The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-03-01

3 10 Is per cent, and IL also removed some
confusion regarding double taxation Mr..
Payne said he still adhered 10 the opinion
that % per cent would be better than Is
per cent. because IL would raise more rev.
enue, hut Is per cent. was better than moth
fng. In answer TO a question as 10 how
much the bill as amended would raise. Mr..
Payne said the estimate for the original
bill was Y7O0000. IL that estimate was
correct the amended bill would raise about
si.250,oo0 per annum- Mr.. Payne took &C
casion 20 reprOve some OF his critics who
had complained that he had given no ex-
PLANTATION for his change OF front. His
speech and his report, he said, gave Sfuh
explanation He had believed in free trade
with Porto Rico at one time. but subse-
quent information had convinced him tnat
the duty proposed by the pending Dill
should be imposed
RIDICULED BY BERRY.
Mr. Berry. of Kentucky. said the amend
ment proposed petty instead OF grand lar
ceny of the people of Porto Rico. He ridi-
culed the laborious debate through which
the House had passed over the question OF
what the United States" meant under the
Constitution. II this country had been
called Columbia instead of the United
States" 100 pages of the Congressional
Record would have been eliminated. No
one would have had the hardihood TO con-
tend then that the Constitution did not
extend over every foot OF soil.
Mr.. Dearmond, Of Missouri, called at
tention to the peculiar language of the
substitute. The words Coming into the
United States" he said, "were plainly in
tended TO evade the Constitution.
Mr.. Grow. Of Pennsylvania. the venerable
ex-speaker Of the House. and Mr.. Graft. OF
Illinois, spoke briefly in support of the bill.
The latter said his constituents expected
him TO abide by the will Of the majority
/. OF his party.
Mr.. Cromwell. OF Ohio. who has hitherto
opposed the bill. after paying his respects
TO some Of his Ohio colleagues (Grosvenor
and Shattuc) said that he was now con-
WINGED that the administration which three
months ago demanded free trade for Porto
Rico now earnestly desired the pa sSage OF
the bin. II matters little whether he re-
turned TO Congress. he said. but IL was of
great Importance that the Republican
party should remain in power. His an
nouncement that he had decided to stand
by his party in the present emergency
was greeted with applause.
Mr.. GrosvenOr said that much of the op-
position to the pending bill was due TO the
fact that IL was misunderstood. AS late
last Saturday night the editor OF promi-
nent Republican paper had made the state
ment to him that the bill proposed that
we should put our hands into the pockets
OF starving Porto Ricans. When he learned
that all the money collected at both ends
of the line went to the Porto Ricans he
was astonished.
The Payne amendment was adopted with
out division Many members on both sides
OF the House maze Dr1ef nVe-mlnute
speeches. explaining their position.
Mr.. Richardson. of Tennessee had read
communication from a delegation OF Porto
Ricans appealing for free trade.
Mr.. Payne, In reply. said the gentlemen
who signed that communication were all
directly pecuniarily interested In exporting
sugar and tobacco into the United States.
LIMITATION AMENDMENT.
Mr.. Payne then offered the following ad-
ditional section. agreed upon at the con-
ference of Republicans on Monday night:
This act shall be taken and held to be
provisional in its purposes and intended to
meet pressing. present need for revenue
for the Island of Porto Rico. and shall not
continue in force after March /. 1902"
Mr.. Powers, of Vermont. who was the
author OF the amendment, supported It,
His objections TO the bill concerned its
consututionality and its expediency. A
case was already in the courts involving
the constitutionality. and this section
would make the measure temporary and
provisional 1t was, he understood salts
factory to the President, and that being
the case he was willing TO give the
plauSe.l
Mr.. Sibley. of Pennsylvania, announced
we were debating the situation the people
OF Porto Rico were starving.
The emergencv, interrupted Mr.. Will
IN the policy of the Republican party
Democratic applause.1
Mr.: Sibley-You have located the politics
on the wrong side. Republican applause |
Mr.. Williams-It is pretty hard to locate
you ILaughter.J
Mr.. sibley replied that. as he had said
before, his seat could be considered con-
structtve on the Republican side. Continu-
ing. he said that If IL was established that
every foot OF territory owned by the United
states was OF absolute equality then he
was opposed to the whole policy of expan-
sion III the inhabitants of the Philippines
could compete with American production
and American labor he was willing to give
the archipelago to Aguinaldo. Mr.. Sbley
concluded with a scathing characterization
Mr. Tompkins. of New York. who was
one OF the original Republican opponents
OF the bill. announced briefly his reasons
Tor giving his support to the amended
measure.
Mr.. Hepburn. of Iowa, said the treaty
oy which Porto Rico and the Philippines
became ours could never have been ratified
without Democratic support yet they now
contended that there is no power under the
constitution by which American labor can
be protected against the competition of the
pauper labor OF ten million Asiatics.
Mr.. Carmack. of Tennessee. suggested
that the Democrats voted to ratify the
treaty because they believed in the assur-
ance of Republicans. Mr.. Hepburn among
them. that the Philippines were to be
they were to be retained only temporarily.
~ Mr. Hepburn =. indignantly denied that
party, had ever offered such an assurance.
A PREAMBLE.
Mr.. Payne's amendment was then agreed
TO without division and he offered the fol-
lowing 10 come in before the enacting
clause:
Whereas. The people Of Porto Rico have
been deprived of markets for a large por-
ton OF their products and have lost prop
erty and crops by severe and unusual
storms, whereby they are impoverished
and are unable 10 pay internal revenue and
direct taxes, and.
Whereas, Temporary revenue is neces-
sary for their schools, their roads and their
internal improvements and the administra-
ton or their government, now, therefore"
etc.
Mr.. Cummings. of New York, threw the
scribed how he believed Ii TO be the duty
OF every man In a great crisis to rise above
party and support the government, as he
lad done during the Spanish war. II be-
lieve now We should follow the lead OF the
President" said he. emphatically, land 1
will vote for this bill" This statement
electrified the House. The Republicans.
without waiting for him to finish his sem
tence, rose en- masse and cheered, while
the Democrats sat stunned and dazed. Mr.
Cummings stood with arm appraised until
the Republican applause ceased. 'I will
vote for this BILL" he continued, address
ing the Republican side, provided IL is
amended in accordance with the advice
OF the President for absolute free trade
with Porto Rico
Ii was now the turn OF the Democrats
to cheer, and for several minutes they