The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-03-08
Still Doubt About Puerto Rican
Dill
ESPECIAL TO THE rREss.J


General Joseph Wheeler. of Alabama. has
embarked At the Philippines for the
United States. creates considerable inter.
est In the House of Representatives. MIR.
Wheeler was elected q member of the
House at the lat election; but has not
appeared In the House to take his seat.
He has, on the contrary, continued to
hold his place ss Major General
In the Unitsd States Army mp to the
present time. He has. at the same time,
shown no disposition to give up his seat
In Congress.
This circumstances gives the coming OF
General Wheeler considerable interest.
Ems House has many times decided that
under the Constitution an army otficer
may not hold seat In the House. At the
time of the Civil War, General Frank
Blair.sof Missouri. was elected . men,
her Of Congress while holding commits
sion ~ Major General. He continued to
hold his commission until after the
nesting Of Congress. The House there
upon decided that he had elected to retain
his military position. and could not re-
tain his place In the House.
In tie last Congress there were four
members holding positions In the Army,
General Wheeler among them. The judi
oiary committse examined their cases
and reported that they had forfeited their
seats In the Houss. This was near this
end OF the Congress; there was much
sympathy on both sides for the military
officers, and so the House decided, when
the case was called up, thst they would
not consider 1t This expressed no
opinion rs to the merits of the matter.
Had 1t been taken up there is no doubt
that the officers would have bean unssat-
ed.
In the present oase General Wheeler re-
turns co House that has gotten over lite
war fever, and has time enough to settle
his case. His name has already been
stricken from the roll Of members called
when yeas and nays are ordered, on the
ground that ne has not qualified as a
membsr. Mr.. Bailey, OF Texas, has sx-
pressed the determination to challenge
him when he appears to take the oath.
General Wheeler will probably endeavor
to take his seat In the House, as he has
not heretofore shown any disposition to
allow little thing ike the Constitu-
tion to prevent bis holding the two
Offices.
II Genera Wheeler resigns his commits
sion In the army his constituents Will
probably return him TO the House. Be-
fore TIE Spanish war he was getting
ahAky in his district. He is not q sta tss-
man, and the younger element In his
district were getting tired of his long
domination. But his valor in Cuba RS
instated him In favor, and 1t Is probable
that the people Of Alabama will stand
by him so long as he lives.
There has been some Idea that he
might be placed on the retired list Of the
regular army. This would please him,
and would not prevent his service in the
House. At least General Sioklss and
other retired officers have served in the
House without question.
A great deal OF selfish interest is array
ing itself against the Puerto Rico tariff
bill in the Senate. Hitherto it has seemed
that the selfish Interests were all for the
tariff In order to protect our industrial
interests against the principle OF free
trade with the colonies; and the senti-
mental and disinterested opinion has
seemed to be against the tariff. But 1t
lie Icing revealed in the contest before
the Senate that there are some robust
material interests behind the opposition
to the bill, especially In the Northwest
The great milling interests Of the North
west want free entry for their flour into
Cuba and the Philippines. IL Is said the
umbermen Of Michigan are also getting
interested In the sams way, and the great
interests that want free trade In sugar
are also awakening. 1t seems quite
&knk kAfn he a..
finally settled the contest will to a large
extent get down to that basis of practical
statesmanship where an adjustment Of
interests, rather than of ethical ideas
becomes the serious problem.
1t cannot be denied that the Republi-
can mem bers Of the House are In oonsid-
cradle doubt about the Puerto Rico bill
Many of them voted for IL on the assur-
ance that it was an administration meas
urs. The President himself personally
asked some Of them TO vote for 10. But
In the country at large there continues TO
be modification about the situation.
Editor kholsaat, OF Chicago, has de-
nounced the bill as measure Of which
none will acknowledge the paternity.
But there is no doubt that the bill came
from the War department and Just as
little doubt that a cabinet offloeF would
never think Of suggesting TO Congress Q
bill disapprOved BY his chief. Yhs Puerto
Rico bill went from tbs Houss as an ad-
mintstration measure and the embers
SO understood 10. In some parts of the
country, however, there is disinclina-
ton to believe this, and In some places.
notably In the middle Vest Republican
N EN- hers are finding that tares are being
sown in their fields. No doubt the cues.
ton will be Strengthened out IN few
weeks: but at present 10 Is somewhat
complicated. Senator Davis's action In
bringing forward free trade proposition
IN the Senate hiss Increased the Icomplica-
ton. He stands very near the President.
and has been thought to voice his Views.
1t is more probable, however, that In this
matter he is representing the Interests of
his people in the Northwest, who have