The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-19
MONDAY. MARCH 10. 1900.
4 Most Significant Vote.

What would the great men who evolved
the Constitution of the United States have
thought if they had been in the Senate
Chamber on Friday. On that day. with
hardly more care or ceremony than would
have been devoted TO the confrma-
ton of a postmaster. a proposition going
TO the very root of American rights under
the Constitution was dismissed perfunctor-
lily by vote of thirty-siN to seventeen
thrty-four Senators not voting. OF the
majority all but one We're Republicans. OF
the minority all were Democrats but three
The vote was taken on an amendment to
the Porto Rican Revenue bill offered by
Senator Allen, as follows:
Provided That the Constitution was by force of
the treaty concluded between the United States OF
America and the Kingdom of Spain at the city Of
Paris. France. April II, 1899. extended over the
island Of Porto Rico and its inhabitants"
Mr. Allison moved to lay the amend
ment on the table, and the motion pre-
vailed:
Yess-Allison, Baker, Bard, Beverage, Carter,
Davis. Deboe Elkins Fairbanks, Foraker, Fos-
ter. Gsllinger, Gear, Hale Hanna, Iawley, Kean,
Lindsay, Lodge, Mcbride, McComas McCumber,
Ross. Sewell. Shoup, Simon, SPooner, Thurston,
Warren, Wellington, Wetmore-S6,
Nsys-Allen. Bacon, Bate. Berry, Butler, Chill
ton. Clark of Montana, Clay, Cockreil, Culber-
son, Harris. Kenney, NcLaurin, Morgan, Rawlius,
Tiliman, Turley-11.
What are We to understand by this?
In the golden days when the Senate was,
and was recognized as, the most dignified
and able deliberative body in the world; IN
the days. in fact, when its great figures
were Webster, Clay. Calhoun, Cass, Ben
ton, and such men, compared with the
Hannas, Beveridges, Wellingtons, Petit
CREWS. Kyles, and Hales of today, such a
basic definition Of constitutional power and
yigor, If there had been any doubt about
its truth or applicability, would have been
debated for days and weeks. But
here we have the statement of a
self-eyident truth-self-eyident because
it has been held and applied in the case of
the Louisiana Purchase the Mexican ces-
sion, and the Alaska Purchase-calmly
voted down!
1t is an astounding thing for the country
to contemplate. Only few weeks ago the
President was urging that justice and good
faith demanded that the tariff barriers be-
tween an American island and the Ameri-
can mainland should be torn down. His
Secretary OF War pleaded with Congress TO
the same end. The Governor General of
Porto Rico represented that nothing less
would prevent the present famine in the
island from becoming universal. And Mr..
McKinley's own special commissioner de-
clsred in his formal report that nothing
could avert general destruction of Porto
Ricsn life and property but the unre-
strieted domestic free trade TO which, as all
constitutional lawyers know and all honest
Americans believe Porto Rico is entitled
under the Constitution.
Ii is our duty and privilege to congratu
late the Democratic minority in the Senate
upon its course in voting solidly for the
Allen amendment, supporting the princi-
pile and the sacred principle. that the Con-
stitution follows the flag. But a single
Democrat-Mr. Lindsay of Kentucky-sided
with the majority on the occasion under
review; and his adherence to the faith
of the Fathers has been too variable and
uncertain in the past to make his new
stand in favor of the views advanced by
the proprietors of the Republican Admin
istration, either surprising or worthy OF
present consideration.
The question that the Senate has so
fippantly passed by is one which the
American people hold TO be more i'm
portant than any now before the country. |
They can no longer appeal to Congress, it
seems. They must await the final action |
of the Supreme Court.