The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-03-13
Makes Threat That StirS Up
Republican Senators.
ON PORTO RICAN BILL
WOULD GIVE ISLAND FULL TER
RIToRIAL GOVERNMENT.
Grows Weary of the Indifference of
His Colleagues and Brings Them
to Time-Such Measure, With
Democratic Support, Would Prob
ably Pass Both Houses.

Washington. March 12-The senate
chamber and adjoining rooms today were
the scene of a conflict Of opinion which
found no place in the Congressional
Record. The basis OF the disagreement
was Senator Foraker's bin providing q
form Of government fer Porto Rico, and
| only Republican senators participated il
it. The controversy grew out Of the ef-
forts 10 have the bill amended.
There are some senators who hold thai
legislation for Porto Rico, for the present
at least, should be confined TO providing
for the immediate needs Of the inhabi-
tants OF Porto Rico. and should not In
clude efforts to establish a form of gov
f eminent These senators generally %
lieve chat Porto Rico should receive NJ
taVorS in the way Of tariff reduction and
are content to allow the present tarif
rates to continue until as they put II
there is more time and the senate is bet
ter prepared for the diSpaSsiOu9te con
sheraton of the question Their idea Is
to leave the island in the hands of tbs
war department
Senator Foraker. as chairman of tn,
Porto RiCan committee. met the PROPOSE
ton Of inactivity with a declaration thai
If Il was persisted il he would not only
drop the bin before the senate entirely
I but would introduce as a substitute for Il
a measure providing for the ORGANIZATION
of the island as a territory. giving II al
q the officers and al the PRIVILEGES and i'm
3
mUnities OF such territories as Oklahoua
New Mexico and Arizona-nOt only max
ing the Porto Rican people fuli-hedset
citizens Of the United States but estab
fishing complete free trade between then
and the United States proper
Amendment to Bill.
His further purpose. as he outlined it
was to introduce IL as an amendment q
/ the bin passed by the house and now
pending IL The SeEate. apprOpr1atlHg ms
revenues collected from The island fOr tn,
use Of tho people.
When the purpose of Mr. Foraker be
care generally known among the hepuD
+ iicaD leaders. the Ohio senator vas I'm
rneCiat e.y besieged by Repub leans. " NIT
4 several Of them supported MS proposltlof
as a wise one many others eOul6nieC
against II as calculated to commit tn'
( country TO q course which mig be mor'
( easily reDented Of than remedled, They
he'd that Ii would be easier in the future
/ 10 change from a present policy OF impos
I ing a tariff 10 free trade than II WOUlC
/ be 70 change from free trade 20 tariff.
Fear was felt by the advocates Of 6
tariff that such an amendment could bS
passed with the assistance Of the Demo
/ cratic free traders. Senator Foraker
( himself, IS welded to the bin under con
( fiction he decided after comforting witt
! almost every one Of the Republicans Il
/ allow matters to drift for a few days.
Held a Conference.
; After the senate adjourned, a numbel
OF senators held a formal conference il
Senator AlliSOn'S rooms, but they de
clared with one accord that no definiti
conclusion had been reached as to a lint
OF policy 10 be pursued with reference u
Porto Rico.
When word reached the house as Il
the possible course Of the senate. i
caused much speculation. Messrs- DaI
eel. Russell, TaWney and others of III,
ways and means committee said the re-
ported plans in the senate were not Lht
result Of any conference or consultation
with members of the house and consider
able doubt was expressed as to whethei
the senate would make such radical
. changes as those suggested
/ Notwithstanding these statements, il
! appears THAI while members Of the house
have not been consulted as 10 any COM
o promise. some. Of them have been ad-
vised Of the various plans under consId-
! Grafton.
VINO took an active part IN me
house debate. said the proposition
up TO yesterday was 10 combine tho
house bill. the S2.9j0 900 apprOpria tiOT
F measure and a territorial biz. doing away
with the duties on goods entering Porte
4 Rico and retaining the 10 per cent rate
+ on goods entering the United States from
some doubt as to the seUare's abandoning
q the tariff features entirely. although hf
said there was no doubt such q change, Il
! made by the senate, would be accepted bl
I the house.
] Representative Cooper. chairman OF the
/ insUlar committee. and Mr. Crumpackel
I OF Indiana cOncurred with NU. MOOdl
I that the changed temper Of the house
would lead 10 the acceptance OF a fret
! trade amendment If the senate made It.