Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1900-03-22

(I'rom the Congressional Record of Feb
rudly PSI
The House being in committee of the
whole, Mr.. Payne, of the committee of
ways and means, said:
Mr.. Payne. Mr.. Chairman, | present an
amendment from the committee. II was
suggested to us by the gentleman from
Vermont tMr. Powers. 1t is mis- amend
ment, adopted by the committee.
sec. .. This act shall be taken and
he'd to be provisional in its purposes
and intended to meet a present press
ing need for revenue for She island Of
Porto Rico and snail not continue in
force after the 1st of March. 1902"
Mr.. Powers. Mr.. Chairman, | drew and
submitted this amendment to the commit
tee on ways and means in hopes that it
might lead to a compromise between the
discordant elements ON this side of the
hall. 1t puts into the bill d new section,
declaring the precise purpose Tor which
this legislation is enacted, namely, II at
it is Professionally intended to meet the
pressing necessities that exist at the pres
ent time Tor revenue il ,he island OF
Porto Rico.
1t is well known that have expressed
hostility to this bill as it was originally
drawn on two grounds. First, upon the
doubt as to its constitutional validity;
and, second, the doubt to It's eXpedi-
enCy. | am Informed that Il case has al
ready been started and is now on its way
ultimately to decision of the Supreme
Court of the United States that will settle
the Troublesome question of constitutional
law that has been debated on this floor
for the past IL days. The other objection
which l had to the bill in its original form
was that it sought TO treat the people of
Porto Rico, whom we now count as under
the protection of The American flag, in a
different way from what We treated the
people living in the territories OF Arizona
and Oklahoma and; that levying a tarih
duty upon Porto l}ican products was dis
crimina ding in favor of Porto Rico over
the other terri, Dries.
Now. then, the purpose of this amend
ment is to have the bill carry on its face
declaration that it is an emergcnry
measure; that it is to meet the prrN"u-
necessity for money IN Porto Rico, whom
other means are Unavailable at the plea-
ont time; and it provides that it small *
pire by its own limitation on IN, IS day
of March, 1902. / am told, sin. thIt the
committee Will accept this an -ulsncnt. l
am told that the President ol lte United
States viii accept THIS amendment, and if
he is content to take the nodded bill, as
II viii be if the amendment is adopted, l
am frank to say. sir that | accept it my
self. applause on the republican side.)
Mr., GrOut Mr. Chairman, | was SO alb
sorbed in committee work all last week
/ that | did not follow this debate, and did
.,
.ol E'm io"u 'NT plil uii.Il % ~ Jay cH V''-
ms ley ma cO"iu u 80 'iie COMM u.
/ &c y" WY anu means, 'i'"HO ~ q" ~ Is,
:" Wy HlO'' oAPc' i'IiOcu an an 4i!I VI
But when / learned that the republican
ranks were disintegrating, that from our
OWH 9iuI VI tle mouse was ie't u me eCiio
% 'lc o"lI'le SOoch now rom me
N'lcl SUI II - uhNoil9. ~ "Iloh"
ana NIolatlVe ol our PieuBes ~ me people
u Iorto INlCo ana ui!"Il anu oip'tSslNe
10 thcm' began TO lear lest inns great
co'lhlttee might nave presented 10 us an
unworthy MEASURE put when ! came TO
/ icdu tue plll my ltdrS al NdhlSheu'
*AIte, discussing various ProNlslohs Vi
me p'lI, MI Trout proceeueu'
hu' inc coi'SlItutloH e"PouhueIS OF tle
mouse say tmal tle constitution eNtehus
oNoi u ~ Mo- anu 'hdt we must uea'
lhe people thete III every way JUST as the
PeoPIe Oh tie SldteS are treated olhetS
calm 'hat 'he constitution does not eX-
tehu over the 1efrItollGS ana ina we can
treat then as we VIII, ahSWefaple only
70 the pup1c OPINION OF the world ana TO
cur own CONSEQUENCES ana inns II p!opaply
inc view that VIII ultimately be adopted.
DECISIONS Oh the supreme court nave ocen
invoked IN support OF tach OF lhese claims
Chief Justice Marshall, speaking for the
court limited the constitution to the
States, and later Chief Justice fancy,
speaking equally for the court spread the
constitution over all the Territories and
sent with it the institution OF slavery
And ii was this decision that in The
evolution of great events brought into ex-
istence the republican party, a party al
last with an intelligent conscience and
guided by great moral purposes. 1t spranG
into being as protest AGAINST the Dred
scout decision and mas leu the narch OF
llnefly, progress ana prosperity ever since
! ne qtmucrauc parry az once are" me
constitution on the young republican
giant AT every point IL was unconstitu'
nonal 10 eject Abraham Lincoln presl
cent unconstitutional 10 put down tht
, slaves. Unconstitutional to mass a protec
tonal TO make the rich planters of Porte
Rico contribute by means of that law to
: the support of the government under