Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-02-24
Mr.. TAWNEYSATTA
Arraigns Mr.. Litt!efeld for His Speech
Yesterday.
PORTO RICAN DEBATE RESUMED
Hawaiian Government Bill in the
Senate.
SENATOR TILLMAN'S SPEECH

The attendance in the House OF Repre-
| sontatives was thin and scattered during
| the early hours today when the Porto
| Rico tariff debate was resumed. The lead
ers both sides showed much activity
| in canvassing the situation with view to
| learning definitely the chances on the final
vote next Tuesday.
Mr.. Clayton tAla.) was the first speaker
of the day, presenting legal argument
United States military forces held Porto
| Rico at the time of the treaty, and that
the island became much a part of the
| United States the territory of Arizona.
Mr.. Tawney tMinn), a member of the
ways and means committee, enlivened the
debate by severe arrasnment of Mr.. Lit
tlefield (Me) for his speech of yesterday
attacking the bill and its promoters.
What reason is there, exclaimed Mr.
Tawney, ''for the unusual and unprcccdent-
ed course of the gentleman from Maine
compelling him to leave the ranks of the re-
publican party and to join the ranks of the
democratic party? Why is it that he
should exhibit the want of decent courtesy
| to the ways and means committee and to
distinguished gent, ,eYhen the floor? Can
| 1t be the spruce lumber interests of Maine
who will have to pay on their prod
uct entering Porto Rico 30 cents per thou
sand feet? Is it the people of Maine who
raise their voice against this? No, it is the
| lumber barons of Maine. the oppressors of
| the people for whom the gentleman de-
claims tiercely."
Mr.. Littlefield listened to the speech, but
made no effort to answer. Mr.. Tawney then
| devoted his attention to the merits OF the
| bill.
Imperialism Defined.
Mr. Tawney said in part:
| so far as it is claimed that this bill or
any other act on the part of the republican
| party, or its representatives, affords evil
| dence of purpose to hold permanently and
| forever govern our newly acquired territory
| by an unrestrained or despotic power or
| without reference to the future capacity of
| these islands to ultimately share with all
| the blessings of political freedom and the
| bcneficent advantages of statehood l most
| emphaticaliy deny. There are few dstin-
| guished leaders of the democratic party
| who fondly cling to the notion that this
| ghost, which they call Imperialism, may
yet be vitalized and made a living issue
| upon which to divide the American people
| and obtain for their party control of the
government To accomplish this however,
| you must employ something more than
! mere assertion or bombastic defamation;
you must find something more tangible
| than the evidence furnished by the pending
| bill-a bill which merely contemplates the
| raising of sufficient revenue to enable the
poor, distressed people of Porto Rico to
| maintain, under the authority of the United
States government, and secure for their
| children and themselves the necessary
| means of acquiring common school edu-
cation.
Since acquiring these islands there has
| been no authoritative party utterance, nor
| declaration on the part of the government,
| or the administration, that could be con-
strued into purpose or the evidence of a
purpose of holding in any other way un-
| der any other form of government our in
| sular territory than that under which We
| have always held territory belonging to the
nd q 1Tr1n holt
tury have held and governed the territory
of Alaska, New Mexico and Arizona.
| The territorial extent of a nations do
| main does not constitute Imperialism. I'M
perialism is the forcible, despotic rule and
dominion over states originally separate,
| whereby, through vast provinces, people are
| subjected to the rule of a despot. 1t is
| this that strikes terror to the minds of so
| many at the mere. mention of the word
| imperialism. Imperialism, in the sense of
| despotic rule, can never have q place in cur
| republic except by the destruction of the
| republic itself and the eXtirpation of the
| American ideal With such Imperialism re-
publcanism is relentlessly at war. The
| conditions that necessarily produce imperial
| deSpotiSm cannot and never will be toler-
| ated in our American life. But l will tell
| the gentlemen what can be done. what the
| American people doing and will ever
| continue to do: We can, and We will, make
| an imperial domain republic"
| Mr.. Eddy (Minn) followed Mr.. Tawney.
| He declared his intentions to support the
| bill believing it to be the best measure at
| tainable to establish a sound fiscal system
| in Porto Rico.
| was not in accord with the majority of the
| republicans on this bill. He failed TO see
| in 1t that justice and fairness which char
| acterized the republican party.