The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-03-09

the sugar n tobacco now on the island
was owned by the sugar and tobacco
trusts. II this was true. he said. the inn
position of the tariff proposed would fall
upon those we'll able TO bear IL and 10 con-
tribute at least that much to the suffering
Porto Ricans.
COLLoQUY WITH HoAR.
Mr.. Foraker became involved in a col
loquy with Mr.. Hoar as to the constitu-
tional right of Congress TO levy a duty on
products from a Territory of the United
States. in. which the Ohio senator de-
clared that the provisions of the Consti-
the case of Porto Rico.
Mr.. Hoar continued to press the point
and Mr.. Foraker finally declared that the
question in point had passed beyond the
law book stage and had become one of
justice and humanity.
Mr.. Hoar-That is the senator's answer!
mo, it is not" retorted Mr.. Foraker.
warmly Il answered the senator's aues-
ton and the persistency with which the
senator presses ii shows that he does not
want to accept the answer. 1 might stand
here and quote decisions of the supreme
Court until the last Porto Rican had
starved and it would have no effect upon
senators who differed from me- This con-
tention has been going on for two years
and 1t will have 10 be determined ulti-
Al9NCAH ~ LhC aRI1hIt SOoA
not levy a duty on the products or Porto
Rico We cannot levy a duty on the prod
ucts of the Philippines. If the Philip
pines are now a part OF the United states
and If we cannot levy q tariff on their
| products we might just as well dismantle
our custom houses and go out or the pro-
lection business. There can be no INTEL
ligent legislation on this question until
We get a commanding view OF the situa-
ton that will be afforded us by a decision
of the Supreme Court" For that reason
he (Foraker) had the highest respect and
most confidence in l..
Mr.. Foraker discussed the probability
that this government would be asked by
other powers for an open door in the
Philippines and declared that Ii was an
important and perhaps imminent con-
tingency of which account would have to
be taken. We wanted trade in the Orient
and after we demanded an entrance TO
China We must grant one in the Philip
pines. He thought the Philippines could
not be dealt with as 1T was proposed to
deal with Porto Rico.
Mr.. Tillman asked: Then the conten-
ton is that we can take Porto Rico under
Our wing and protect her to the utmost,
but that we cannot do the same thing for
why the President had originally recon-
mended free trade with Porto Rico and
the House had brought in a bill to that
end, only changing its course of policy
after hearing from Mr.. Oxnard, the sugar
king.
TILLMAN REFERRED TO HANNA.
Replying, Mr.. Foraker referred Mr.. Till
man to his colleague Hanna.) "I am not
the keeper of the Presidents confidence. 1
have no doubt, however, that the President
spoke from his highest conviction and best
sentiment. No doubt he would prefer free
trade with Porto Rico as 1 should, but he
probably knows more now than he knew
when he promulgated that message, and.
knowing more, it is his duty as a man and
as an official to change his recommended
tons"
Mr.. Tillman drew the inference from
these and other remarks that 1t was the
purpose to hold to the theory of protec-
ton regardless of the plea of philanthropy
and other questions of that character.
Mr.. Foraker denied that there was any
intention of disregarding philanthropy. He
referred again to the possibility of secur-
ing a Supreme Court decision, which drew
from Mr.. Tillman the remark that he
feared the Supreme Court, IN rendering its
opinion, would acknowledge no other God
than its own WILL"
Mr.. Hoar said the thing to do now was
to make an appropriation of a sum OF
money sufficient to relieve the distress of
the Porto Ricans. That course would be
definite and there would be no delay nor
inhumanity in it. He appealed to Mr.. For
aker not to insist on a contrary course,
and thus keep bread out of the mouths of
the starving people for whom he Mad made
so eloquent an appeal by the tedious pro-
cess proposed by him." So far as the ques-
ton of an open door was concerned. Mr..
Hoar said he did not consider that 1t was
raised i'm this bill. On the contrary, 'the
door was hut as tight by this bill as the
ingenuity Of the honorable senator could
shut 1t. 1t was utterly idle to say that this
open door question"
Replying to a question from Mr.. Teller,
Mr.. Foraker said that he regarded Porto
Rico as a dependency of the United States
/ and not an integral mart nf the United
States.
Mr.. Bacon pointed out what he believed
to be the inconsistency Of providing for a
delegate in Congress from Porto Rico who
is not a citizen of the United States and
who is to be elected by persons who are not
citizens of the United States. but who must
AXE an oath to obey the Constitution of
the United States.
Mr.. Foraker contended that this was
what had been done in the cases of Louisi-
ana, Florida and in many other instances.
The discussion of the questions of consti-
tutional law involved in the bill was con-
tinued until 5 o'clock. Mr.. Hoar made the
closing observation, in which he took sharp
issues will the principles enunciated by
Mr.. Foraker. He held that the doctrine
proposed to be applied to Porto Rico and
the Philippines would result in a despotism,
and ii would be none the less a despotism
because it was to be carried into effect by
moral men of high civilization.
The chair announced the appointment OF
Senators Hanna and Tillman as members
of the board of visitors to the Naval Acad-
envy.
At 5 o'clock, in accordance with a pre-
vious agreement, the Senate took a recess
until s o'clock for the formal reading of the
Alaskan code bill.
At the night session 159 pages of the
Alaskan code bill were read, and without
concluding this formal but necessary work
the Senate at HIS adjourned until to-mor-
row.
Senator Bacon to-day introduced an
amendment TO the Porto Rican bill extend
ing the customs laws of the United States
to Porto Rico and declaring that in accord
ance with the Constitution of the United
States no duty shall be levied upon
articles imported or exported from the
United States to Porto Rico or vica versa.
DEMOCRAT OUSTED.