Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-04-19
GROSveNOR'S EXPLANATION
NO MATERIAL CHANGE IN THE
PRESIDENTS MIND.
Says That the People Are Sustaining
the Course of the Republican. on
the Porto Rican Bill.

| A motion to strike from the naval hin
the, contingent fund Of slSno.eno for the Navy
Department was defeated in the House yes
terday afternoon. A point of order against
the appropriation Of $3Jo.ooo for the new
Naval Academy at Annapolis was pending
when the House adjourned
Mr.. Grosvenor's Explanation.
During the debate on the bill in the ar-
ternoon Mr.. Kitchen challenged Mr.. eros
venor to explain the Presidents change OF
mind on the Porto Rican bill
AS soon as IL became manifest TO the
| PRESIDENT that money had TO be raised in
some way and that the ways and means
| committee of this House had brought In a
tariff bill providing for Is per cent or -
| per cent, replied Mr. Grosvenor the
| PRESIDENT recognized the right and power OF
| this House to originate that tariff bill In
| TO the very last moment of the passage
| OF that Porto Rican bill gentlemen on the
| other side insisted that the President was
| still in favor OF free trade In Porto Rico
| and newspapers from one end of the CONT
| nent TO the other claimed that we on this
side OF the House were in a contest with the
| President; that the President never had
changed his mind: that he was stin in favor
| of free trade. But / call the gentleman's
| attention to the fact that in the message
| of the President he gave no sign or in
| dfcation of when he desired that that free
| trade measure should go into effect. We
| by our vote put 1t that within the next
| sixty days. ninety days, four months, any
| time after the organization Of the civil
| government, the people Of Porto Rico can
| have free trade. The President has signed
1t and thereby given his approval to II"
| The gentleman says the President bows
to the will Of Congress" interposed Mr..
| Wheeler. I'm the debate on the Porto Rican
question. when the gentleman appealed 10
| his colleagues to support the pending bill.
| he charged Ii to be true that the President
| o United States
| with him."
| Mr. Grosvenor-"I say so now"
| Mr. Wheeler-"He changed his opinion"
Republican Attitude.
Mr. Grosvenor-"I say he did not change
| his opinion in any material respect; he
simply changed from the original idea Of
| free trade to what was almost the condition
| Of free trade that we appended to the meas
/ ure. The country understands it. Con-
gresham after congressman who stood
here in defense OF the bill has gone TO his
constituents. just when the democratic noise
| was the loudest, and has been sent back
| here with unanimity almost unparalleled
| in the nomination of congressman. And the
great body at Philadelphia the Manufac-
| turers Association. on yesterday approved
| of the Porto Rico bill, the very body that a
| few weeks ago was quoted on this floor as
| opposed to ii. applause on the republican
| side) And, from one end of this country
| to the other. the people of this country are
| taking care of it, The republican party will
not lose any votes IN the coming election be-
cause of its action on the Porto Rican bill.
We are not holding back by the coat tails
| of the world and hollering whoa. daughter
on the republican side) We have got sorue-
| thing to show for our opinions. Witness the
| splendid organization Of the government Of
Hawaiian territory. Look at the liberal,
generous, Christian laws that We have be-
slowed upon the people OF Porto Rico. Look
at the fact that but for the intervention Of
few men on this side of the water we
should have extended the same benefits OF
the Constitution, the same liberty of Amer
lean citizenship in embryo, at least. 10 the
people of the Philippine Islands. But We
would not consent that you should drive us
to admit that the people of Porto Rico and
the people of the Philippine Islands were
upon an equal footing with the people in
the United States. applause on the repub-
i I side) We would not consent that mill
lions and millions Of Malays and all those
people might come over here and march
into our labor markets and We will make IL
warm for you before the campaign Is over.
daughter and applause on the republican
side) You voted that the Constitution car
ried equal citizenship to the Malavs and the
chinese of the Philippine Islands, and that
is your position today. 1t is your complaint
that We would not let you do It: but In due
time, under the wisdom of the republican
party and under the blessings of God. we
will send liberty and equal rights as ranidly
as they can comprehend them to the peopie
OF Porto Rico and to the people of the phil
ippine Islands. applause on the republican
sde.'D
When Mr.. Grosvenor took his seat Mr.
Williams demanded ali opportunity to re-
ply, and time was accorded him
Mr.. Williams Retorts
MT. Chairman" said he, speaking with
deliberation, "as man grows old he learns
some things. 1 have learned something TO-
day. 1 will never again, while a member
OF the American Congress, undertake TO
ask question of any member on this floor
who is not sufficiently well yersed in The
ordinary cou-tesies of human Intercourse
as to be capable Of returning at least a po-
mo reply to polite inquiry. Further than
that ii would be almost impossible for me
without breach of parliamentary rule 10
express myself upon thae particular sub. .
ject.
II asked the gentleman from Ohio a oues-
ton which he either could not answer or I
would not answer, or in his usual lawyef-
Ike, politician style, desired to evade That
question has not been answered yet. The
gentleman said on this floor that the Presi-
dent of the United States had not changed
his mind upon the Porto Rican question.
Remember, 1 did not charge that he had.
What charged was that he had permitted
Others to change his mind for him. which
in my opinion, was not thing of which any
man could at any time be proud. But In
charity TO the President and in charity to
many Of the members of this House /
asked the gentleman when he denied that
the President had changed his mind. that
yielded. 1 asked him whether the Presi.
dent had not in a public message announced
that he was in favor of free trade between
Porto Rico and the balance of the United
States, and also whether various members
or this House had not risen, one after an
other, to say that the President had told
them In private conversation subsequently
that he was at the time of tine conversation
in favor Of the bill which passed the House.
There was nothing rude In that inquiry;
there was nothing personal in II; there was
nothing discourteous in it; there was moth
ing unprecedented in II; there was MOTH
Ing IN IL that could have stirred up wrath
in the breast of any man except one who
felt as IL he had to break up the conven-
ton In row in order TO keep from ar
irving at an election. That is ALL" (Dem.
ocratic aDplause)
Mr.. Grosvenor disclaimed any intention
OF affronting Mr.. Williams and there the
matter ended.
HEARD CARRIES LOUISIANA