The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1900-04-05
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WAsH1NGToN, d. c., April . ls'

notable speeches today in favor of
the Porto Rico bill, which will be
voted upon and passed by the Senate
tomorrow. Although the Democrats
are moving heaven and earth to
arouse Republican opposition to the
bill in the House, there is no reason
to believe they will succeed. The
principle of the bill as originally pas
sed by the House has not been affect
ed in the slightest degree by the
changes and additions made by the
Senate, and Chairman Payne, who
will have charge of the bill in the
House, is confident that it will be
promptly passed, and other members
of the House who are in positions to
know, have assured President McKin-
lev that the bill would be passed by
the House, and 10 his hands before
the close of the week.
Representative Shattuc, of Ohio,
paid his respects to Senator Tlllman
for pretending that he wished to con-
fer American citizenship upon Porto
Ricans and Filipinos, and then gloat-
ing over his part in suppressing the
political rights of thousands of citi-
zens of South Carolina.
The Senate has for the second time,
by more than two third vote, put
on record it's opinion that Porto Pico
is not part of the United States and
that Porto Ricans are not American
citizens. The question was brought
to an issue on mn amendment offered
to the Porto Rican bill by Senator
Pettus, of Alabama-thst 1.-The Consti-
tuition and laws of the United States
shall have the same force and effect
in Porto Rico as in other territories
of the United States (which was de-
feated by vote of 80 to 10. During
the debate the position of the Repub
licans was fully defined by Senator
Spooner, who declared in answer to
questions of Senator Allen, that the
Porto Ricans were not citizens of the
United States but colonists, and az
such owe this government a quail
fed allegiance, and by Senator Fora
ker, also in answer to Senator Allen,
who said, in declining to accept Mr..
Aliens amendment designating Porto
Rico a territory of the United States:
I'VE do not propose to erect there a
territorial government as such form
of government is usually understood.
We have not seen fit to give the peo
pie of Porto Pico that kind of
government. By the treaty of Paris,
this whole matter is vested in Con-
gress. We may give them any sort
of government we deisre. | do not
believe as the Senator does, that
Porto Rico is a part of the United
States over which the Constitution
extends of its own force, and that is
where our roads part"
Mr.. j. L. Brass, of st. Paul, Mimi,
who is in Washington on business
thus speaks on our business outlook,
upon which he is posted: Our
trade with the Orient will be tremen-
dous. We are not going to get this
trade in a month, but we are going
to get it. 1t will come to us gradual
ly. We will do business with Porto
Rico, Cuba, and the Philippines,
tariff or no tariff. We are man
ufacturing country. Even now, we
are shipping ship-load after ship-load
of goods to China and Japan. We
are bringing back cargoes Of goods
from those countries. Mr.. James
Hill, the railway magnate, is building
"a line of vessels to ply between this
country and China. He intends to
ship flour to the Orient and bring
back rice. Here is another point.
There are men in this country repre-
senting South African capitalists who
have $4,000, 200 to spend in ma
chinery. There will be more machin-
cry needed in that country. There
will be machinery needed in the Phil
ippines, in Porto Rico, and in Cuba.
We are the country that will supply
the demand
President Mckinley gave a dinner
as a farewell honor to the members of
the Philippine Commission, who have
received their full instructions and
who expect to sail from San Francis
co for Manila on the 10Th inst, to be
absent about two years. This Com
mission will have more authority
than any other has ever been given,
although it's acts will be nominally
under the authority of the Secretary
of War. AS matter of fact, the
Commission can do whatever it
thinks best with the certainty that
its acts will be endorsed by Secretary
Root and the President.
The surplus in the Treasury is pill
ing up so rapidly-it exceeds $53, 000,
600 for the three-quarters of the fiscal
year ending Saturday, March 3D.
that President Mckinley is consider
ing Vie duNlsdDlIlUy vi dSNlHS COH-
gress to reduce the internal revenue
taxes, which were imposed on account
of the war with Spain. This is bit
ter pill to those Democrats who have
been predicting a deficit in the Trea-
sury, and is grand showing for Re-
publican craftsmanship and admins
trative ability although not at all
surprising. 1t is the sort of showing
the Republicans have a habit of max
ing.
Plans have been completed by the
Naval Construction board for three
cruisers the California, the Ne
braska and the West Virginia
which will be, when put in service,
the strongest war ships in the world.
They will have stronger batteries, be
more thoroughly armored, have
larger coal capacity, wider steam
ing radius then similar vessels of any
navy, and still have a speed of 90
knots.
Famous Embalming Secret Sold.
The famous Hamrick embalming
patent, kept secret by the inventor, a