Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-03-29
WILL VOTE FOR TIE BILL
Senator Beveridge. of Indiana,
Speaks on the Porto Rico
Tariff Measure.
Will Vote For the Bill, Tho OPP
posed to the Is Per Cent
Duty.
Necessity For Civil Government
Makes Immediate Enactment of
Law Imperative.

Washington, March o9.-The confer /
ence report on the diplomatic and con-
suar appropriation bill was agreed to
by the senate soon after 1T convened
today. Consideration of the Porto Ri
can tariff and governmental bill was
then resumed. Beveridge, OF Indiana.
addressed the senate in support of the
proposition for free trade between the
United States and Porto Rico. He said
i'll part: II am in favor of immediate
reciprocity and shall go on record as
voting for the amendments giving i'm
mediate and unrestricted freedom of
trade to Porto Rico. But If we in the
seEate who believe Porto Rico Should
have reciprocity at once are not able to-
SO amend the bill here | shall, after
voting for the reciprocity amendments,
| vote for the civil government bill. as
| modified by the committee, because we
must not deny civil government TO the
| people of Porto Rico n moment longer
and because the bill as modified nsures
| free trade with Porto Rico as soon as
1.-The civil government of that island pro-
| vides system of taxation OF its own.
so that the sooner Porto Rico7gets civil
government the sooner she will get free
trade under notifications which the
committee made to the bill.''
Mr.. Davis. of Minnesota who is one
the leaders of the movement against
the proposition to impose Il tariff upon
| Porto Rican products, was recognized
| for a speech. Mr.. Davis said that after
the elaborate argument of Mr.. Lindsay
he did not think it was necessary for
i MIN TO enter upon a constitutional dis
cussion Of the subject While he
deemed the question very important,
he regarded it as entirely non partisan
and felt that it ought TO be so consid-
! cred. His remarks he said, would be
4 directed to the house bill, which had
4 become n part of the senate measure
He said it could not be denied that
from the day the measure was report
ed to the house until today there had
been a rising tide of protest against it,
and that protest had eliminated in
righteous Indignation. 1t had come
from every part of the country and
+ from people in every walk of life, and
a it was based upon the principle that
Porto Rico. in all the circumstances.
should have free trade with the United
States. Upon the question presented
he said there was an Infinite variety OF
opinion After explaining briefly an
amendment he had offered earlier in
the day. which provides for a duty on
tobacco and rum when brought into the
United States from Porto Rico, Mr..
Davis maintained that tariff could
, not be levied as between Porto Rico
the United States, altho it was perfect
ly competent for congress to provide
for the collection of internal revenue
taxes on the island. He contended that
the amendment would go far to APP
pease the storm of protest and discus
sion which had risen The whole project
of levying a tariff on Porto Rican prod
ucts. he said. was self generative of OBJ
jeetions--objections which spring from
!; every possible source. All sorts of ar
suments had been urged in support OF
the tariff. First it was charity, hui
! that had been swept away by the pas
sage of the $2.0Oo.O00 appropriation bill
Then 1t was that beyond Porto Rice
lie the Philippines. .'As TO that" sait
he. II believe that sufficient unto tbs
day is the evil thereof. and the gooc
thereof. The Philippines will presen
their problem in time. would no.
work an injustice against the people. o
Porto Rico TO meet an uncertain, cues
: ton as 10 something else.,, The mex
argue,nent advanced TO support tn,
: tariff he said. was the protection m,
= Is per cent would afford to our prod
nets and Ia Dor. He ri,iieulad s11eh ;
, proposition. as no protectionist wsul,
: lcontsrd that IL per cent of the Ding
! Icy rates wo,id afford adaai,ate nro
:. tection for awning Adyerting agai,
u To tha philippines as a factor in IN
II porto Ricap nrohlem Mr. Davis safi
: ..When W.. come 10 dear, with IN
u phiIinnfne question we will take car,
. az ina, Porto Rico is litile moro ina,
zoo p,iles from our coas,. he Philin
n;nes are s 600 The island of Port
!, Bico il naturally n part of tho Mort
= American iurisdjction. the Philnpine
: arc a mart of the domain of Asia
Against the product and psople of III
: pbilinnines when the fine comes m
:, ,ipbts az American labor will be nro
y tartaa hv any nartv 1bat may ba i
nowsr