Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-02-28
BY ABOUT FIVE VOTES
Republicans Predicted Passage of
Porto Rican Bill.
CLOSING TIE DEBATE IN HOUSE
Representative Cummings Caused
a Sensation.
FINANCE BILL EXPLAINED

The last day of the struggle over the
Porto Rico tariff bill in the House of Rep
resentatives opened at II o'clock with al
most every member in his seat and large
attendance in the galleries. The leaders on
both sides were actively engaged in rallyiag
their forces and making computations upon
the final vote at 3 o'clock
Mr.. Underwood (Ala), the democratic
whip, said the result would be very close
and turn upon the vote of two or three men
on the democratic side. Mr.. Tawney, the
republican whip, predicted that the bill
would have five votes to spare. He said
the main danger lay In the motion to re-
commit.
Immediately after the reading of the
Journal the clerk began reading the bill tor
amendment under the five-mipute rule
Proposed Tariff for Porto Rico.
When section 3 was reached Mr.. Payne,
chairman Of the ways and means commit
tee, offered the following substitute for that
section:
Section 3. That on and after the passage
of this act all merchandise coming into the
United States from Porto Rico and comm.
into Porto Rico from the United States
shall be entered at the several ports of
entry upon payment of 10 per cent of the
duties which are required to be levied, col
lected and paid upon like articles of mer-
ckandise imported from foreign countries;
and, in addition thereto. upon articles OF
merchandise of Porto Rcan manufacture
coming into the United States and with
drawn for consumption or sale upon pay
nlent of tax equal to the internal revenue
tax imposed in the United States upon the
like articles of merchandise of domestic
manufacture; such tax to be paid by in
ternal revenue stamps or stamps to be pur-
chased and provided by the commissioner
of internal revenue and to be procured from
the collector of internal revenue at or most
convenient to the port Of entry of safG mer-
chandise in the United States, and 20 be
affixed under such regulations as the COM
missioner of internal revenue, with the ap-
proval of the Secretary of the Treasury,
shall prescribe: and on all articles of mer-
chandise of United States manufacture
coming into Porto Rico in addition to the
duty above provided in payment of a tax
equal in rate and amount to the internal
revenue tax imposed in Porto Rico upon
like articles of Porto Rican manufacture
Mr. Payne explained that the substitute
did two things; it reduced the duty from
% to 1J per cent and it also removed some
confusion regarding double taxation. Mr..
Payne said he still adhered to the opinion
that 25 per cent would be better than u.
because 1t would raise more revenue, but
Is per cent was better than nothing.
In answer to question as to how much
the bill as amended would raise, Mr.. Payne
said the estimate for the original bill was
81, 100000. If that estimate was correct
the amended bill would raise about 81 80
600 per annum. Mr.. Payne took occasion
to reprove some Of his critics who had
complained that he had given no explana-
ton of his change OF front. His speech
and his report, he said gave a full ex-
PLANTATION. He had believed in free trade
with Porto Rico at one time, but subSe-
quent information had convinced him that
the duty proposed by the pending bill
should be imposed.
The Substitute Attacked.
Mr.. Berry (Ky.) said the amendment pro-
posed petty instead of grand larceny of the
people of Porto Rico. He ridiculed the la
borious debate through which the House
had passed over the question of what the
United States meant under the Constitu-
ton. If this country had been called Co
lumbia' instead of the United States"
1,200 pages of the Congressional Record
could have been eliminated. No one woulu
have had the hardihood to contend then
that the Constitution did not extend over
every foot of soil.
Mr.. De Almond CMo.) called attention to
the peculiar language Of the substitute.
The words coming into the United
States,' he said, We're plainly intended to
evade the Constitution. But he argued
that the numbering of the queens En-
glsh' and the violation of the canons of
language could not make it constitutional
Mr.. Grow (Pa.), the venerable eX-Speaker
| of the House, and Mr. Graft Ull) spoke
briefly in support of the bill. The latter
said his continents expected him to abide
by the will of the ajority of his party
He did not desire to go back to his district
to apologize for his party by announcing
that he was right and 1t was wrong He
referred to the history of the efforts of the
democrats to prematurely force the admin
| istration into the Spanish war in vindica-
tion OF the policy of standing by the ad-
ministration.
Mr.. Fitzgerald (Iass.), in opposing the
bill, referred to the expressed determine ton
| of Secretary Root to increase the number
| of native troops in Porto Rico. Mr.. Fitz-
gerald wanted to know to what nation
| those native troops belonged. Were they to
| be told that the American flag they were
sworn to defend meant one thing for Porto
] Rico and another to the United States
| Were they to become American citizens at
50 per cent off?
Would stand by the Party.
| Mr.. Bromwe!l (Ohio), who has hitherto
opposed the bill, after paying his respects
| to some of his Ohio colleagues (Grosvenor
| and Shattuc), said that he was now con-
| vinced that the administration which three
months ago recommended free trade for
| Porto Rico now earnestly desired the pas
sage of this bill. 1t mattered little whether
he returned to Congress, he said, but it
was of great Importance that the repub,i-
| can party should remain in power. His an
| nouncement that he had decided to stand
by his party in the present emergency was
greeted with applause.
| Mr.. Grosvenor OOhio) said that much of
the opposition to the pending bill was due
| to the fact that it was misunderstood. As
| late as last Saturday night the editor of
a prominent republican paper had made the
| statement to him that the bill proposed
that should put our hands into the
pockets of starving Porto Ricans. When he
| learned that. all the money collected al
both ends of the line went to the Porto
Ricans he was astonished. He had also a
| letter from a distinguished divine COM
planning of the proposed robbery of the
Porto Ricans.
Mr.. Otey (Wa.) followed Mr.. Grosvenor
with a speech which convulsed the House
| and galleries. He nimicked the manner
isms of some of the republican leaders,
| concluding with parody upon the speech
of Mr.. Cannon Qu) yesterday.
| Adopted without Division.
The Payne amendment was adopted with.
out division.
| Many members on both sides of the
House made brief minute speeches ex-
/ planning their position.
Mr.. Richardson (Tenn.) had read COM
l municatiOu from delaerrfi of porfr