The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-04-11
END is REACHED.
Final Struggle Over the Porto
Rican Bill.
Chester I. Long the Busiest Man
in Washington.
RALLYING HIS FORCES.
For the Supreme Test of Party
Strength.
Scarcely a Chance For Defeat of
the Measure.
HIS FORCES.

reSentatives today in the final contest
over the Porto Rican bill. At IL o'clock
the committee on rules assembled in
Speaker Henderson's private office and
settled the days programme, fixing the
final vote for p. m. today. The special
rule provided for the occasion, allowed
20 minutes on each side to debate the
rule, and on it's adoption a debate on
the bill until o'clock. It was expected
that this arrangement would bring a
test vote on the rule early in the day
as 1t was arranged that the rule should
be brought in Immediately after the
reading of the journal.
The speaker and Messrs. Dalzell and
GrOsVenor voted for the special rule
and Mr.. Richardson, the Democratic
member of the committee voted against
it.
Early in the day the party managers
were eXerting their utmost endeavors to
assemble a full vote. The measures
adopted were almost unprecedented in
their thorOughness On the Republican
side there were 25 or 80 absentees but
representative Long, the Republican
whip was in telegraphic communica-
tlon with every one of these and it was
known on what train each would ar
rive. Mr.. Long summed up his work
by saying that every Republican would
be present or paired with a, single ex-
ception, Boutelle of Maine and it was
hoped to pair him later.
1T is impossible to guard against
sickness, flood or disaster said Mr..
Long, but barring unforeseen mishaps,
I look for the passage of the bill as it
came from the senate by a majority of
from three to nine.'
Representative Richardson, the Dem
ocratic floor leader would not venture a
prediction, saying that with such a mar
row margin one unexpected rnishap
might turn the tide.
Mr.. Underwood, the Democratic whip
counted on not more than five Demo-
cratic absentees, three of them being
sick men.
But the Republican estimates of Dem
ocrats impaired ran up to nine, viz:
Bailey of Texas; Stallings of Alabama;
Fox of Mississippi Cochran of Missouri:
Crowley of Illinois; Ridgeley of Kansas
Louisiana.
The sick list included Robertson,
Crowley and Ridgeley.
1t was expected however that Mr..
Iidgeley might venture out for the vote
and Mr.FOx was expected by train. The
| Democratic managers also claimed that
a pair had been arranged for Mr.. Bailey
/ which would have to be accepted.
The half score of Republican mem
| bers who oppose the bill held a confer
| ence at the capitol shortly before noon.
| Eight members were present and the
reports presented showed that a total
! of nine Republican votes against the
/ bill could be relied upon. Mr.. Mccall of
| Massachusetts summed up the situa-
| tion from that standpoint as follows:
| I'VE have nine Republican votes. Be
| yond that all depends upon the presence
| of Democratic members and that is an
unknown quantity to US. But the vote
| will be close"
THE CLOSING STRUGGLE.
The closing struggle over the Porto
Rico tariff bill in the house attracted
great crowds to the galleries, and all
| the preparations indicated a field day
| replete with exciting incidents.
Excitement was at a high pitch when
! the speakers gavel fell at noon AS
soon as the reading of the journal was
! concluded Mr.. Dalzell (Penn.), one OF
the leaders of the majority and a mem
ber of the committee on rules, present
ed the special order under which the
house was to operate, as follows:
Resolved, That Immediately upor
the adoption of this resolution the com
mittee of the whole house on the state
of the union shall be discharged from
the consideration of H. r. S245 (the
Porto Rico bilD and the senate amend
mentS thereto; that the same shall bS
considered in the house until 5 p. m
! Wednesday. April IL, 1900, when WithOu
delay or other motion a vote shall b'
taken on the motion to concur in thi
said senate amendments en- gross, an(
all members shall have leave to prin
on the subject of said bill and amend
ments for ten days from the adoption O.
this rule
/ THE PREVIOUS QUESTION.
Upon the conclusion of the reading
of the rule, upon demand of Mr.. Dal
zell the previous question on it
adoption was ordered. This gave 2
minutes for debate on each side unde
the rules.
the rule briefly On February % tn
house sent to the senate the Porto Ric
! tariff bill. The amendments attache
by the senate furnished a civil govern
? ment for the island. 1t was the opinio
/ :, ,-ff 1,n c-aid hot
} amendments should be concurred IL
There had been enough discussion o
the subject, he said. What the coun
try desired was not debate, but ac
ton.
Mr.. Richardson, the minority Leader
!, | called attention to the fact that tn
! rule would permit the house to vot
: only upon single proposition If
! ! had been possible for the senate t
+ add to the iniquity of the original bill
levying Is per cent. of the Dingley du
/ ties on goods going into Porto Rico, b
[ / said he had done so in the SO-calle
e civil government amendment Unde
8. the guise of a civil government, b
: said, the senate had imposed an i'm
$ perialistic government upon the peopl
!, of the island He asserted that it wa
: never the intention of the Republican
of the house in the first instance I
enact any such measure He quote
President Mckinley, Secretary Roo
f ex-President Harrison, ex-Speake
: Reed and other Republicans Of na
: ti0nal reputation in favor of free trad
t with the islands, and drew salvo {
/ applause from his Democratic co
leagues by characterizing the pres
dent in the language of ex-Speakg
Reed as the emperor of expediency."
MAGOON'S OPINION.
r Proceeding he expressed his regr
j that the secretary Of war had not see
Y fit to furnish the opinion of Judge Cha
a Magoon, the attorney of the inSul: