the port of Cebu, necessary

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84

CHARLES G. WASHBURN

to withstand the attack of an enemy upon the islands, and which, as the Secretary said, may reach a total of $10,000,000.
He to that this should not be charged contended, however, we as to need and for? should maintain the Philippine policy, we have the Philip? in the Orient, whether tify coaling stations pines or not.

If the entire cost of the 12,000 troops now in the islands should be charged there, it would amount to $12,000,000 annually. The 5,000 Philippine scouts would cost $1,000,000
more, and transportation to and from the islands and among

the islands might amount to $3,000,000 more. The opinion has been expressed that, ifwe did not possess the Philippines, our naval budget might be cut down $25,000,000 a year, and
our cost of repairing battleships and support of a navy yard

there has been estimated at from $2,000,000 to $4,000,000 annually. Without pursuing the subject further, it is per? haps fair to say that the expense of holding the Philippines would be stated by an advocate of the existing policy at not to exceed $5,000,000 a year, while a critic of that policy might contend that directly and indirectly it involved an
expenditure unwise of $40,000,000 purely a year, more We or less.

The question of whether

is now our own

our Philippine
have will

policy is wise or
assumed commend The certain itself Com?

academic.

responsibilities.
satisfy Congress

We must discharge them in a way which will

consciences and which in the

to the judgment of the civilized world.

a very lively interest

I do not find in in the

subject.

mittee

on Insular Affairs, of which

I was a member

of great importance before had but one matter 60th Congress, was of the the Roman and settlement claims of that the it, Catholic Church to which I have referred. What we must of the men to do is to maintain be careful the high character we send to the Philippines, and to strive to keep in sympa? thetic touch with the needs of that distant people, numbering of 7,000,000. upwards

Intelligent
the demands tial condition ours is that

legislation will be had, but only in response to

of an intelligent to the successful who The sentiment. a of government operation public are the ultimate arbiters essen? like of all

the people,

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PHILIPPINES

AND TARIFF

LEGISLATION

85

public questions,
discussion

shall form correct opinions.

To this end
for the the

and for this reason is essential, every means it should be encouraged. promoting true of conferences like this, under This is particularly patronage lux,77 with of a great the rays institution of learning, where only

truth is sought, whose seal bears the inspiring words uFiat

of the sun above of our men shining upon the open exclu?

book below.
that

It is amost hopeful sign, and one full of promise,

learned are no longer

the activities

sively absorbed, as in earlier days, in the study of the humani? and alluring as that subject is?but, in part ties?important at least, are directed to a solution of the social, political and economic problems which must be dealt with if any intelli?
gent progress is to be made.

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