The Press., 1900-04-05
Washington Letter.
Washington, April 2, 1901

washington, Apru x, lSUU
1t Is regarded as so certain that the
senate will pass the Porto Rico bill to-
morrow, when the vote will be taken,
that public interest Is already transferred
certain. The free traders are making
some pretty stiff claims as to their ability
to strike out the tariff clause of the bill
and insert one providing for free trade in
the house, but, investigation shows that
those claims have no better found stion
than the talk of few members who voted
for the original tariff bill and then became
frightened by public criticism. There is
no faltering on the part of the leaders of
the majority in the house, and the chances
are that they will be able to keep the
grumbles in line for the bill. The major
ity of the house Is always susceptible to
administration influence, and the whole
influence of the administration is being
thrown in favor of the Porto Rican bill.
| Speaker Henderson Is also lending hand
and he says the bill will become law be-
fore the end of the present week.
Secretary Root says the written in
structions to the new Philippine commits
sion, the members of which will sail fIom
San Francisco for Manila on the 18th
inst, will not be made public at present.
Doubtless the really important instruc.
| tions to the commission were given verb
ally and will not be made public at all un.
til they have been carried out AT least
that is the opinion of those who usually
know what is going on,
1t had never been suspected that the
venerable Senator Pettus-the oldest mar
In the senate-was humorist and wit
until he made thirty-minute speech sat
irizing the legal advice given the senate
by doctor-Senator Gallinger, of N. h.
-and mercilessly ridiculing the position
taken on the Porto Rican question by the
orator, Senator Beveridge, of Indiana
who took occasion, while making speech
in favor of free trade with Porto Rico, tt
state his intention to vote for bill pro
viding a tariff. 1t was the most amusing
half hour the senate has had during thu
present session. Senator Gallinger laugh
ed as heartily over that portion OF thu
speech of Senator Pettus, referring tt
him, as anybody did, but Senator Bever
idge, who was not present, is mucl
younger man-the youngest in the senate
and consequently more sensitive, ant
he may take a notion to resent being hell
up to ridicule, even in as good-natured
manner as it was done by Senator Pettus
The house doesn't believe that thi
government should reimburse the Britisl
Gable company for expenses incurred IL
repairing the cable to Manila, which wa
cut by Dewey, and refused to pass a bill
, appropriating money for that purpose
AS matter of fact, instead of being in
jured by Dewey's act, the British Cabl
company has made many thousands o
dollars, paid by this government as cabl
, tolls on account of the American occupa
t tion of Manila.
This is the way the Kentucky mix u
:, strikes well-known Kentuckian-C B
r Farley, of Louisville,-now in Washing
!, ton: "The trouble In Kentucky will be
nuisance for long time to come. 1t wi
q show in all the political movements lea6
t Ing up to the fall elections. There wi
not be district or county conventio
which will be free of it. There will b
9 street fights and convention rows, whic
|. the newspapers will report as riot
/ There will be shooting scrapes which wi
d be called Instructions. In fact, it wi
& be bad and disgraceful until the people
e the state get sick and tired of 1t ALL 7
!; tell the truth, they are tired of 1t nov
11i But there is no way of ending the troubl
Like an epidemic, 1t must run its course
4 Senators are disposed to poke fun
= the charge of Speaker Henderson th
,. there are towards in the senate. For 1
stance, Senator Depew said of 1t: ssTl