Evening star., 1900-04-12
Final Struggle Over the Porto Rican
Bill,
nine REPUBLICANS IN OPPOSITION
Only One Representative Absent
and IMPAIRED.
SOME DRAMATIC SCENES

The long and bitter struggle over the
Porto Rican tariff bill ended yesterday when
the House of Representatives, bysa vote Of
161 to 153. concurred in all the Senate
amendments. AS the bill originally passed
the House it was a simple bill, imposing
10 per cent Of the Dingley rates on goods
going into Porto Rico from the United
States and coming from Porto Rico into
the United States
AS amended by the Senate and agreed to
by the House certain food stuffs and other
articles which heretofore have gone into
Porto Rico free by executive order are ex-
cluded from the operation of the 10 per
cent duty imposed goods entering the
island from the United States.
A complete scheme of civil government
for the island is also attached to the meas
ure. Upon the final vote nine republicans
voted against the bill-Messrs. Heatwole of
Minnesota, Crumpacker of Indiana. Lane
of Iowa, Lttlefed of Maine. Mccall of
Massachusetts, H. c. Smith of Michigan.
Warner Of Illinois, Fletcher of Maine and
Messrs. Davey and Meyer Of Louisiana
were paired with democrats in favor of the
bill, and one democrat-Mr. Sibley of Penn
sylvania-voted for it outright. Mr.. De
Vries, the other democrat who voted for
the original bill, voted against concurrence
Mr.. Stallings (Ala) was the only member
on either side absent and impaired. The
vote came at o'clock, after a very inter-
esting and at times exciting debate of five
hours, which covered not only the bill but
the special order under which the House
acted. One of the most dramatic features
of the day was the reading by Mr.. Richard
son, the minority leader, of the original
opinion of Charles E. Magoon, the legal
adviser of the War Department, in favor
of the view that the Constitution extended
over Porto Rico ex propria vigore. Mr..
Dolliver of Iowa In reply termed Mr. Ma
goon a clerk who tried to overrule the
great lawyer at the head of the War De-
partment. Messrs. H. c. Smith of Michi-
gan, Warner of Illinois, Crumpacker of In
diana, Mccall of Massachusetts and Lori
mer of Illinois,. all republicans, made
speeches against the motion to concur.
After The Stars report closed yesterday
Mr.. Jones Na.) followed on the democratic
side. He devoted himself principally to the
civil government features of the bill. Re-
plying to Mr. Watson's query as to what
the democrats would do he said that if
they could they would give to the inha bit
ants of Porto Rico a representative free
government with the same rights, privi-
leges and immunities enjoyed by every
American citizen.
The Republican Opposition.
Mr.. Richardson then yielded thirty min
utes to Mr.. Mccall (Mass.), who divided
his time among the republican opponents of
the BILL First, Mr.. II. c. Smith (Mich)
stated the grounds of his opposition. He
believed. with Bismarck, that the world
was ruled from above. and not below, and
that the God of nations and of battles
points the victory to The right. Now was
the exalted opportunity Of Ihs country, he
said, and it should be the republican party
which should lead it. But believer in
the survival Of the good and the true he
said he could not bring his conscience to
support the bill 1t was Il piece of bad
faith against the people Of Porto Rico who
n to ha
and stripes Gen. Miles promise then made
should, he said, be redeemed. Good morals
demanded it.
Mr.. Warner Oll) urged the same ground
of objection. The bill was, he said, a
breach of trust. 1t was more Objectionable
as it came back from the Senate than as it
left the House. 1t would create righteous
revolution.
The proposed measure, I submit" he
said in conclusion, 'is dangerous depar-
ture from the lifelong policy Of the United
States; and if 1t is adopted we are in the
air, and no one can tell what the result
Will be. If this measure be adopted no
people can safely become a part of us, as
sney hnve e ASSURANCE Of their status
ter here
With due respect for the opinion Of
those from whom l differ he said, ''in my
judgment this House made a mistake in
passing the tariff feature of this bill, and
now, having the opportunity. it should cor
rect that mistake In my Judgment 1t is
unrepublican; and as a republican I will
vote against it in whatever shape or COM
pany 1t is submitted.
Mr.. Crumpacker Und), in the minute al
lowed him. argued that the bill was funda-
mentally wrong. contrary to the history
and traditions of the party to which he be-
longed. The first platform of the repubn-'
can party, he said declared that the Con-
stitution carried political liberty to the peo-
pie Of the territories. well as the states,
and that declaration was as true now as ii
was then.
Mr.. OGrady On. " and Mr.. Hamilton
(Mich.) each spoke fifteen minutes in sup
port OF the bill. The lattice said the pending
Dill gave free food products to the Porto
Ricans; free flour, rice, codfisn, bacon, fresh
beef pork and mutton, ma chinery for maxi
ing and refining sugar and other agricultu-
raj purposes, plows, hoes, hatchets and
other agricultural Implements: Gunine
rough lumber and wood for making hogs
heads and casks for sugar and molasses
What glorious thing it would be for a