The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-03-29
HIS Parry N DlNGER
SENATOR DAVIS URGES ADOPTION
OF HIS AMENDMENT TO PUER-
TO RICAN BILL
ADVANCES STRONG ARGUMENTS
BASES HIS POSITION UPON NEED
FOR QUIETING THE PRO-
TESTS OF PEOPLE
TARIFF TALK is FOLLY

Better Way to Meet the Problem Ia
to Face 1t Boldly, and Give Puer-
to Rico Free Trade-PhfI-
| ippines Later.
WASHINGTON, March 2S.-The senate
today agreed to vote on the Puerto Rico
government and tariff bill Tuesday aft
ernoon at o'clock. An important ut
terance was made during the day OH the
Dill by Mr.. Davis (N1inn.), who advocated
free trade between the United States and
Puerto Rico. His speech was compara-
lively brief, but his reasoning was so
| close and cogent that he crowded into
| small space an immense amount Of we'll
| dieested information and careful thought
| His principal proposition was that the
| necessary money to be raised by taxa
| ton should not be raised by a duty lev
| led upon Puerto Rican products, but by
an internal revenue tax levied on rum
| and tobacco produced in The island. This
| system, in his opinion, would better suit
| the people Of the United States and these
! of Puerto Rico than the proposed tariff,
and would be just, equitable and consti-
| tutional.
The amendment offered by Mr.. Carter
| to the Alaskan civil code bill relating to
| the mining for gold under the waters of
Cape Nome was agreed to, but no fur-
| ther progress was made with the matter
Mr.. Nelson (Minn) resigned from the
committee on Indian affairs and was sue
| ceeded by Mr.. Bard (CaE1
Mr.. Jones (Ark) made a. sharp attack
he 20
mits to miners to dredge the Cape Nome
sands supposed to be rich in gold He
denounced the secretary's action as an
| outrage and plain usurpation' of author
ity.
The amendment of Mr.. Carter was then
adopted without division. The amend
ment is as follows:
'That subject only to such general lin
itations as may be necessary to exempt
| navigation from artificial distractions all
| land and shallow water below mean high
! tide on the shores, bays and inlets of
| Bering sea within the jurisdiction Of the
| United States shall be subject to eXplera-
| ton for gold and other precious metals
by the citizens of the United States or
persons who have legally declared the
! intention to become such under such rea-
| Sonable rules and regulations as the
! miners in organized mining districts may
| have heretofore made or may hereafter
sion thereof for exploration and mining
| purposes until otherwise provided by law.
| Provided, further, that the rules and reg
ulations established by the miners shall
not be in conflict with the mining laws
| of the United States; and all permits here
! tofore granted authorizing any person or
! cavate or mine under any of said waters
| are hereby revoked and declared null and
| void"
MR.. DAVIS OPPOSES TARIFF
Consideration Of the Puerto Rican bill
was then resumed. the pending quc stion
being upon the free silver coinage amend
ment offered by Mr.. Morgan. The amend
ment was defeated, Is to SO.
Mr.. Davis (Minn.), who is one Of the
leaders of the movement against the prop
| ositlon to impose a tariff upon Puerto
Rican products, was recognized for a
| speech.
| at am so desirous of an early vote
upon this bill, said Mr.. Davis, that I
have thought it better TO address the
senate this afternoon much more briefly
than [ otherwise should have done This
will cause me to omit discussion of con-
stitutional questions and many other mat
ters auxiliary and collateral to the main
subject"
After the elaborate argument of Mr..
| Lindsay, Mr.. Davis said he did not think
1t was necessary for him to enter upon a
| constitutional discussion. Wnlie he DEEM
ed the question very important he re-
| garded 1t as entirely non-partisan, and
felt that it ought so to be considered.
His remarks, he said, would be directed
to the house BILL which had become a
| part of the senate measure. He said that
1t could not be denied that from the time
the measure was reported TO the house
until today there had been a rising tide
of protest against it, and that protests
had eliminated in righteous Indignation.
1t had come from every part of the coun-
try, and from people In every walk Of
life, and 1t was based upon the principle
that Puerto Rico, in all the circum-
| stances, should have free trade with the
United States. Upon the question pre-
sented, he said there was an indefinite
| variety of opinion.
After explaining briefly an amendment
he had offered earlier in the day, Mr.. Da-
Wis maintained that a tarife. could not be
| levied as between Puerto Aco and the
United States, although it vas perfectly
| competent for congress to oyide for the
| collection of internal revenue taxes on
the island.
"Why do some insist that there is no
other way of solving the qu astion present
ed, when a way is presented that is un-
doubtedly constitutional" inquired Mr..
| Davis.
why insist upon a tariff upon the
products of the island by bill which is
so ephemeraf as to expire in a year and
a day? Why, indeed, insist upon the pro-
visions of this measure, when it would
be far better to let eXis ing conditions
continued"