Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1900-03-02
A COMPROMISE.
House Republicans Agree Upon n
Modified Porto Ricnn TnriH Bill
Proposed Amendments.

Washington, Feb. 27.-At the con-
ference of house republicans Monday
night on the Porto Rican tariff bill as
surances were given that the presi-
dent believed the measure constitu-
tional and would approve it if it came
to him, and an agreement was reached
to limit the operation of the bill to
two years and to reduce the duty inn
posed by it from 25 to Is per cent. of
the American tariff. AS result the
republican leaders claim that the bill
will have the support of all the re-
publicans except four-Messrs. Mccall
(Mass.), Littlefield Me.), Lorimer
(Ill) and Crumpacker Und.), and that
this loss will be offset by affirmative
| votes of the opposition. They claim
the passage of the modified bill is cer-
tain.
After the conference adjourned at
II o'clock Chairman Cannon gave out
the following statement of the amend
ments agreed upon by the conferences:
THE conference requested the ways and
| means committee to offer an amendment to
the bill as follows: Amend the title to
| make 1t an act temporarily to provide rev.
enue for the island Of Porto Rico and for
| other purposes and to add the following
| section: This act shall be taken and held
| to be provisional in its purpose, intended to
| meet pressing, present need for revenue
| for the island of Porto Rico and Is not to
| continue in force after March l, 1902 These
| amendments were adopted with practical
| unanimity. Another to reduce the duty
| imposed by the act from 25 to Is per cent.
was adopted by a vote of 105 to II. A fur
| ther amendment is TO be offered by the
| ways and means committee to make 1t
clear that no double duty Is imposed; that
the payment of an internal revenue tax Is
the total tax on ifnportations."
The republican members of the ways
and menas committee, together with
Speaker Henderson, remained at the
capitol canvassing the situation dur
ing the interim between the adjourn
ment of the house at five o'clock and
the assembling of the conference at
eight. Chairman Cannon presided
over the caucus. As soon as it had been
called to order, Mr.. Payne, of New
York, the floor leader, submitted two
amendments, which he said the ways
and means committee were prepared
to offer to the bill. One of them
changed the title of the measure to
make it bill for temporarily raising
revenue for Porto Rico. The other
added new section to the bill, limiting
it's operation to March 1, 1902, unless
sooner repealed.
Mr.. Grow, of Pennsylvania, the ven
cradle eX-speaker of the house, sai6
that the amendments proposed made
the bill an emergency measure
against which the question of consti
tutionality ought not to be raised, ant
Mr.. Marsh, of Illinois, earnestly ap
pealed to the recalcitrants to rally
around the republican standard anc
bury their dissensions.
This drew statements from Mr.. Nc
Call and Mr.. Littlefield, the two leaders
! of the republican revolt. Both spolS,
in good temper, but abated not one jo
their individual opposition to the meas
ure. Mr.. Mccall said that the modifica
tions offered and the assurance from
the president might remove the objec
tions of those who had opposed the bill
, on the ground of expediency, but tha
his objections, going deeper, to the con
stitutional question, could not be as
suaged by any such amendments. ii
|, should, he announced, vote against tn
bill. Mr.. Littlefield's speech was alon,
the same lines. He, too, he said, mus
; oppose the bill.
Speaker Henderson and Chairma,
! Payne wound up the speechmalsin
with eloquent appeals for harmon
and united action in the face of tn
enemy. The speeches aroused grea
enthusiasm. Speaker Henderson cor
cluded:
'This bill should pass. say to yo
tonight, put on your armor and sin
, glory hallelujah."
Mr.. Payne adjured his colleagues
, stand shoulder to shoulder" and t
"vote solidly." The amendments Of
fered were then adopted and the cor
! ference adjourned.
Mr.. Mccall said after the conferenc
y that he still believed the bill would b
: defeated. 1T will be tight squeez,
anyway" said he.
Mr.. Cannon said that the bill wa
misunderstood; that it was in fac
:. a bill for the immediate relief of til
Porto Ricans by providing them a
=, equitable means of raising $1,600,0C
= annually in an emergency.