The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-31

Mr.. Pettus addressed the Senate on the
| constitutional phase of the Porto Ricar
| speech yesterday, and like the Vermont
Senator, he argued in favor of the policy
of free trade between Porto Rico and the
United States. Mr.. Pettus is the senior
Senator in point of years. and in his
| quantity grave style. without a smile upon
| his serious countenance, he coGvulsed his
| brother Senators and the large audience
in the galleries with laughter as ne dis
charged shafts of ridicule at Mr. Calm
ger for his Ignorance of law" and. at the
young Senator from Indiana (Mr. Bever-
| idge) for his oratorical pretentiousless.
! His manner, even more than his language,
was irresistibly droll. and his speech was
accompanied with continuous laughter.
Mr.. Gallinger, in a few brief observa-
| tons, defended the legal position which
| he had taken Thursday. and which Mr..
Pettus had assailed; but Mr.. Beveridge
had not the privilege of hearing himself
mercilessly ridiculed. as he is absent from
| the city.
The Speech Well Received.
Coming as it did III the midst of lis
cussions devoted mainly to constitutional
| questions, the speech of Mr. Pettus met
| with an enthusiastic reception on all sides,
| and was the subject of general comment
| at the Senate end of the Capitol for the
remainder of the day.
i Beginning with the question of the SOW
ereignty of this Government over Porto
Rico, Mr.. Pettus said:
Il propose TO show where the majority of
this Senate has quit the public road-has
quit the road pointed out by the law of the
land, and also to show what will be the re-
suit. The great error contained in this bill
is its considering that the Government of
the United States is a sovereign in the
sense of the word as used in Europe
1T is not q sovereign in that sense and
it never can be. Some of the supporters
of that doctrine found it on the law of
nations. Well. it is true that We are gov
erned by the law of the nations, so far as
il is applicable TO our Government. Valtel
drew the distinction as plain as daylight;
and so does the Supreme Court of the
United States. The idea is that, when a
territory is ceded to a nation, that nation
cannot exercise, necessarily, all the powers
of the former owner. That nation must
exercise whatever powers it may have ac-
cording to its own form OF government aud
not otherwise.
Spain had a right Of absolute sover-
eighty over these Islands. unrestricted by
any of the constitutional legislation OF
Spain, but when We took those Islands we
took them according to and subject to the
powers which the Government of the
United States has a right 10 exercise over
Territories and not in any other way. 1t
is impossible TO conceive nltidea that the
Government of the United States can exer
else powers over acquired territory which
the Constitution of the United States does
not tolerate" ~
After enlarging somewhat upon this part
of his argument Mr.. Pettus. in the course
of discussion with Mr.. Gallinger made,
sarcastic and humorous allnsions to the
statement made by the Senator from New
Hampshire that he was not a lawyer, but
a physician.
1T was not necessary" he said. for the
Senator to tell us that he is not lawyer.
The statements that he makes daily in
this chamber in regard to legal questions
are proof enough that he knows nothing
Of that profession. and | only hope he is
better informed as to medicine.
This reminds me of an old minister
whom | used TO know in the mountains of
Alabama who was as learned in the Bible
as my friend from New Hampshire is in
the law. He took his place in the pulpit
one Sunday before a good congregation
and very attentive one Those people
up there have a profound reverence for
the Master. The minister said: Brethren,
my text this morning Will be the follow
ing Seven sons did Micah bear to
Enon" Now If you will look at the com
mentary you may find various meanings
70 bIrt ak
view of it l will say this: I expect old
Enon was sick and the doctor told his
seven sons (strong, active fellows that
IL was absolutely necessary he should
have milk. Therefore the seven sons went
out to look for the COWS and they could
not find them anywhere in the whole
neighborhood. But they came across
she bear and they MIXED her and carried
the milk to Enon. And so 1t is writ Seven
sons did milk a bear unto Enon.'' That
preacher had as accurate conception OF
scripture as some of our Senators have of
law"
4 Great Orator.
After this commentary on Mr. GalItnger
the Senator from Alabama paid his re-
spects to Mr.. Beveridge, in these words:
We had a wonderful defamation yes
terday from our great orator; wonderful
it was marvellous in all It's parts. 1t was
so marvellous that dare say such a thing
has never been heard in the Senate OF the
United States before.
But, Mr.. President, when You get a
genuine orator he is absolutely absolved
from all rules of logic or common sense.
Absolutely And when it is necessary
in the fervor of oratorical flourish
TO prove any proposition, true or false,
the rules of common sense and the rules
of a decent observance OF what is due to
others must not stand in the way in main
tanning a reputation as a great orator. II
will not do If it is necessary he must
draw upon Imagination for his facts and
on his memory for his flights of fancy.
He has n right to speak Of Republicans and
Democrats and Populists here, in the fer
vor OF his oratory, as enemies TO the Gov