Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-04-12

He said that the bill was piece of
bad faith against the people Of Puerto
Rico who had fallen upon their knees
to the Stars and Stripes. Gen. Miles
promise then made should be re-
deemed.
Warner, ILL.,, said that the bill was
breach of trust 1t was a dangerous
departure from the lifelong policy OF
the United States. If this measure was
adopted no people could safely become
part of US, as they could have no
assurance of their status or treatment
Crumpacker, Ind, argued that the
bill was fundamentally wrong ana
contrary to the history and traditions
Of the Republican party o Grady, y.
Y. and Hamilton Mich, each spoke III
support of the bill
Lorimer. ILL.,, opposed the bill. His
speech elected frequent applause from
the opposition. Il will only vote for
civil government bill" he said, when
it will give the Puerto Ilcans such
government as we would accept our
selves. | am sure this measure would
not be accepted by any man favoring
it on the floor of the House, if the
friends were reversed, and were it in
his power to resist. | am protection
ist and expansionist. But | do not
favor protecting the commercial inter
est of one or more of our own states
or territories against another And
when / find that we cannot expand.
assimilate and eXterI to our new ter
ritories the same rights and privileges
that we insist upon for ourselves. then
l will no longer favor expansion.
democratic APPLAUSE. 1 think We
have reached a crisis in our history.
| think we need a liberty revival. \
nation which surrenders its basic prin-
ciplcs cannot survive. | doubt not
that as imperialists we will have our
day Of grandeur and perhaps our i'm
ptrial splcndor will eclipse that of an
cient Rome. Columbia. if shamefuliy
bedecked with the precious pearl of the
Antilles and the gems Of the Pacific
and the Orient. may excite for z time
such admiration as is won by riches
and Voluptuousncss. Eut the light OF
liberty. which is to her what virtue is
to woman, Viii have faded from her
eye. And all the riches Of the world
cannot max" up for that loss 70 thosv
who really lov" her"
Mccall Mass. was the Inst Republic
can who antagnniZcd the bill.
''Mr. Speaker" said he, lit may be well
to consider for moment the course Of
events since This hill first came into the
House. The committee on ways ana
means. of which ! have the honor to be
member, apparently misconstruing the
message Of the President, voted To impose
a plain duty Of . per cent. The situa-
ton has materially changed since that
time. That duty has been decreased to =
per cent. Instead Of being permanent in
form, it is sclf-repcllnE inside of two
years ana may be repealed by the terri
torial legislature in two months. 50
much, Mr.. Speaker, for what has been
conceded, upon the question Of tho tariff.
When we consider the arguments that
were advanced in support of the measure
as it was first presented here and COM
pare it with the constitutional situation,
today, find an equally great change.
The bill was prcdiCatcd upon the propO-
sition that Congress was acting under
general powers of sovereignty outside Of
the constitution ana was subject to no
limitations whatever 1t may have oc-
CURED to you who have been reading
speeches recently delivered, that it is now
sought to bring this duty strictly under
the terms Of the constitution ana it is
now maintained that it is constitutional.
"Some of my colleagues who do mt
agree with me have decorated the doe
trirc which have asserted here nureIv
far ad c,pt,ndum purposcs. as the doe
trine of Iobu g Calhoun have dis
puted the dcspotic mower on the part of
Congress. The doctrine | have urged is
the doctrine OF every Justice who has
spoken upon this subject from our SUI
preme court. 1t is the doctrine of thu
Republican platforms ana ! assert it here
in the presence Of the gentleman from
PENNSYLVANIA, who. today. made a con
trary assertion 1t is the doctrine of tn,
Republican platforms Of 1886 ana Of 1861
and ii Is the doctrine Of Abraham Lin
rain
a.. ......,