The age-herald., 1900-03-18

publican senators hold similar views, and it would appear as if they were trying to kill the Foralxer government bill while the tariff business is. being discussed Senator Foraker and other members of the commit tee on Padific Islands and Porto Rico are determined that legislation shall be enacted Tor the government of Porto Rico. They are not in the least pleased that an effort is being made to kill this bill and there are intimations that if this policy of killing the government bill is persisted in some one Of them may offer q bill entending the consti- tuition over Porto Rico and giving 1t a ter ritorial government similar to that of New Mexico and Arizona. But this has only reached the suggestion stage. and may never be seriously considered.
 Free Trade Amendment
 The consideration of the Porto Rlcan ap- proprfation bill will give an opportunity to some democratic senator to offer an amend- ment providing for free trade with Porno Rico Such an amendment might prove em- barrassing to the republicans. Probably ten republican senators think that there should be free trade with Porto Rico. If they should join the democrats and other mefn- bers of the senate minority they could pos- sibly secure free trade But they do not wish to go out of the party lines and the anxiety is to effect some arrangement which will unite the party How difficult 
 ter of the differences in the party. But, in view of the agreement to pass the appro- priation bill first and take up the govern ment and tariff questions later it is very doubtful whether any republicans, no mat ter how much they believe that there should be free trade with Porto Rico, would vote for a free trade amendment to the Porto Rican appropria tion bill. That would smack too of snap action and would properly be regarded as a violation of the agreement reached at the conference. Yet each senator must consult with hls con- science this point. However, It would seem as enough of the free traders tn the republican ranks would regard it as dis. honorable to support such an amendment to make it in any sense successful.
 The whole Porto Rican business has em- barrassed the republicans more than any proposition in many years. They find strong sentiment among their partisans throughout the country favorable to free trade with Porto Rico To great degree this feeling is based on sentiment, on the feeling that after acquiring Porto Rico, Spanish colony not in revolt, as result of a war entered into for humane purposes, we should deal with absolute fairness with the Porto Ricans and give them the freest en- trance into our markets. No matter how strong the argument may be that the im- position of tariff on small scale Is nec- essary in order to provide revenue for Porto Rico. the sentiment that Porto Rico should have free trade remains very strong. It can not be reached by argument, and the argu- ments against 1t are far from convincing. The truth is sentiment is the hardest thing there is to fight. and those who go against it. no matter how justified they may feel their course to be- must suffer. That is just what the republican party is threaten ing to do.
 Repubitcans Are Apprehensive
 The average republican congressman watches the struggle going on in his party in the senate with the greatest fnterest, mingled with apprehension. He fears that some agreement for duty on Porto RIcan goods may be reached. He wants the sen ate to provide for free trade, because ne has heard from his constituents and hnds his vote for a Porto Rican tariff Is not help- ful to his political popularity at home The democrats look at the struggle with pleas- ure appreciating that the longer 1t con tfnues the better for the democracy. They remember their own troubles with the tar if of 1884, and hope this present struggle will be even more acrimonious than that was and it seems to promise to be.
 An Amusing Incident
 Quite an amusing little incident occurred the other day at the hearing of the Couer