Show THE PHILIPPINE CONGRESS r 1 I The new Philippine assembly is starting off wellin well wellin wellin in some respects at least It has passed without a dissenting vote a bill providing for an appropriation of for public e education That is a first- first rate te sign It t points to a time in the near future when the men of those islands can claim the intelligence intelligence intelli intelli- g gence nce if not the level headedness to govern their own O country Further they h have ve asked the con congress ress of bf the United States to remove the tariff between bet the United States and the islands And Anda a repeal of the law restricting restricting restricting re re- re- re the coast trade of the islands to American ships The request to remove the tariff we think is absolutely just so Jong long as the United States holds the sovereignty of the islands We Ve do not see how in injustice injustice injustice justice this country can enforce a tariff upon one of f its islands in the Pacific any more than it can lay laya a t tariff rifI on California oranges oranges or M. M Missouri ouri hemp True the sugar makers want the tariff but we cannot see why f r. r They are not keeping up with the in in- creasing demand for sugar and this country countr paid foreign countries last year some l for sugar Those who know best hest inform us that with the tariff off not much mica more sugar Rugal would be made in the islands for the thus reason that hemp is a much more profitable crop Further the assembly asks s that if congress shall refuse them free trade that it then give i e to the islands through the insular government authority to conclude commercial treaties with other nations We Ve think that is a fair proposition for fOL certainly American protection should never in in its workings re result in oppression |