El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-12-16

Standard-Sampson And SChley
Reaching the TWO Billion
Mark-powderly's Proposition.
Special Correspondence of the HERALD.
WASHINGTON, Dec. IL, 1899.-The
house has created new committee of
II members on 'Insular Affairs" to
deal with our acquisitions during the
Spanish war. Samoa aud Hawaii do
not come within it's Jurisdiction. The
most interesting questions to come up
soon are likely to be those regarding
Porto Rico. The presidents aat-foot-
ed recommendation of absolute free
trade between that island and the Unit
ed States so far attracts more atten tfon
than any other portion of his lengthy
message. This If carried into effect
will put Porto Rico ON absolutely the
same basis as any other portion of the
''Sammies, a" as the Philippine soldiers
call it.
There Is sure to be hot fight over
the question with the sugar and tobac-
co people voting in the negative.
While Porto Rico itself is perhaps not
dangerous to the sugar folks of Lousi-
ana, California and Nebraska, ssince
our market is plenty big enough for
all, it is regarded as precedent.
With Porto Rico inside the customs
line, all the banana planting is
lands and Central America will have to
come in too or shut up shop, and Cuba
rui1 he. he
ever goes. With any extensive range
OF tropical territory enjoying free ad-
mission for it's sugar, the beet people
can not live. Cane in Cuba ia q weed;
good sugar beets anywhere are weak
lings as far as holding up their sugar
more than three or four generations
away from the laboratory selected seed.
Free trade anyhow promises to be
an issue this session. The republic
cans are drifting away from it in
measure and the democrats will pro-
badly embrace it more cordially by
reason thereof. AS a system 1t has
served its purpose aud our manufac-
turers can now do without it in most
industries, but it Is still convenient
way OF raising revenue, on the old
principle that the science of political
economy consists in raising the maxi
mum revenue with the minimum
squesl. Which a tariff undoubtedly
does.
Mr.. Roberts is in statu quo ante BIZ
bendum, which is interpreted to me by |
a Lstinist to mean before taking q |
drink. A large and enthusiastic COM
mittee is sitting on him metaphorical- |
~.
Mr.. Richardson as minority leader is
proving q success so far. Naturally he
has a chronic case of objection. SEN
stor Mason-but nobody takes Senator
Mason seriously. He is pro-Boer,
and generally CONTRA
y. Once upon q time he was one of
jhe brightest, cleverest men in con-
yress and he created a sensation in
disregard of the tradition that young
should be seen and not heard.
He is the author of the famous amend
nens to general deficiency bill last
session. providing ten cents day out
Of any funds not otherwise appropriate
ID to sprinkle baking soda around the
senior senator from Massachusetts.
Which as hit at Hoar's natur al acidi-
~ was not bad.
The fight has opened up on the gold
bill. 1t is proposed in the
house to debats it from Monday to Fri
lay, with five minute limits Saturday
nd put it to vote Monday week. This
vas strongly resisted by Richardson
md Bailey, but was finally carried by
! strict party vote. The democrats
charged undue haste in giving the
question ouly weeks debate and
sunted the republicans with a decided
hange in their opinions. Grosvenor,
f Ohio, who is a live wire as a rule, &C.
epted the latter soft impeachment,
aging the republican party was wiser
ow than it used to be and that the
democratic party .s the only we'll re-
ognized demonstration of a great Or
anization which had survived long
eriod without learning anything"
Which led to brief interchange of
srictly parliamentary chatting.
One of the New York penny dread I
lis has retained the Duke of Man {
hester as a congressional reporter and q
e has been herelthe past week. His at
'ntion so far seems to be mainly focus