Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-31
PORTO RICAN TARIFF
Opponents Are Encouraged at the
Outlook.
WHEN TIE BILL LEAVES TEE SENATE
Discussing the Contingency Of a
Conference.
A PROCLAMATION DRAFTED

The opponents of the Porto Rican tariff
are greatly encouraged in the belief that
the bill. If passed by the Senate as amend
ed cannot be put through the House. The
seriousness of the situation Is sufficiently
impressed upon the members Of the ways
and means committee to cause them great
uneasinesS.
They and the Speaker are giving much
thought TO the matter of parliamentary pro-
cedure after the bill comes back from the
Senate. if passed there. as expected. There
Is strong impression that If the House
gets chance to vote on the question the
tariff will be stricken out and provision
for free trade substituted.
If the Senate amendments can be dis
agreed to and the bill sent to conference it
will not be possible to substitute free trade,
and the only choice will be between the
House and the Senate bills. Therefore
there will be determined opposition to this
course if an amended bill comes over from
the Senate.
the question to settlement by conference
1t is that this involves action on the civil
government features. which have never
been considered in the HOUSE.
A conference is therefore objected to by
those who oppose the tariff, and by those
who. accepting the tariff feature. are OPP
posed to the adoption of a civil government
without discussion or consideration of any
sort by the House. -
Desire the Bill to Go to Conference.
The men who are in the scheme to carry
ont the wishes Of the sugar and tobacco
men want the bill. if adopted with amend
ments by the Senate, to go to conference
so as to get 1t out of the hands of the
House and leave its settlement to a COM
rniff of fhn frxyo
with a view to their support of the tariff
1t is not likely, therefore, that the bill
will go into conference IL passed by the
Senate before instructions to the conferees
of the House have been adopted, unless
the power of the Speaker, who has discre-
ton as to recognitfons. which are of the
utmost Importance to members of the
House, and other power in the hands of
those who are in control of the order of
business and the politics of the House are
used arbitrarily to force members to SUBJ
mission.
Hearing the Popular Sentiment.
Many members are hearing those things
from the people at home which cause them
to consider seriously what they do
The speech of Senator Proctor following
that of. Senator Davis appears to have
made a great impression.
Republicans are asking themselves how
they cdil tiOlu 10 oppose puDflC sentiment
when they will be called upon to answer
the arguments of these two men, standing,
as they do, in the party and others who
have spoken freely in opposition to the
policy followed at the command of Mr..
Oxnard and Mr.. Myrick.
Free Trade Proclamation.
1t Is not a secret that Secretary Root
soon after he became Secretary of War
and had carefully studied the situation pre-
I,a .;o I,,-f he
President, declaring Porto Rico a part of
the territory of the United States and free
from tariff duties.
He took this to the President, who was
then at Lake Ghamplain, to be signed and
1t was expected to be promulgated at once
on the Secretary's return, but for some rea-
son it's PRONUNCIATION was delayed and
finally abandoned, the matter being left to
Congress with recommendation by the
President that free trade be extended to
the island.