The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-02-21

ton. AS to what our relations are with
the islands men honestly differ. l have
given very careful thought to the subject,
and speaking for myself alone, | am en-
tirely clear than those islands and Porto
Rico under the treaty have become the
property Of the United States and not
part Of at, and that Congress has the
power to make such disposition of them
as it may deem for the best interests
OF the people of this country and the in
habitants OF the island. This being true,
we can have separate customs, revenue
and navigation laws for those islands,"
Mr.. Hopkins then proceeded to discuss
the constitutional question involved. quot
ing liberally from the decisions of the
Supreme Court, the speeches of Webster,
Benton and Calhoun.
MR. SWANSON'S ARGUMENT.
Mr.. Swanson, (Va.), another member of
the Ways and Means Committee, was
the last speaker today. In opposing the
bill he said that the President in his
message had announced that ''it was our
plain duty to abolish all customs tariffs
between rhe United States and Porto
Rico" The conditions in Porto Rico had
not changed, yet the Republican party
had since entirely changed it's policy in
dealing with this matter solely ON ac-
count of political exigencies. He dis
cuSSed the injustice of lcg;slating for the
people OF Porto Rico on account of poll
tical conditions here and the doctrine
upon which the I'LL was founded.
He said that the Republican party was
sponsor for government by injunction in
the United States, and that they now
proposed new doctIine-governme
without Constitution. He said that if
Congress should govern the territories
and new possessions without the consti-
tutional limitations it would create q
congressional despotiS1n, precisely similar
10 that claimed by Great Britain mt the
time of the Revolutionary War. that the
power claimed to enact this bill is pre-
cisely the power that was claimed by the
British Parliament for the enactment OF
the Stamp Act.
He said
Every person who votes for this bill
announces himself follower of George
I'LL"
THE POOR MIIlLIONAIRES.
He argued the injustice of Congress
fixing the terms upon which the Porto
country, and at the same time the terms
upon which they must be purchased from
this country This power, he said, had
been and always would be abused The
intention OF this bill. 4e asserted. was to
force all of the leaf tobacco to be expo t
ed here for manufacture and thereby
paralze the manufacturing industries of
the island. He then argued the injustice
of permitting the 100000 tons of sugar
in Hawaii to be admitted free of duty,
while at the same time the bi imposes
heavy. custom duty upon the sixty thou
sand tons of sugar from Porto Rico;
that the difference in this treatment re-
suited from the fact that the sugar in
terest of Hawaii was owned by a few
milionaires, while that Of Porto Rico
was owned by several thousand small
farmers. He said that the present bill,
denying, as it does, 10 the inhabitants of
all territories and new POSSESSIONS any of
the rights of citizens and imposing heavy
penalties on them would have a tendency
to give new life to the insurrection in the
Philippine Islands and make the imhab
itants have little faith i'm receiving JUS
tice from this country. He argued from
decisions of the Supreme Court that the
Constitution extended to all territory, and
that there must be everywhere umiformd-
" in custom Duties and taxes.
The wisdom of this Interpretation was
then discussed, he maintaining that none
of the restrictions Of the Constitution
could be a curse to Porto Rico or to the
Philippine Islands; that those who up-
held this new doctrinel did so because
they knew that the equality and justice
of the Constitution would prohibit them
from exploiting the new possessions, for
their own selfish ends.
He argued that if this new doctrine
prevailed there could be TO expansion.
for no people would willingly unite with
us when they were told that they were
to be absolute chattels of congressional
desp0tism. He discussed at len thGeth56
despotism. He discussed at length the
turmoil and discomfort that wou d ariSa i
Congress created difference in he taxes,
tariffs and custom duties in the various
possessions.
In concluding he said:
TT STABS THE REPUBLIC.
"T1he passage Of the pending bill will
end the story of the Republic and open
the history of the Empire. 1t destroys
constitutional government and creates
congressional dospotism."
Mr.. Hepburn again sought an agree
ment to consider t aeh alilrcb4zasC6hl
ment to consider the canal bill March
9th. Mr.. Payne fN. W, objected.
The House at o'clock adjourned.