Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1900-03-08
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondence
WASHINGTON. March 5, ]!


WASHINGTON, March 5, 1900.
Two violations of the Constitution in q
single week is the record Of the Republic
can msjoritY in the Honse--a record tnat
should drive the Republican party from
power. It does not mitigate the ofiense
against constitutional government that one
of these violations should have been an
attempt TO partially right the wrong COM
mitted in the other. A rightfnl thing
wrongly done is often as bad or worse than
wrong. When the Republican majority
driven by the party whip, passed the bill
leFying Is per cent. duty on the products
of Porto Rico for period of two years,
grievous wrong was inflicted upon the
Porto Ricans and the Constitution of the
United States was violated. Later, when
the Republicans became alarmed at the
vigorous protests from all sections OF the
country against the proposed robbery OF
the helpless Porto Rlcans, they again
violated the Constitution by doing thing
right in principle in the wrong way =
passing bill placing more than $2,O00OO0
already in the Treasury, and all future
collections under DINGHY duties upon
Porto Rican products, at the disposal of
the President, to be expended under his
discretion for the benefit of Porto Rico. It
is perfectly right that every dollar of this
money should be spent for the benefit Of
Porto RICO, but, as Representative Bailey
so forcibly pointed out, it is everlastingly
wrong, to turn over TO the discretion Of one
man money in the Treasury of the United
States when the Constitution expressly
gives the right to dispose of money in the
Treasury to Congress, and not to the Exc
cutise. But good may come out of evil.
These things serve to accentuate IN the
minds of the people the attitude Of the
two great political parties toward the
Constitution-tO make plain that there is
only one Constitutional party and that is
the Democratic party.
Senator Jones, of Arkansas, said of the
attitude of the Democratic Senators toward
the Porto Rico bill The Democrats accept
the issues rendered by the Republicans
Porto Rico has been annexed to the United
States. 1t is an integral part of the
country The flag proclaims our SOW
ereignty there, and the Constitution fol-
lows the flag The Republican proposition
that we can enact discriminating legislation
against the Porto Ricans and Porto Riean
products is monstrous. We will fight it IN
the Senate to the limit of our extent. and
we will fight it before the people from
now until the ballots are cast in Noyem-
bern
Senator Stewart, who has been counted
as a countenancer, if not an actual sup
porter of imperialism, said in a speech
against the Porto Rico tariff: Il don't want
any territory in which the Constitution
does not follow the flag. We cannot dis
criminate against any section of our own
country. If our principles of free govern
ment are not broad enough to cover any
territory under the flag, then we would
better bring back the fagn
Instead of avoiding the collision of i'm
perialism and protection, as the, Republic
cans who fatheEed it intended, the Porto
Rico tariff bill seems likely 10 precipitate
the. collision, and the Republicans to be
called on to say whether the country shall
give up the Philippines or the protective
tariff. If the Supreme Court decides, as
many believe it will, that sll territory
owned by the United States is constitution
ally speaking, part Of the United States,
the choice will have to be speedily made,
and Senator Foraker has openly said on
the floor OF the Senate, that he would favor
giving up the Philippines.
Junketing is catching, Secretary Root,
accompanied by three members of his
family, is officially junketiDg in Cuban
waters, aboard government transport !;
Secretary Long is arranging to take the
House Naval Committee to Newport News,
on government vessel, and there is talk
of Congressional junketiDg party to
Porto Rico made up of the Joint House
and Senate Committee and their families
There seems to be trouble ahead for the
administration bill providing that the
Adjutant General of the army shall have
the rank of Major-General. The Senate
has adopted resolution, offered by SeDa-
tor Pettigrew, directing the Secretary of
War to send to the Senate the record of the
court-martial of General Corbin, who was
then Lieut. Colonel during the civil war
and copy of the report made about the
same time by Col Thomas J. Morgan,
relating to the First colored Brigade, and
Lieut.. Colonel Gorbip's relations there
with. Corbin was c0urt-martialed upon
the charge of cowardice, one of the specf
cations being that while under FIRE be got
off his horse and hid behind tree. He
was acquitted, but the record, as well as
the report of Colonel Morgan, is said TO
contain matter which will cause Senators
and Representatives to do some bard think
ing before they vote to make such man a
Major General
The Republican leaders of the House are
preparing for some sort of political per-
fOrmance during the present week, as they
have issued orders to every Republican
member to be in his seat every day during
the week.