Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-24
ADOPTED BY HOUSE
Conference Report on Porto Rican
Relief Bill.
THE YEAS WERE 1856, NAYS 81
Mr.. Payne Denies Report Of Cam
paign Contribution Deal.
EPES EULOGIES DELIVERED

Porto Rican affairs engaged attention in
the House To-Day, the conference report on
the relief bill for the island being taken up
with an agreement for final vote at 1
o'clock.
Mr.. McRae (Ark.), a member of the con-
ference committee. spoke in opposition to
the report, and severely criticised the gen.
eral course of recent legislation toward
Porto Rico. He read the resolutions of the
Iowa house of representatives condemninS
the Porto Rico tariff bill, and those of the
New York board of trade on the same SUBJ
ject.
In every solemn crisis, he said, the Amer
lean people might be relied upon to make
their wishes known in unmistakable terms
Such a crisis was now at hand, and Porto
Rico having asked fulfllment of promises
and an opportunity to relieve her dis
tiessed people, was to be given this sop in
the form of relief bill. Will the Ameri-
can people submit to this outrage, he asked.
II the leaders of the party in power believe
the people do not understand this question
they will speedily realize their mistake.
Messrs. Pierce (Tenn.), Wilson Is. c.,
Cochran (Mo) and Cox (Tenn) also op-
posed the report.
Mr.. Richardson, the democratic floor lead
er, asked leave to print in the Record some
editorial press criticisms on the subject.
When Mr.. DoIliver Uowa) objected Mr.
gracious, to which Mr. Dolliver answered
that he doubted the propriety of reprinting
the newspapers in the Record.
Mr.: Williams Ull), Mr.. Ridgley Ran.),
Mr.. Levy (N.Y) and Finley IS. c. follow
ed in opposition to the report.
To Secure Campaign Fund.
Several Of the speakers made references to
published report that the Porto Rico tar
If bill was designed to secure a campaign
fund.
Mr.. Payne (N.Y), chairman of the ways
and means committee, spoke briefly in sup
port of the report and of the general course
of Porto Rico legislation. He repudiated
and denied the reports that any campaign
fund was involved in the question. and de-
nounced as false the statement that such
reports emanated from members on the
republican side of the chamber. He also
combated the idea that the trusts would
be the beneticiaries of the pending tariff bill
and declared that the two great trusts in
sugar and tobacco would benefit most by
getting their sugar and their tobacco free
OF duty. So that, he asserted, if there was
any campaign doodle" 1t was exerted
against the proposition of placing a tariff
on goods coming from Porto Rico.
Mr.. Cannon 0ll) closed the debate in
support of the conference report. He de-
clared that the minority. like cuttlefsh
We're trying to muddy the waters and di-
vert attention from themselves. But the
people would recognize the fact that the
minority opposed this practical measure of
relief to the Porto Ricans. For half CEN
tury the democratic policy had been one
which would have carried the government
to anarchy and destruction. Now that par
" was posturing and asking power under
false DretenSeS
There was great applause and laughter
as Mr.. Cannon closed with the declaration
that the American people would not be de-
cefVed by this posturing, but would kick
You out and send you down to everlast-
ing Derdition.'
The Report Adopted.
At L o'clock yea and nay vote was
taken on the report and it was agreed to
yeas, 155; nays, ST; present and not voting,
20. This completes the measure, and it
now goes to the President
The vote was on party lines, except that
number Of democrats and Independents
voted with the republicans for the report,
viz, Bell (Col). Chanler On ". Cochran
tMoD, Cummings On. V, Stanley Daven-
port Pa), Davey Ha). Devries (CaI),
Meekison (Ohio), Newlands New, Scudder
On: ", Shafroth (Coi), Thayer CMass0,
Wilson idaho and Wilson IS c.
Speaker Henderson at once signed the
engrossed bill, and it went to the Senate for
the signature of the President pro tenn,
preliminary to being presented to the
President
The resolution of Mr.. Cummings On w.
requesting of the Secretary of State infor-
"open door in China was, on motion of
Chairman Hit of the committee on foreign
affairs, agreed to.
Proposed Grant Memorial.
Mr.. McCleary (Minn.) called up the bill
appropriating $4,000 to secure plans for a
suitable memorial to Ulysses s. Grant, to
be erected in Washington. Mr. McCleary
paid glowing tribute to Grant, and ap-
pealed to members north and south to unite
in favor Of the measure. The bill was
unanimously passed.
Bills were passed making regulations for
the boarding Of vessels while in port au-
thorizing a drawless bridge between Cam
bridge and Boston and governing the trans
portatton Of dutiable goods at Laredo, Eags
Pass and Ell Paso, Tex
Mr.. Steele Qnd) renewed his request that
Saturday afternoon, April IA, be set aside
for the reception of the statue of Governor
Oliver P. Morton of Indiana Mr.. Fitz-
gerald OF Massachusetts, who objected to
this request yesterday, explained that he
did SO in order to draw the attention Of
the country to the fact that through bigo-
try and prejudice there has been no recep-
ton UP to this time of the statue of Father
Marquette given by Wisconsin to the ma
ton. He did not press his objection, and
the order for receiving Governor Mortons
statue was made.
Eu1OEies of Representative Epes.
The House then devoted itself to eulogies
Oh the late Representative Epes of Vir-
ginia. Those who spoke were Messrs. Hay,
Swanson. Otey and Lamb (Va.); Jenkins
(Wis.) Rhea and Wheeler HSy0. Williams
(Miss), Clayton Ala.), De Armond (Mo.),
Berry Ky), Mccall (Mass.) and Ball (Tex.).
TO PROTECT DAIRY PRODUCTS.
Mr.. GrOut Hopes His Oleomargarfne
Bill Will BE Reported This Session.
1--WE shall make an earnest effort to Sc
cure favorable report on the oleomarga-
rine bill," said Representative Grout of
Vermont, the author of the bill further tax
ing oleomargarine, to a Star reporter today