The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1900-03-06
Mr.. Tawney Gives History of
the Porto Rican Bill.
WAS DRAWN By SLG&E1ARY ROOT
Inc hinnesotan says Only Chairman Payne
and Representatives DaizeII and Russell
Were in the secret Before the Bill Was
fre-enied to the Republican Members
HIS iaik with President Mckinley at the
White HOuse-What Other Member. say.

mo Is the author Of the Porto RicC
D'I passed BY the House? Whence camC
lh.s measure which former President Har
EiSoh SAYS IS "a departure from right prin.
-'PleS. W hat was its origin? Did the ad
lStTation force Il upon the Committee
III "ays and Means, or did this committee
ior,' Il upon the administration?
i"ese questions are being asked by tho
country Everybody knows that the bill
vas put through the House by the vigor.
Gus use Of the party whip. Having heard
from their constituents. members who vot-
ei LOT H. many Of them. are admitting
and making no secret OF it-that tbey
wanted TO stand by the President
message; they supported the tarirf aeains,
their best Judgment: they believed i,
wrong ana stiil believe II wrong; but they
voted Tor It in Difference 70 the wishes NJ
the leaders In the House, and better rea-
7on aiil. because OF the urgent personal
Sonc!tation OF President Mckinley himself
10 TINS Gay no man has ACKNOWLEDGED
'he paternity OF the bill. which, like a
veTitable apple of discOrd. threatens 10
orins disruption to a great party" So
spoke the Chicago Times Herald. in IFS
herce cenunciatiOn of the measure which
The Post printed yesterday; and from one
end Of The country TO the other the Re-
publican papers. as well as Democratic
are heaping obloquy upon the bill and
questioning its origin.
View of the Republican il Press
The heavy guns of the press. naturally
enough, perhaps, have been directed az
the ways and Means Committee. which
presented the bill to the House (arter
Withdrawing a free trade measure). The
President. according TO editorial comment.
Is generally held to have yielded un-
wisely for expediency's sake; held to have
sacrificed his views and abandoned the
enunciated in his message onIv
to save the Republican party in the
House from sore humiliation.
This is the view Of the rress ca,,i-
statements have been widely
printed 10 the effect that the President
sun adheres 10 the sentiment in his mes
sage. He is credited with saying that if
ne mad the message to write over again
ne Would as before. urge it as "our plain
duty TO give free trade to Porto Pico.
with view TO solving any mystery as
TO the authorship and origin of the bill
which has so stirred :he country and
threatens. if leading Republican papers
are TO be believed. to split the party in
twain. The Pest yesterday interviewed
Of the Ways and Means Com
nittee on the all-important subject. The
results were interesting.
Secretary Root Drew the Bill.
''The Porto Rican tariff bill was drawn
by Secretary Root" That is the author
ltative statement made by Representa-
tive Tawney, of Minnesota. a member of
the Ways and Means Committee. Mr.
Tawney states that In a conversation at
the White House the President told him
that if the authorship of the bill was to
be made public it should be explained that
Mr.. Root followed the usual course of
heads of departments in framing a bill
in accordance with requests made Of him.
Representative Tawney's frank state
ment of the situation is in bold relief bv
The side Of guarded statements by other
Republican members of the Ways and
Means Committee How closely those
statements tally with each other can be
seen as each is read. There is still a gen.
7raI disposition to avoid making known
the paternity Of the tariff bill aItbGugh
L has been confdentially known that some
weeks ago certain members of the Vavs
ana Means Committee went to the White
House for information about minor de-
-alls OF the free trade bill. and were re-
luested TO confer with Secretary Root.
Hho IN turn provided these Representa-
ives with draft Of the tariff BILL in sub
stance as Il passed the House. Frag-
nents Of this story have been printed or
linted al in oUt-of-tOwn papers. that dc
rot circulate in Washington. Repr4sen-
ative Tawney Yesterday sent TO a news
PAPER in Minnesota complete statement
If the origin of the b;ll.
Three Members in the Secret.
'The first that the Republican members
# the Ways and Means Committee saw of
he Porto Rican tariff bill said Repre-
T2wney last evening. was at
irsJ conference on the measure Only Re-
publican members of the committee were
present at that conference. The bill was
PRESENTED by Chairman Payne There ]
we're but two other Republicans on the |
ommittee who, before its presentation. ,
NEW OF the existence Of such a bill or OF |
my plan 10 depart from the free trade |!
Who were those other two mernbers?'
ir. TaWncy was asked
Mr. Dalzeil and Mr.. Russell" he an !
wered.
where did tie bill come f-omo"
From the Secretary Of War, Mr.. Root"
eplied Mr., Tawney.
do you know that personality
Il know ii personally. but not from /
tatemeuts made by either Mr.. Payne or /
secretary Root" he replied
The newspapers out in nv State have
cen voicing a great deal Of opposition 10 .
he tariff bill" Mr. Tawney continued 1
and recently l received letter inquiring
bout the facts in the case. / have writ
en an omen letter. stating how the bill /
and something regarding the |
ttitude OF prominent Republicans here.
Conferred with the President.
Il was at the White House and saw the
resident before the Republican confer
nee was called, and ] told him that a
tatement would likely be made TO .he
.epuhiicsns OF the House that the tariff
IN had been drawn by Secretary Root
nd that the Ways and Means Commit
Pc. in trying 10 secure its passage. were
nlv following out Secretary Roots su-
estions The President answered that
such a statement were made it should /
q coupled with an explanation that Sec
=tary Root had drawn the bill in the
ne OF the duties OF his Office, lust as
ads Of departments often do, upon re-
-est."
The facts Of the conference with The
resident and the Republican members
{ the WAYS and Means Committee have
zen known in inner circles about the
louise for several days. Mr. Tawuey
,ade no statements concerning the pres
ire that Republicans brought TO bear al
le White House for ala In pressing the
m through the House, but IL is known,
lat when the storm threatened to result
the defeat Of the bill. Chairman Payne
as on the point OF rising in the House
, make a personal statement OF the hts-
,Fy Of the measure.
That was Tuesday afternoon. but the
resident came 10 the rescue Of the Ways
nd Means Committee. after some very
ain words bad been spoken a the White
0use by different members, End that af-