The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-04-03

Ills limitations are only those OF any
commander In chief OF a nation"
rs not he bound BY his oath Of officer
asked Mr. Tiilman. ~.
81 do not suppose" retorted Mi.
| Spconer that because the president took
his constitutional oath OF oihce no Il
bound to take a copy OF the Constitution
In his pocKet wherever the a. my under
him may go. The president Is in Puest,
Rico just as he is Ia the Philippines, 9dst
as he was in California after the treaty
OF ccsslon. He is there under the war
pswer and he Will remain there IN the
exercise OF that power until congress sha
legislate for Pusrto Rico By the eker-
clse Of that power he changed some OF
the Puerton Rican laws and modined the
Puerto Rican tariff"
In answer to o question by Mr.. TIL.
man as to why Puerto Rico should be
treated differently from the territories OF
the United States, Mr.. Spouner declared
/ the pending measure was the most gener-
! Gus ever proposed for any territory be-
longing to he United States and the pea
pie OF the island were being tleated thus
! differently from the territories because
they were In dire distress.
Mr.. Spooner maintained that territory
acquired by the United states over whlth
the constitution had been extended could
not be disposed OF by congress aud de-
manded to know how he could proceed to
establish stable government under the
| constitution in the Philippines, FOR in
stance, and then later cede the islands,
either to another nation or to the Fiji
p.nos Themselves. II the constitution ex-
tended over the territory automatically
that territory never could be coded away.
"Can congress cede back the Gadsden
purchaser" inquired Mr.. Pettus.
al think So Mr.. Spooner replied.
But" said Mr.. Pottus. at can not
cede away Alabama. The widest re-
publican would not 90 so far as that.
The constitution is in New Mexico, how
ever"
ut is there only by statute" replied Mr..
spooner. But II the constitution had
gone there of it's own force congress
would have no power to cede it back"
At some length Mr. Spooner drew a dis
tinctiun between the taxes placed by con
gress on n conquered territory and ON the
States. In this instance tho tariff was
levied. not for the Nation, bit for Puerto
Rico The tax, he said, was tax on the
articles of production, and not a duty pail
for entering the products into the United
States.
Mr.. spooner declared there would be
no mercy in extending 20 Puerto Rico the
internal revenue taxes of the United
states-taxes which levied upon the cti-
kens of every territory Of the United
States-and nothing more brutal could bo
devised by congress than the free trade
proposition In the first draft OF the Puerto
Rican BILL"
An alluson being made further along
to the lobby. which Mr. SDooner said Was
urging free trade with Puerto Rico, Mr..
Bacon suggested: "Mr Oxnard appeared
before the committee"
Yes" retorted Mr. Spooner and ala
the committee pay attention to him?"
1T looks So responded Mr.. Bacon
"The committee did what he demanded"
THE idea that the congress of the Unit
ed states eau be Influenced to do injustice
10 tho people of Puerto Rico" declared
Mr. Spooner. vehemently, by Mr.. Oxnard,
or any protected interest, is libel on our
institution that ought not to be uttered
here. and ought not to find Judgment any
where
Il want 10 repeat that large and in
dustrious lobby-and say what | know--is
here endeavorng to induce congress to
pass a free trade bin"
Il don't think" interrupted Mr. Bao1,
tartly, that any one of that lobby has
doomed II to his interest to speak 10 amy
other senator on this side OF the cham
ber."
Mr.. Foraker, in charge of the bill, said
Mr. oXnnrd had appeared before the COM
mittee put since then he (Foraker) had
not seen him
Mr.. spooner concluded with an earnest
appeal for the passage Of the measure
Mr.. Perkins (CaL), one OF the members
of the committee which framed and re-
ported the pending bill next addressed
the senate in support ei,the measure.
In speech following that OF MIR Per-
ldns Mr.. simon (Rep, ore) declared chat
he should vote agalisjt the pending meas
urc He did not regard 1t as party meas
ure and, while he disliked to separate from
the majority on the republican side Of the
chamber, he felt fully Justified IN his
course, He was assured, he said. that the
people of Oregon were entirely in accord
With him In opposing the measure. They
were, he said, earnestly in favor of free
trade between Puerto Rico and the United
States as O matter of good faith. He did
not think the enactment of the bill into
law would cause the loss OF the State to
the republican party. But II there Is any
one act passed by this congress that will
render Il doubtful this is the one"
Mr.. simon was proceeding TO elaborate
on what, he said, had been promised to
tho people OF Puerto Rico when he was In
terruptel by Mr. Foraker.
What pledge or promise has been made
70 the people OF Puerto Rico which Is not
kept in this blllp'
Mr.. simon was about 10 read what Gem
eral Miles announced TO the islanders in
his proclamation. when Mr.. Foraker took
the words out of his mouth, 50 to speak,
Remaining that the pending measure was
perfectly in limo with that Proclamation
Mr.. Spooner called attention TO the fact
that in any event General Miles had not
been Kept, his proclamation was in no
sense binding upon congress.
Mr., Simon took the ground that the pro-
posed Get was a serious party blum
der. as well as wrong in itself. He
maintained chat the recple Of the island
we're under our iag end therefore II should
not he held for colonial exploitation. The
assertion OF our power to levy the pro-
rcsed tariff was ir violation of a taclt
but well understood agreement with them
and he could not therefore give his sup
port
After a brief executive session the sem
ate at 6:25 ., n. adjourned until II o'clock
ton orrow,
Captain Sam Hunter Dead.
Nacogdoches, Texas, March 3l.--Captain
Sam Hunter died az 10 o'clock last night.