The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-04-04
Only Committee Amendments Adopted
Interest Intense.
SPEECHES BY MASON AND FORAKER
Mason Points Out How Under This Bill Depew
Can Become the Duke Of Ponce
and Beveridgs The Prince of
Porto Rico
CBy the Associated Prcss.D

Washington, April 3.-This was a
notable day in the United States Sen
ate, 1t brought to close the sharp
est and most prolonged debate upon
any measure since those discussed
during the memorable War Con-
gress,' two years ago. At O'Clock
this afternoon the votes were begun
upon the Porto Rican Tariff and Civil
Government Bill. and the pending
amendments and less than an hour
later the measure. about which there
had been SO much contention in and
out of Congress, was passed by Il ma
j0rity of nine, the final vote being 40
to 81 Only committee amendments
were adopted.
It has been evident for some time that
the bill would command a majority in
the Senate but notwithstanding that fact
the interest in the measure. both of SEN
ators and of the public, has not tagged
an instant Today the galleries were
crowded and hundreds Of people filled the
corridors unable 10 secure standing room
in the galleries. From II o'clock when the
Senate convened until the hour when the
voting began, advocates and opponents
Of the bill brilliantly and eloQuently
maintained their convictions and the au-
dtors We're kept in state of constant
excitement.
TIE particularly noticeable speeches
OF Inc day were delivered by Mr.. Mason
Glls.), in opposition to the measure ana
by MY Foraker (Ohio), who replied to
brief speech by Mr.. Wellington (MdD
1t was the Ohio Senator's desire to clear
up any misunderstanding or misinforma-
tion concerning the bill.
Mr.. Mason spoke in favor of the resoiu-
tiOn OF Mir. Wellington. which offers in
dependence to the Filipinos and against
the bill proposed by Mr. Spooner (Wis),
conferring authority upon the President
to govern the Philippines until Congress
should otherwise direct. Incidentally, he
opposed the tariff proposed to be placed
on Porto Rican products. He was op-
posed to holding the Philippines. because
under the law OF nations we have not
title and never can have complete title
except by conquest of the inhabitants.
Il do not wish the 5000 600 Filipinos for
citizens. l do not wish them for slaves.
If we govern them, they must either be
citizen or serf. Whether they labor as our
citizens and equal before the law or
whether they labor as our political slaves,
their labor completes with the labor of our
country, and | am opposed to that. l am
for expansion. l voted for the annex
alton of Hawaii but would never have
sent 10000 men there to compel them TO
accept our flag. In other words, ! am
against taking any territory by conquest
against friendly people, and against
taking any territory that brings a cheap
class of labor in free and open competition
with The class Of men and women who do
the labor in this country"
He declared that if it was treason to
oppose a war of conquest, to lift unjust
taxation, to confer upon a struggling peo-
pie the blessings of liberty, to protect the
laboring men and women of this country
then he was guilty. He said that only by
amending the Constitution could tariff
be levied against the people of the United
States to prevent their trading with the
rest of the United States.
Il beg you he appealed. ''to count the
cost of such an amendment"
Speaking of the fever of war which he
said was upon the Administration, Mr..
Mason said:
But as We approach the hour when we
must again appeal to the judgment of
10,C00,000 people, and the fires under the
pots of patronage are burning low and
the dangers of disappearing post offices
appear to us like a hdeous nightmare
the hour of .convalescence approaches
and we shout to the laboring people of
the country: No, no. 1t is a mistake. ;
We have sacrificed the money and the
lives of the people; we have abandoned
the faith of the fathers for land, but we
viii abandon it all rather than forsake
the political partisan doctrine: and we are
saying on both sides of this chamber
those who have believed in the per-
manent government of the Philippine
lslands-that if our permanent sovereign
ty there means the taking into this coun-
try in competition with our labor pro-
ducts of the people there, We will aban-
don this kind of expansion"
Discussing the powers of Congress
under the Constitution as interpreted in
the light of the provisions of the pending
bill, Mr.. Mason said:
The Constitution says you cannot
make title of nobility, but we apply
that only to the States, you understand
The distinguished Senator from New
York '(Depew) can be the Duke of Ponce.
and not violate the Constitution; the dis
tinguished Senator from Indiana (Bever-
idge) the Prince of Porto Rico and the
distinguished lawyer who has sought to