The Topeka state journal., 1900-03-31
TWO TO ONE.
Majority in Favor of Porto
Rico Tariff Stands Firm.
Amendments Are Voted Down
One After Another.
MIR. FORAKER'S BILL
Originally Prepared for Gov
ernment of Island
Is Re-intrOduced by Senator Ba-
con of Georgia.
Fairbanks, Ind, Speaks For the
Party Measure.

Washington, March 31.-At the begin
ming of today's session of the senate,
MIR. Foster CWn) offered and had
passed a resolution directing the secre-
tary of the navy to report what surveys
have been made in the islands recently
acquired by the United States
Consideration of the Porto Rico bill
being resumed, Mr. Bacon (Ga-) made
a statement concerning the substitute
he offered yesterday for the pending
unfinished business. He desired, he
said, to arrogate to himself no credit
for the substitute as it was the meas
ure originally prepared by Mr.. For
aker, amended slightly. He could not
speak for all members on his side of the
chamber. but he knew that as he had
introduced the measure in the utmost
good faith, some at least would support
it. 1t presented, he thought, the best
proposition yet made as to Porto Rico,
inasmuch as it provided a free, terri
torial government of the United States.
Mr.. Foraker said he was not insen-
sible to the compliment paid him by
Mr.. Bacon in adopting his Original
draft" of the Porto Rican measure,
and was inclined to congratulate him
upon having reached the point where
he (Forakerl was two months ago. The
bill as he now regarded it was entirely
inadequate, although at the time he
drafted it he deemed it an excellent
measure.
It did not, however, provide for many
particulars covered by the pending bill
| and he declared it was utterly made
quate for the purposes intended
The pending question was on the
amendment offered by Mr.. Allen (Neb)
providing that the bill should designate
Porto Rico as territory of the United
States.
Mr.. Allen read a brief prepared by
Harmon Randolph. Il member of the
New York bar on tie constitutional
| status of our island possessions. Mr.
Allen had been refused permission to
have the brief printed as a public docu-
ment. Mr.. McComaS objecting. After
Mr.. Allen had read about one of the 54
pages of the brief he was given per-
| mission to print it as a part of his re-
| marks. Mr.. McComaS then had read
recent statement of Mr.. Havemeyer,
president of the sugar trust in which he
argued in favor of the free admission
to the United States of sugar from
that the time would soon come when
it would be admitted free. Mr.. Nc
Comas adverted Sarcastically to the
agreement upon the Porto Rico question
which he said Mr.. Havemeyer and Mr..
Allen were in.
When that section of the bill relating
to the legislative assembly of Porto
Rico was reached, Mr. Pettus (Ala-)
offered this amendment: THAT the
legislative assembly of Porto Rico shall
have no power or authority to enact
any law in conflict with the constitu-
tion of the United States"
The amendment was lost. Is to 81.
Mr.. Fairbanks Qnd.) then addressed
the senate in support of the pending
measure.
FAIRBANKS ADDRESS.
Senator Fairbanks said in part: "Mr.
President, there are two principal ques-
tions which lie at the very Foundation
of the pending bill. One is a question
of congressional power and the other a
question of national policy. So much
attention has been devoted to the con-
StitntiOna1 n1IaStiOn that SP9nT POnSid-
Grafton has been given to the question
of policy; and the urgency of the situa-
tion as respects relief for the Porto
Rican has been very largely overlooked"
|. Mr.. Fairbanks presented some gen.
civilizations with respect to the power
of congress over Porto Rico based upon
what he regarded as 'the overwhelm-
ing weight of authority and sound rea-
son.
Some of these generalizations in brief
were: THE federal government pos
sesses in the most comprehensive man
ner all powers which pertain to the
sovereignty of nations. 1t has been in
variably recognized that one of the at
tributes of sovereignty is the right to
acquire and govern territory as the re-
suit of the war.
THE constitution clearly vests in The
federal government the exclusive func-
tiOn of declaring war and of making
treaties. As an indispensable incident
of this power, the government is author
lied to acquire territory.
Whether the constitution extends
automatically to a territory acquired
has been much debated question.
Divergent views have been and still
are sharply entertained upon the sub
ject Such differences of opinion will
continue until the supreme court shall
determine the question. Its supreme
Judgment will be accepted by the coun-
try. Until it shall interpret and define
the powers of congress under the con-
stitution the congress should reserve
to itself the widest possible liberty, the
amplest discretion in dealing with the
problems and conditions which are now
facing us.
OUR RESPONSIBILITIES
eve are charged with the responsible
ity of providing a government for new
possessions and new peoples. We are
only partially informed as to their
necessities and capacities. There is no
thought or desire in this chamber, or
elsewhere, to subordinate these people,
to impose upon them any arbitrary or
unjust rule, or to withhold from them
for a moment the enjoyment of religious
freedom and all of the opportunities
which shall make for their greatest
social and commercial progress.
1.-The greatest danger in dealing with
the new problems which engage our at
tention is undue haste, inconsiderate ac-
ton.
that our course with respect to the
people for whom we must provide gov
ernment may be controlled by purely
partisan considerations. The questions
are of such high moment that they
should be settled free from PARTISAN
ship. They should not be determined
in the heat of political contest or made
the football of purely partisan tconten-
ton.
'eThe responsibility of administering