North Park union., 1900-02-09
The second days debate in the Hc;us.

eIIS WuE uDt Ple6<ul UulAhS thC uAy :
Had he been he would have heard the
most scathing excOriation of the Nor
mons ever delivered upon the floor OF
the house. Mr.. Lands of Indiana. the
young orator who distinguished him
self during the last Congress In an ora
torical duel with Mr.. johnson of his
state, won new laurels. He charged
that Utah had been admitted to the
Union as a result Of Mormon con
spiracy, and reviewed the history of
the apostles of the church. whom he
charged with living In open and flag
rant violation OF the state law against
polygamy, to show that they hnd bnse-
ly broken their solemn pledge TO the
government.
A report prepared by Frank Ill.
Hitchcock of the Agricultural Depart
ment shows there has been great
development of our trade with China
and Japan during the past decade. In
the fiscal year 1899. the value of the
merchandise exchanged with these two
countries. including the port of Hong
Kong, reached SS7.305. .6SS. against
only 1924. 1GI in 1890. Figures given
show that in the decade there was II
gain of S2S.393.156 or 256 per cent.
In exports. while the increase In I'M
ports amounted to only $12.6lS.3G5, or
thirty-siX per cent. During the last
few years. in fact. the imports dis
closed an actual falling OF. the value
for 1899 being 81 .1G4. 131 less than that
for 1896. which was recorded mt $4S,-
9I9. .1G6. Our exports. on the other
hand, more than doubled during the
three years succeeding 1896.
Mr. Tracewell, the comptroller Of the
treasury, has rendered n decision to the
effect that common carriers which do
an interstate business and give party
rates" to theatrical and other orgnnizn-
tions. must give the same rates to the
general public under similar condi-
tions. and also to the government in
the transportation of troops. He says:
"A second question involved is whether
these party rates are subject to reduc-
tion when the service is rendered to
the government by the free or the fif-
ty per cent. land grant railroads. The
ground upon which hold that the gov
ernmcnt Is entitled to the benefit of
party rates is that said rates are avail
able for the general public and there
fore for the government. AS party
rates are charges. the general public
in cases like those now under consider
alton no more than fifty per cent. of
said rates can he charged"
The War Department has made pub
lie a statement showing the imports
at the port of Manila for the three
months of July. August and Septem.
ber last. being the first official data re-
lating to imports during so long n pc
riod since American occupation. The
total value of merchandise entered nj
the MANILA custom house from the
three months named was SJ,SO2.5S1. In
addition there WAS S5252O in gold coin
and S255.294 in silver coin from Brit
ish India. and S:'32.Io7 in silver coin
from China. bringing the aggregate of
imports up to SG.4i3. 102. or at the rate
of more than S25.3OO.000 IL year from
Manila alone. The growing nature of
the trade IS shown by Il comparison
with the amounts for all Philippine
ports for the fifteen years ending with
1894. during which time the average
yearly imports of the archipelago only
amounted to S1T.039.OiI. or approx.
matcly two-thirds of the valuation in,
dicatcd by the trade of three months
ending with September. 1889 for Ma.
Mia alone.
The fiat has gore forth from botl
Senate and White House that The rc
ciprocity treaties, against which vIsor
Gus protests have recently been filed by
western senators and representatives
are TO be abandoned. The State De
partmcnt has discovered that there H.
little chance for the ratification of the
treaties. owing to the fact that unless
this action is taken within the next six
~ days, the treaties will expire by linn
itntion. When the treaties were nrgo
tiated Il period was fixed in each with
in which ratification must take place ui
hp Nx-iIl fni 'rIt, tpU i'm.
treaty was concluded on July 10th last
and required to he ratified within seven
months from date. or by February
10th: that with France requires ratifi
cation before March 2Ith: those with
the British West Indies before March
22nd. With the unlimited debate rule
i'll the Senate. and the well organized
opposition to the treaties it is recog
niZed that ratification before the dates
of expiration by Limitation is out of tn,
question. and senators are advising
their constituents. whose interests We're
threatened by the reduction of tariff
duties proposed by the treaties, thai
danger from this cause is ended.
The Senate committee on Puerto Rico
has decided. so far as 1t can decide,
that the island whose affairs 1t has un-
der its particular care shall be known
as Porto Rico and not Puerto Rico. as
fixed by Il recent executive order. The
question came up Saturday In the meet
ing of the committee in connection with
the Foraker bill providing for form of
government for the island. and the de-
cision on the spelling of the name was
unanimous. The committee went over
the bill in detail, deciding upon many
changes in phraseology and some alter
ations in the general provisions Of the
measure. Probably one Of the most i'm
portant changes was to strike out the
word constitution" wherever II ap-
peared in the original print of the bill.
which extended the provisions of the
constitution as well as of the laws to
the island. The change was made be-
cause of the opinion generally express
ed by the members of the committee
that our constitution is not suited to
the Puerto Rico people. The opinion
was also quite general that the exten-
sion of the constitution was not neces-
snry. Some of the senators expressed
the opinion that the natives of the
island We're not yet prepared for jury
trials. Another important amendment
provides for the retirement of Puerto
Rican coins and substitutes for them
the coins of the United States.
The case of Brigham II. Roberts, the
Mormon representative-elect from
Utah, which has occupied SO much of
the attention of the House since the as