Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-02-19
House of Representatives Considers
Proposed Tariff.
Mr., PAYNE EXPLAINS THE MEASURE
Mr.. Richardson, Minority Leader,
Speaks in Opposition.
HAWAIIAN BILL IN SENATE


sion of the rules of the bill reported from
that committee IL amend sections $3.50 and
s:.I1 Of the Revised Statutes relating to in
terna1 rcvenae tax on fermented liquors.
The purpose IF the bill Mr.. Dollver said.
WIS to abolish the smaller packages of
beer. one-sixth and one-eighth barrels.
The bill. he said. was asked for by the
brewing interests Of the country. 1t would
in no wise affect the revenue. MIR. Fletcher
Mimi offered an amendment providing
that the Dill shall not go into effect until
July 1. fs- The amendment was agreed
To.
Mr. SuIzer N " said he favored the
bill. but that i; merely sop to the
brewers. What they really wanted was the
abolition Of the taxes. He thought the
war revenue Law should be repealed. The
republicans, he said, had promised to do
that when the war Was over. but they had
made no move in that direction.
He challenged the leaders on the other
side to say when they proposed to repeal
that law which is used to pile up money
in the treasury To be loaned without inter-
1T to pet national banks.
Mr.. Terry ark declared that the repub-
lcans were using the war taxes to exc out
the deficiencies caused by the Dingley law,
which. he sai9 had proven most lament
able failure
The republicans ieered this remark and
continued To jeer when Mr.. Terry said that
line republicans dare not abolish their poll
rv Of criminal aggression in the Philippines
because If The secret understanding with
Great Britain. and that for the same rea-
s"n they dare not offer word of sympa-
Thy to the two republics struggling for lib
srty in South Africa.
Mr. Often tNis.4. Mr.. Bartholdt (Mo.}
and Mr. BabcuCk CWis.b urged the passage
Of the bill in justice u the brewers. The
latter said thai TIL brewers were carrying
the greatest tax burden in this country
tpaying $I2W~,Uso Of taxesl and were en-
titled To consideration.
Mr. Bartlett tG.tD said the humble were
asking relief from the war taxes and they
sarult be listened L. as well the rich
association NJ brewers who paid heavy
campaign contributions. The bill was
passed without division.
Forte Rico's TnriT.
Mr. Payne N. " floor leader Of the MA
.rity, Then moved that tie House go into
committee Of the whole TO consider the
Porto Iican tariff bill
Pending The motion Mr.. Payne offered to
make an agreement by which general de-
hate Should close IN Saturday next. the bill
10 % taken up uSdec the fve-minute rule
pg Monday mex. and the final vote to be
rakru At = o'clock.
Mr.. Mccall Mass asked if such an ar
rausa1n-U, would lu-ylude A vote upon the
lii originally introduced by Mr. Payne for
tre'- trade with Porto Rico. which was in
LIE with recommends tons of the President
IL ltS annual Message.
Mr.. Payne replied that that was a matter
Tor the House and t1- committee 10 decide
Mr. richardson. tho minority leader. in
sisted thar there Should be a definite under
standing that the minority could offer q
substitute.
To this Mr. Payne declined to agree
The House then went into committee OF
the whole. with all questions relating TO
the close OF the debate open
Mr.. Payne. in charge Of the BILL opened
the debate with - carefully prepared argu-
Inent in support Of the measure. He was
listened to with marked attention. His re-
marks viii be found in another column.
Ar. Payne concluded at 2:15 pm, having
spoken an hour and half. The republic
cans gave him demonstration when he
finished.
Mr. Richardson In Opposition.
Mr. Richardson CTenn-J. the leader of the
minority. made the opening argument in
opposition To the measure
Il am not an alarmist, said he in open
Ing, but in my judgment the pending bill
IS more dangerous L" the liberties of the
people of this republic than any measure
before seriously presented to the American
congress 1t viii prove more far reaching
in its provisions ard disastrous in the re-
suits that must OF necessity follow if 1t
should be enacted into law than any act
ever passed by Congress. These statements
are broad. l confess. but that they are
true L do most sulemnIy assert as the re-
suit Of my best and most deliberate judg-
nent.
The bill is framed upon the idea and as
sumption that Congress enters upon the
government Of Porto Esico unrestrained by
the provisions OF the constitutions. This
We deny. Those of who oppose this
measure. l believe without execution.
maintain that the bill cannot be enacted
into law without total disregard and vio-
lation of not simply the spirit, but the ex-
press letter Of the Constitution.
The Louisiana territory, Florida Texas
California. New Mexico. Oregon and Alaska
have all been acquired under our Constitu-
Ton without a jar or strain to any of its
wise and benctiC.nJ provisions and without
any demand for its amendment. Every
t"ot Of this VAST domain was acquired and
annexed under democratic presidents
The democratic party has always favored
proper expansion Those Of US opposing
This measure are not basing our OPPOSE
ti"n TO it on the ground that it is a meas
ure for expansion. This IS not a measure of
expansion Whether the Constitution of
tiI. United States i extended to the island
Of Porto Rico, eX pT"prio vigore, or not it
must be admitted that when We enter upon
legislation for the island, as Congress will
DO If IL passes this hill, tha~question will
be pct at rest and the territory Will then
be q part Of Us.
The control Of the President and of the
military Will have ceased and the expan-
sion as To- the island will have been COM
p!eted Legislation by Congress for the
United States If this bill passes it must
follow that it IS then a part of the United
This being true the proposition which
This bill carries FOR unequal taxation of
Ihe island as q portion Of the United
States l. the baldest form of Imperialism
The opposition this bill plants itself
upon this ground. The measure Is imper-
iaIiSm itself In the former acquisition to
which have referred no such measure as
the pending one was ever proposed or
dsemed necessary This effort. therefore.
clearly marks the dividing line between all
former acquisitions and that of Porto
fStcO, il il be conceded that the enactment
OF the proposed bill! into law Is required
Can not, in conformity to former
rules and regulations and laws which con-
trOlled us I'm auneNatious of territory, do SO
now without violating our organic law
" not. the argument. to my mind is strong
and perhaps unanswerable. that such an
ueNattOu should not he made. They will
cost us more If this be necessary than they
be worth
This is a tax measure. The power to tax
l. the power 10 destroy All taxes are
burdens to be borne They are borne with.
out murmur and without complaint, nc
matter how high they may be and onerous
II hay only