The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1900-04-26
THE SEVEN DISSENTING REPUB-
LICANS.

The seven Republican senators who
either voted against the Puerto Rico
bill or were paired against it are
these.
Cushman X. Davis of Minnesota,
George F. Hoar of Massachusetts,
Knute Nelson of Minnesota,
William ID. Mason Of Illinois,
Redfield Proctor of Vermont,
George l.. Wellington of Maryland
Joseph Simon of Oregon,
Nearly all of these statesmen have
at one time or another explained
clearly the reason which Influenced
thtem. With the possible exception
of the Minnesota senators, there were
no two who held precisely the same
attitude toward thte bill.
Senator Davis voted against it be-
cause, while he believed fully in the
constitutional power Of congress to
impose in Puerto Rico duties not uni
form with those obtaining in the
United States, he regarded it as bad
policy to lay tariff on articles of
necessity, including flour, while letting
rum and tobacco go free.
Mr. Hoars opposition was merely
Incidental to his general opposition to
the whole policy of island expansion.
He announced on March Is, in his re-
marks on the other Puerto Rico
measure, commonly know as the re-
lief bill, that he had not in the least
changed or modified his convictions on
this subject His attitude on the
broad question is chiefly determined
by his views regarding the Philippines
in particular.
Senator Mason of Illinois delivered
a speech of buncombe to the galleries
on Tuesday, in which he denounced
the governments proceedings in the
Philippines as "a war of conquest made
without the sanction of congress,
which is the constitutional power"
declared that his object was ito pro-
tect the laboring men and women of
this country from the competition OF
the degraded labor of the Philippines"
and took the Democratic ground con-
corning the power of congress to
enact special tariff for Puerto Rico
The utterances of Mr.. Mason repre-
sent personal characteristics rather
than convictions worthy of serious at
tention.
Senator Proctor treated the question
as to whether Puerto Rico should have
free trade Immediately or a few
months hence as "a question higher
than party policy" 1t was better, he
remarked to the senate on March &c.
'"that even a small minority of the
party should be right than that we all
should be wrong" Therefore Senator
Proctor decided to be one of the boni
The oregon senator had no fault to
find with the civil government features
Of the biz. He was Indifferent as to
the constitutional question of power
and opposed the temporary tariff sole
ly because 1t is unfair, unjust to the
people of Puerto Rico and in violation
of promises made to then."
Mr. Wellington of Maryland was the
only senator who announced that his
opposition to the bill was due to the
changes made in the way of concession
in the measure as originally intro
duced by Mr.. Foraker Senator Well
ington would have voted for the For
aker Ill in its first shape; in its final
shape he regarded it as a legislative
monstrosity.
For these various reasons the seven
Republican senators named above put
themselves upon record against the
bill which passed the senate by ma
iority of nine vote. In most OF the
cases the position of the dissenting
Republican is respectable and carries
no serious menace TO substantial party
harmony on the other great questions
of expansion as they come up in the
future.-New York Sun.