The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-02-28
VOTE NOW In ORDER
DEBATE ON THE PUERTO RICAN
MEASURE CLOSED IN THE HOUSE
OF REPRESENTATIVES,
FINAL PLEAS ARE ELOQUENT

49,
liver, of Iowa, Made the Closing
Speeches for the Respective Sides
Each Was Congratulated for His
ElOquence-The Galleries Were
Crowded During the Debate.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 27-The general
debate on the Puerto Rico tariff bib
closed today in blaze Of glory. The
galleries were banked to the DOORS and
every seat on the floor was occupied
when the rival champions Of the respect
i've sides, Mr.. Dolfiver Qo.) and Mr.. Bal
ley (Tex.), made their arguments. Each
spoke for an hour and half The speech
of Mr.. Bailey, devoted as it was almost
to the legal phases Of the controversy,
while 1t was profound and impressive
did not cause the unbounded emotion
which swept the galleries and floors when
Mr.. Dolliyer was speaking. The Iowan
was at his best. and his wit, eloquence
and sarcasm drew salvos Of applause
from his Republican associates.
Before those closing speeches were
made Mr.. Cannon Qll.), chairman of the
appropriation committee. and one of the
veterans on the Republican side, made
an exceptionally effective speech in sup
port of the BILL Messrs. Carmack Oem.),
Peyton iDem., Ala), Kleberg Oem,
Tex). Pearce and De Almond Dem,
Mo- had also made speeches in opposi-
ton to the bill.
The Republican managers are now con-
fident that with the notifications agreed
upon at the conference last night the bill
will command narrow majority In the
final vote tomorrow.
MR. BAILEY ELOQUENT.
Preliminary to beginning his argument,
Mr.. Bailey. adverting to Mr.. Cannon's
speech, said that only one portion of it
called for serious reply-the accusation
against the Democratic side for voting
the .000 for Spain That. he said,
committed the Democrats to nothing as
to the future policy toward the Philip
pines. They voted the money to discharge
an obligation Of the government Incurred
without their consent.
Turning to the bill Mr. Bailey declared
there was involved In 1t question Of law
and q question of morals. He made an
exhaustive argument against the consti-
yers on the other side. so that for time
he was almost continually engaged in
crossing swords with one or the other of
his adversarie5.
During the excitement Of the Spanish
war, Mr. Bailey said, ne stood unmoved.
He warned his countrymen then, as he
warned them today, that the constitu-
ton could not be applied to the govern
| ment Of the colonies
When emotional statesmen" said he,
in conclusion. were asking who would
haul down the flag, dared to say that
would take it down from any place where
the constitution could not follow it,
democratic applause.) Do you desire to
present the anomaly. of a government
restrained by the constitution In one
quarter of the globe and possessed of
despot1c power in the other portion? How
long is the constitution to shield us and
our children If its protection is withheld
from the humblest inhabita Let me
borrow the words OF Lincoln, This re-
public cannot endure one-half free and
one-half slaves We must be all citizens,
or in time We will be all subjects. I do
not want to assimilate these allen and
foreign races. and 1 pray God to deliver
us from the task. But If you want them
you must cast their destiny with u.s.
The Democrats greeted Mr.. Bailey's
conclusion with uproarious applause, and
half a hundred of them crowded up the
aisles to congratulate him.
MR.. DOLLIvER CLOSES.
Mr.. Dolliver Qo) closed the debate for
the majority. Every seat on the floor was
occupied and the galleries were crowded
to suffocation
This BILL said fle SIS merely tenn
porary measure to provide revenue for
Puerto Rico. Yet it has been magnif1ed
in this debate until 1t has been made to
include the whole problem of the govern
ment of all territory acquired by us by
the treaty Of Paris. The president rec
commended that congress abolish all du-
ties on Puerto Rican goods that the in
habitants of the stricken island might re-
build their fallen fortunes and regen-
crate their shattered industries. Despite
the abuse heaped by the opposition upon
this bill l am prepared to show that it
will do exactly what the president rec
commended should be done" (Applause.)
It was declared that this bill was in
behalf Of the sugar trust, when the fact
is, declared Mr.. Dolliver, that the sugar
trust wants free trade. Then it was said
to benefit the tobacco trust. The syndi-
cate had piled up the wharves in San
Juan awaiting their rich harvest when
free trade came. and their agents hung
about the halls of congress seeking to
advance a free trade bill. He said there
was little to be feared from the "Scribas
and Pharisees" of the constitution in
their deliberations before "the supreme
court of the imagination"
Mr.. Dolliver said that he was not
frightened by the Democratic predictions
of disaster or of the effect of an appeal
to the popular fear of free trade, how
ever small, even when presented by the
managers of Democratic politics in the
United States. Uaughter.) Free trade
with Puerto Rico~could introduce no ele-
ment Of alarm into the American mar
ket place But this cry had done the
Republican party, at least. a great serv
ice, for it had put stop to the unscru-
pulous agitation that was filling the
United States with the fear that in tax
ing possession of foreign territories the
United States was helpless to deal with
them except upon terms of political In
timacy and commercial equality as the
constitution provides for the people Of
the United States.
AS TO FREE TRADE.
.If," said he, "the constitution Of the
United States established free trade be-
tween Manila and San Francisco, as it
undoubtedly does between Maryland and
Virginia, then the fact that we have got
into new competition is only the least
trouble that has been before us. We
are in that case disarmed at once at
time when this nation has made de-
mand for equal rights in the commerce
of Asia. 1 violate no secret of this gov
eminent when say today there is pend
ing in the state department the most
portentous commercial negotiation that
ever occurred In the history of our