The Van Buren press., 1900-04-14
TIE PUERTO R|CAN BILL.
A Test Vote Indicating That the
Measure Would Receive
Majority Vote.
THE FORESHADOWED RULE ADOPTED.
ii Called Forth u sharp Debate In
the House, which was Listened
to by Great Crowds In the Gal
Ieries-The Vote ON the Rule was
Ayes, 1885, Nays, l42.


Washington, April ii.-1rhe closing
struggle over the Puerto Rico tariif
bill in the house, attracted great
crowds to the galleries, and all the
preparations indicated field day re-
plete with exciting incidents.
Excitement was at high pitch
when the speakers gavel fell at noon.
As soon as the reading of the journal
was concluded, Mr.. Dalzell (Pa.), one
of the leaders of the majority, and a
member of the committee en- rules,
presented the special order under
which the house was to operate, rs
follows:
Resolved, That Immediately upon
the adoption of this resolution the
committee of the whole house on the
state of the union shall be discharged
from the consideration of house reso-
luton s245 (the Puerto Rico bilD and
the senate amendments thereto; that
the same shall be considered in the
house until p. m, Wednesday, April
II, 1900, when, without delay or other
motion, u vote shall be taken on the
motion to concur in the said senate
amendments en- gross. And all mem
bers shall have leave to print on the
subject of said bill and amendments
for ten days from the adoption of this
rule"
Upon the conclusion of the reading
of the rule, upon demand of Mr.. Dal-
zell, the previous question on its adop-
ton was ordered. This gave 20 min
utes for debate on each side under the
rules. Mr.. Dazell said he would dis
cuss the rule briefly. On February %,
the house sent to the senate the
Puerto Rico tariff bill. The amend
ments attached by the senate fur
nished civil government for the is
land. 1t was the opinion of the major
ity he said, that those amendments
should be concurred in. There had
been enough discussion on the sub
ject, he said What the country de-
sired was not debate, but action.
Mr.. Richardson, the minority leader,
called attention to the fact that the
rule would permit the house TO vote
only upon a single proposition.
II it had been possible for the sem
ate to add to the iniquity of the origi-
nal bill levying IS per cent, Of the
Dirgley duties on goods going into
Puerto Rico, he said, it had done so
in the so-called civil government
amendment.
Under the guise Of n civil govern
ment, he said, the senate had imposed
an imperiallstic government upon the
people Of the island. He asserted that
IL was never the intention Of the re-
publicans of the house, in the first in
stance, to enact any such measure. He
quoted President Mckinley Secretary
Root, ex-President Harrison, ex-
Speaker Reed and other republicans Of
national reputation in favor of free
trade with the islands, and drew a
salvo OF applause from his demo-
cratic colleagues by characterizing
the president in the language Of ex-
Speaker Reed as "'rhe emperor of ex-
pcdiency."
Proceeding, he expressed his regret
that the secretary OF war had not
seen fit to furnish the opinion OF Judge
Charles A. Magoon, the attorney Of
the insular bureau, TO the effect that
the constitution extended ex proprio
v'gore to our new possessions, upon
which he said the original recommcn-
dations Of the president and the Sec
retary OF war We're based.
lie read some extracts from this al
legged suppressed opinion, which had
been printed in n New York newspa-
per. The reading wns frequently
puntured with applause, Why, Mr..
Richardson nsked, had the president,
the secretary Of war and the rcpubli-
cun pnrty changed front upon this
whole question: For reply he reod the
statement Of Prof. Schurman, Of the
Philippine commission, that the
trusts had gone to Washington, and
had graspcd the republican party by
the throat"
He also recalled the statement
printed n short time ago in locnl
newspaper that republican member
Of the house had said that In return
for the passage of the bill, II large
contribution was to be made to the
republican campaign fund. Mr. Rich.
nrdson created something OF n sensa-
ton by giving the news Of the news
PAPER
Mr.. Rabcock (Wis), chairman oi the
Republican congressional campaign
committee, to whom Mr., Ddlycll yield.
ed minute and half, Indignantly
resented the charge Of Mr, Richard
son that the republican campaign COM
mittcc had received money consid-
Grafton for the Puerto Rico tariff bill.
AS n member of that committee, he
desired to dcnouncc II M absolutely
without foundation, and he challenged
pnyonc 10 name the republican VINO
WINS responsible Tor such u charge,
Jumping 20 his feet, Mr., Pierce
Crcnn) tried to interrupt Mr.. llab.
cock, but the latter waived him aside.
"lle withdraws his challenge y
shouted voice on the democratic side,
amid howl OF dcrsion
Mr., Bnbcock paid no attention to II.
The shoe WINS on the other foot, he
continued, The Tobacco trust and the
Sugar trust, he said, Ind started tho
free trade agitation. rhls statement
produced more derlsiys cries from the