The Portland daily press., 1900-02-24

Unitsd States and BE- Of no material ban
eft to the people Of the island. Mr..
Russell explained that the tsbaoco grow
ers OF Connecticut had no interest In ex-
Puerto Ricap tobacco
Mr.. Littlefield Of Maine followed. His
appearance upon the door created stir.
Il was known that he would Oppose the
bill and the high reputation he had won
In the Roberts debate made members on
both sides anxious to hear him. ts
He spoke In time yielded to him BY
Mr.. Richardson, the Democratic leader.
He opened with an emphatic declaration
OF his reasons for antagonizing the
measure. .
"I oppose this BILL" said he. "bscsnss
10 10 IN Repu blican. un-Amer'oan, I'M
unwarrsnted and unoonsu-
He occupied . painful position. he
said. He was compelled to dissent from
the policy advanced By distinguishsd
men Of his party whose long exp'rienos
in legislation made them worthy lead
ers. He was . Republican and should
support Republican doctrines. but when
great que stion Of right and wrong. q
great question OF principle. was present
ed, he felt as hs had no doubt every
gentleman ON the floor felt. that each
individual had the right TO think and
spsaE for himself.
FOR himself, he should do right as God
gave him to see the right Democratic
appl.use) and, moreover. he submitted,
there were reasons why the bill should
not receive the approval Of the Republic
oan party. He Was not aware, he said,
that any section of the Republican party
at any spot or place had justified 1t. Mr..
Lattiefield argued that the regeneration
of Puerto Rico could be brought about
by Q loan which the United states
could Authorizs II to raise. No one
could doubt the ability Of the island to
rspay the loan. The people Of the island
In 1878 had paid SIS, COG, 900 to free the
slaves. Could not these people, he asked.
be trusted to repay trifiing loan to be
used for the relief Of tho island.
He submitted that the people of Puer-
to Rico by their history were entitled TO
fair treatment at the hands Of the Re-
publican party. All they asked was
stable government and hands off They
could take care Of themselves. He said
he believed that . loan Of three or four
millions should DO sufficient to place
them on their feet, bnt the amount he
was willing to leave to the people who
were 20 repay II.
~ say" said he. "that 1t lies In the
mouth of no man tn say that Puerto
Rico could not repay loan OF $40. 600. OOo
IL operated under free trade In free mar
ksts. ] assert that this bill Is drawn
against the advice Of Gen. Davls, governor
general of the island, against the pro
ts,t Of the people Of Puerto Rico, against
the counsel Of ssoretary Root, against the
recon- men iations Of the Pre- sident an
against the original recommendations OF
the chairman Of the ways and means
committee.
MIR. Littlefield chided Mr.. Payne with
out not making public the reasons for
his change of hesrt. He said he thought
he knew the reasons. bus he would not
suggest it. But the gentleman from
New York and the gentleman from Con-
neotiout, (Russell). he said. had declared
that the impor tation Of sugar and tobacco
from Puerto Rico would not interfere
with our industries. II that were true.
it would be interesting to know who
suggested the change Of base. He yield
ed to no man in his devotion to the party
but 1t was better for his political friends
to hear these things now than later on
the stump where they would be judged
by the snlis htened conscience OF the Anne
rican people.
The greatest calamity which ovsrshad-
owed the Republican party. he said, was
the calamity involved in the pending
bill. (Applauss.) He would waste nc
TINA In quoting jefferson, jackson CT
Benton. For him 1t was sufficient II
William Mckinley mad followed in che
footsteps of Washington and Lincoln.
And President MCKINLEY had said tina.
1t was the ''plain duty" of Congress &c
give free trade to Puerto Rico.
MIR, LItIl6Uelu uifoCtot hie safohnA
against the bill. taking as an illustra'
tion q case of shipping lumter from
Maine TO Puerto Rico. At San Juan
the duty was collected BY the United
States. Therefore 1t had as well been
collected by the United States when II
left Maine.
Mr.. Littieheld oontsDded that the bill
was un-Republioan. Whenever before,
he asked. had 1t been proposed to p'ao'
q duty upon American capital and Anne
rican labors The platform of the Repub
iicau party, he said, declared for the
protection of American labor and Anne
rican capital against foreign labor ant
foreign capital. He challenged MI
Panys to explain this new doctrine H'
also assAiled as a pretext the theory tha
this tariff for Puerto Rico was framed Il
raise revenue, when duty on sugar anS
tobacco was levied, while coffee, Of whicl
the prod uotion was greater than both th'
other articles together, was to be i'm
ported free. This was the cheap philsn