The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1900-07-01

was read to the full committee, All
| know about the action OF the cont
mittee Is confined. therefore, to lis first
and second meetings AZ the nrst
meeting read the draft that had been
prepared by Mr. Smith and others,
II consisted OF an extended recital OF
the achievements Of President Mckln.
ley and an earnest tribute TO him,
followed by number OF specific
declarations In regard 10 the financial
question, the authority Of congress TO
govern acquired territory, ponsioLs,
etc.
There was considerable discussion
as to the exact language that should
be employed In the monty plank as y
substitute for the word flexible which
II was thought should be omitted, and
some little discussion MS TO the omis.
sion OF the word aid and the subsu-
tuition Of other language therefor In
the merchant marine plank As 20
the lSthmlan canal substitute was
offered by Mr., Madden, which together
with all the other changes to which
| have referred. was, without any for
NAL vote, acquiesecd In BY the COM
mittee, II not. as | supposed, accepted,
In view ot the position taken by MIR.
outsg rs 10 the historical part cf Mr.,
Smiths draft. he was required by the
committee to PUT into form his idea OF
proper substitute therefor, and In
this connection Mr.. Smiths draft. to-
gether with other propositions. was
turned over TO him. and the commit
tee adjourend until II midnight. at
which time he was % report the result
OF his labors,
At that hour the subcommittee
not for the second time. Mr., Quigg
had not fully completed his work. but
he read 10 the subcommittee what he
had written. and with some changes OF
a minor character II was. without any
formal vote. accepted, and the commit
tee adjourned until o'clock IN the
morning. at which time Mr. Qu,gg
hoped TO be ready to make final re-
port. At neither one OF these meetings
did any one suggest that the plank as.
serting the power OF congress TO gov
ern the territories should be omitted.
nor did any one suggest that the plank
should be modified excep. as ABOVE
Indicated. and did not know until
after the platform had bcen reported
to the convention that the plank
asserting the power % congress to
govern the territories had been omit
ted. or that the merchant marine
Flank had been chang,l 10 the form In
which 1t appears In the platform.
Whether these subjects were dis
rrssed and acrsj upon at the meetings
OF the subcommittee which | did not
attend. do not know. learned of the
matter for the first time after the
platform tad been reported to the
convention and was published In the
newspapers. di1 not know until then
that It was intended on the part Of
anybody to omit any OF the special
plenks or to make any material change
In any Of them. | ,hInk the merchant
marine plank was stronger and better
in its original fern but can understand
how the committee may have preferred
II in the form adopted.
I'm view Of the fight we had In con-
gress with respect to the power OF
congress to govern Porto Rico and our
other lnsular possessions. I thought II
highly appropriate to Insert plank
approving the position we had taken.
and was very much disappointed
when l learned II had been omitted.
II had been present with the commit
tee would have opposed such omls-
sion, but was unavoidabIy absent.
and for that reason cannot say more
about It,"