Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-24
ADOPTED BY SENATE
Action on Conference Report on Porto
Rican Relief Bill.
NO DEMOCRAT VOTED FOR IT
Rather Warm Speeches Delivered
Yesterday Afternoon.
VOTE, 35 YEAS TO Is NAYS

After very lively debate yesterday after
noon the Senate adopted the conference
report on the Porto Rican relief bill by a
vote of 80 to- Is, practically a strict party
expression. No democrat voted for the
report. but Mr.. Stewart CNev9 voted with
the republicans.
The time of discussion was consumed
principally by Mr.. Tillman Is. c., who
| made a fierce attack upon the measure
agreed upon in conference, and accused the
republican senators and the republican
party of indirection, hypocrisy and dirty
work"
Mr.. Gallinger IN. HI followed with a
temperate statement of those who not only
favor the report. but the passage of a
Porto Rican tariff bill.
Mr.. Spooner (Wis.) closed the debate with
a forceful statement in opposition to Mr..
Tillman's speech, in the course of which
he took occasion sharply to critcise the
South Carolina senator for dragging the
measure into politics. His colloquial tits
with Mr.. Tilfman were immensely enjoyed
by the auditors.
Continuing his remarks after The Stars
report of the proceedings was closed, Mr..
Tillman said: Il believe that Mr.. Mckinley
Is one Of the most lovable men in public
life. but the trouble with him is that
sometimes he hasn't the backbone to stand
up against his party friends. What he
message and let you go ahead and fight
this question out among yourselves"
The Presidents Opinion.
Disclaiming any authority to speak for
the President, Mr. Perkins of California,
said that the belief that the sugar trust
had acquired the greater part Of the sugar
product of Porto Rico and his desire to
build up the beet sugar industry in the
United States had induced the President.
hp inSl hell tn fo,-n riff \
it We're true that he did favor it.
Mr.. Perkins thought Mr.. Tillman ought
to join the rest Of the American people in
rejoicing over the prosperity which had
come as a result of President Mckinley's
beneficent administration.
Mr.. Tillman declared that Mr.. Mckin-
ley and republican policies had nothing to
do with the prosperity the country was
enjoying. 1t had begun ten years ago, and it
was in consonance with the methods of the
republican party to claim the credit for it.
Mr.. GaIIinger's Defense.
Mr.. Gallnger On. HI, who is a member
of the committee on Pacific islands and
Porto Rico, said the committee had devoted
three weeks to listening to testimony bear
ing upon the needs of Porto Rico. In that
committee there had been but one thought;
and that was to provide that which would
be best for the interests of the island and
its inhabitants.
Destitute and suffering as those people
Il.
| this bill promptly and not deal in such po-
| litical diatribes as We have been treated to
here"
Mr.. Gallinger pointed out that four-ifths
of the products exported from Porto Rico
consisted of coffee. Upon this the United
States had placed no tariff, while Spain for
merly levied a duty upon coffee as well as
upon some other Porto Rican products.
I'VE are proposing to treat Porto Rico
better than treat any territory of the
United States. We collect internal revenue
taxes in Oklahoma Indian territory and
Arizona, and every dollar of it goes into
the United States treasury. We shall col
lect internal revenue taxes in Porto Rico,
too. but every dollar collected will be
returned to the Porto Ricans and be used
for their benefit
Reference has been made here to GER
tain political exigencies which are said to
control the action of the republican party.
No political exigencies have had the slight
est effect upon me. have acted through
out for the best interests of those people.
The senator from South Carolina facetious-
ly refers to the troubles which will over
whelm US next November. That has a ia
miliar sound. The democrats in my state
always carry the fall election in March
but never in November. So it is with the
senator
ton pending in the interest of the Porto
Ricans was right and just and generous
and he was satisfied that on sober second
thought the people who were now opposing
The Trusts.
He said it was also familiar cry that
the trusts were controlling the republican
administration.
I'VE heard that when Hawaii was an
nexed and free entry to our ports was given
Hawaiian sugar. Now it is raised again
when we propose to place small duty
upon the products of Porto Rico for the
benefit of the Porto Ricans themselves.
W
Mr.. Galinger the trust which We are eX-
pressing by this legislation is composed of
some gentleman at the Arlington Hotel in
this city, trust headed by the British
vice consul at San Juan. That trust IS
suffering considerably. Those gentlemen
bought up the sugar under the full Ding
ley rates, and if they can get it into this
country free of duty they will make the
full hundred per cent of the tariff; but If
We succeed in putting a tariff duty of Is
per cent of the Dingley rate on that sugar
the trusts profits will be cut down by that
much. and the people of Porto Rico will
benefit to that extent
In the course of the debate Mr.. Tillman
said: 1--WE had some dares here yester-
day, but the bob-tailed flush of my friend
from Ohio Foraker) did not go through.
UaughteD.
Mr. Galiinger-"Now. admit the sena-
tor has the advantage of me. He is talk
ing about things l do not know anything
about" Gaughter)
Race Troubles Brought In.
Mr.. Spooner protested against the maxi
ing of political speeches on measure like
that now pending. Having referred to the
manner in which Mr.. Tillman had char
acterized the work of the republican sena-
tors. he and Mr. Tillman became involved
in controversy over the terms used by
the South Carolina senator. which devel-
oped considerable heat The discussion
finally developed some remarks that Mr..
Tillman had made few weeks ago, in
which he justified ballot-boX stuffing and
the employment of the shot gun policy
against the negroes in the south.
I'VE did all these things" declared Mr..
Tilman. land l have no apology to make
for 1t here anywhere else
In reply Mr.. Spooner said he had never