The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-02-23
THAT PORTO RICAN TARIFF.
Grosvenor's Presentation of the Re-
publican Position.

UrosSen0r's Presentation of the Re-
publican Position.
Washington Feb. 22.-The debate on the
Porto Rican tariff bill Brought out sew
eral notable speeches in the House to-
day, including one by Gen. Grosvenor Of
Ohio, who answered number of ques-
tons as to the attitude of the President;
another by Representative Mccall of Mas
sachusetts, the Republican member of the
Ways and Means Committee, who DIS
sented from the majority report, AMI
another by Representative Moody, another
Massachusetts Republican. who sharply
criticised the position of his colleague.
Mr.. Mcclellan of New York and Mr..
Brantley of Georgia also spoke against
the bin and Mr.. Parker of New Jersey in
support OF IL. The debate was cont nued
at night session.
The House began holding early SESSIONS
to-day, meeting at Il a. m. owing to the
pressure for time in the Porto Rico
debate
Washington's birthday was referred to
by the Chaplain in his invocation and the
character of Washington held up as a
model for emulation to-day
Mr. Mcclellan of New York opened the
debate. Mr.. Mcclellan argued at some
length that the inhabitants of Porto Rico
are citizens of the United States with all
the constitutional rights of citizens and
that the constitution extends prop 10
vigore over the island Of Porto Rico, the
United States only holding it in trust Tor
the state eventually to be erected out Of
the territory.vi- r.
1.-THE moral aspect of The case" he said,
"is quite important as is the legal. 1t
involves the good faith. the credit and
che honor of the United states"
BrnntIey of Georgia.
Mr. Brantley of Georgia spoke against
| the bill and particularly on the future
of the Philippines He pointed cut that
| year had elapsed since the treaty of peace
| and yet Congress had failed thus far 10
| lay down a policy for the Philippines. II
| was this inactfon by Congress, he said
| which spread uncertainty among the Fill
| pines and nerved them to further opoosi-
| ZION. He declared that the new Philip
| pine Commission could accomplish moth
! ing, and THAI if 1t went TO the Philippines
at all Il would go with the authority and
| power which Congress alone could grant
Mr.. Bryan's Responsibility.
Mr. Grosvenor, in opening, said that any
political party or individual who took
| part in raEifying and supporting the treaty
| with Spain was estOpped from opposing
any OF the legitimate effects of that treaty.
| When that treaty hung in the balance,
certain Nebraska Colonel left his regiment
| and came to Washington to aid in secur-
! ing ratification. and he did influence votes
at a critical juncture. 50 that, Mr.. Gros-
| venor said if there was one man in the
country who should shoulder responsible
.ity for the treaty and its succeeding re
| sponstbfities that man was William j.
| Bryan of Nebraska,
He said that there was only one alter
native to This tariff measure, and that
was TO so down in our own pockets and
| appropriate from the treasury enough to
| sustain the island Mr.. Grosvenor said he
was not the mouthpiece of the President,
| but knowing him reasonably well, speak
! ing as an Individual and knowing all the
Things involved in the situation here now,
| | think that nothing would give, the Pres
! ident greater sorrow than the defeat of
| this bill and the turning over of this
House to the Democratic minority
Mr. Grosvenor's discussion of the fiscal
| and constitutional question was varied by
good natured political raillery with the
members across the aisle.
| When Mr. Neville of Nebraska asked IL
| MI. Grosvenor expected TO embalm the
Fihpinos along with the Declaration of In
Dependence in the Philippines, the Ohio
| f0emDef answered Iildt Wren lHr Dclilo-
cratic party got through with the Fill
pinos II would need embalming.
| At another point Mr.. Grosvenor created
laughter by referring ironically to Agui-
naldo as the George Washington of the
Philippines.
The Republican Doctrine.
"A gentleman went out in the ORIENT
| he said, with a little more power than
| he had authority, and the first thing he
| knew he had captured the Lord only
knows how many islands out there. We
have never yet found out ourselves. But
| he took them, and we are there and our
! flag is there, and we were aided in getting
a perfect title to them from the Demo-
! cratic senator's in Congress without any
protest from anybody. We are, going to
make all the money out OF the transact hon
we can by charging our trade with the
| Oriental countries and we are going to
embalm the doctrines OF the Declaration
OF Independence upon the statute books
OF the Philippines just as quick as we
| think the time has come to do 1t, and we
are not going to do IL one minute before,
| If all the Democrats ON Gods earth go
! bowling that we have got to do 1t now.
| applause and laughter on the Repub-
| lican side) We are going to do 1t under
| the persuasive influence of the consttu-
| ton, OF the Declaration of Independence,
| ana OF our Christian civilization. We are
] going to do 1t as rapidly as 1t Is possible
| TO do It, and in the meantime we
| propose mat every attribute of the consti-
| tuition shall persuade us to treat these
men with absolute fairness"
A Republican Against IL.
Mr. Mccall of Massac husetts followed