The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-02-23
SOME NOTABLE SPEECHES
On Porto Rican Tariff
Bill Y esterday.
Mr.. MeCall's Argument Against the
MEASURE.
Gen. Grosvenor in It's
Favor.
Speeches by Mcclellan, Brantly,
Parker and Others.

: Washington. February 22.-The debets
on the Puerto Rican tariff bill brought
out feTerai notable speeches In the
House today, including one BY Gen. Gros-
v.nor Of Ohio. who answered n number
Of questions as to the attitude OF the
President, another by Representative
Mccall OF Masssch usetts, the Republican
member of the ways and means mmit-
tee, who dissented from the majority re-
port, and Representative Moody Of Aassa-
chusetts, who sharply criticised the po-
sit'o1 Of his colleague. Mr.. Mcclellan
OF New York and Mr.. Brantly Of Georgia
also spoke against the bill, and MIR. Par
ker Of New Jersey In support of 1t. The
debate was continued at a night fession.
The House began holding early sessions
today meeting at eleven a. IN. owing to
the pressure for time in the Porto Rico
debate.
Washington's birthday was referred tc
by the chaplain in his Invocation and the
character Of Washington held up as 9
model for emulation today.
Mr.. Mcclellan Of New York opened the
debate speaking In the opposition to the
bill.
Mr.. Mcclellan said IN rart: On Its
face the bill is simple enough. 1t provides
for reduction of 20 per cent In the Ding.
ley tariff rates on all goods imported to
and fro IN Puerto Rico, and yet IL Is the
mos outraged IA opportnnisw- tSat has
been Submitted 10 q legislative body, at
least since she days of that prophet Of
opportunism, Leon Gsmbe
The bill must be considered from two
aspects, the legal and the moral.
The position OF the majority IL refer
ence to the stains Of Puerto Rico Is this:
That Puerto Rico belongs to the United
Statss but is not part Of the United
States, and that the constitution does not
extend over iu proprio vigore. Having
enunciatsd this proposition the majority
demurs and insists that even II the con-
stitutlon does extend over Puerto Rico
proprio vigors, the treaty OF Paris is the
supreme Law of the land and II in conflict
with the constitution, then that treaty
Is paramount.
In tins cass of Puerto Rioo there has
that governments are instituted among
men. deriving their just powers from the
consent Of the governed. Puerto Rico
belongs to us and 1t is necessary for us TO
consider first, what 10 the status OF Its
inhabitants and second, what is the stat
US of It's territory.
MIR. MoClailan then urged at some
length, quoting q great many decisions to
prove that the position CT the majority
was untenRble and that the inhabitants
OF Puerto Rico are citizens of the United
States with all the constitutional rights
OF citizens and that the constitution ex-
tends proprio vigore over the island OF
Puerto Rico, the United States only hold
ing 1t In trust for the state eventually to
be erected out of its territory. Continu
ing, MIR. Mcclellan said:
1.-The moral aspect Of the case lie quite
as important rs is the legal. 1t involves
the good faith. the credit and the honor
of the United States, Some gentlemen
distinguish between individual honor and
national honor. some insist that there ID
ons standard Of honesty for the individ-
ual and no standard whatever Tor the
nation. Puerto Rico came to US freely OF
her own accord. believing that she would
become a part of the United States and
enjoy the blessings of our constitution
and Of free intercourse with U.S. tino
myself taking my stapd with the minor
isy In support of the President Of the
United States against the party that elect
ed him to Office
In closing Mr.. Mcclellan said: There
are these of US who are fond of saying
that the white mans burden lies far be.
yond the summer seas, and the white
mans duty requires that he bear his bur
den no matter how much 1t may Cypress
him. There are those of US who in all
sincerity maintain that 1t Is the duty Of
this country to extend the blessings OF
Its civilization to the people of the east
They tell I'd that an open door in China
would Increase our commerce and thai
the addition Of millions of paupsr saw
ages to our tody politio would improve
the condition OF American labor. may
be conservative beyond reason. but
think / am an humble member of tbs
great majority Of the psopls Of this coun-
try who believe that the greatest glory OF
free people Is In Its honor and in 1T
righteousness as nation, that there Il
only one rule of conduct for the individu
al and for governments; that the same
standard Of honor should govern thi
congress as governs Its most inoonspiou-
Gus member; that our ultimate destin,
will be worked out through the factories
Of the east, In the wheat fields Of the ives
aad In the plantations Of the south; tina
we must strive for happiness not Ia Asst
but In America. that the radiance Of oul
nag consist not in the triumphs of un
necessary foreign wars but In the tri
mnphs of necessary domestic peace tina