The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-28
OPPOSED BY MR.. STEWART
He Argues Against the Porto Rican
Tariff revision.
senator Foraker Announces That
Tie VIII Not Ash n separation Of
the House BiII and the senate civil
Government Substitute - Discus
sioa of the Various Amendments.

The Porto RioaH bin was taken mp liz
the Senate yesterday al the close OF the
morning hour.
Mr. Foraker. who IS i'm charge Of it. said
that he had concluded not to ask a sep
Grafton Of The two propositions the H0uss
taua bin and the Senate civil govern
meat substitute. but to proceed with the
unfinished business in its original form.
Mr. Stewart addressed the Senate in op-
position TO The tariff provision. He said
that the question whether President Nc
Kinley was 10 be commended or eXecrated
for his acquisition Of islands beyond the
seas was one that was now discussed in
the press, the pulpit, and at the fresides
Of the people. and he predicted that the
time would come when people would Won
der how anybody could have objected to
the United States holding the islands that
had been wrested from Spanish cruelty.
The first question was on the amendment
to insert in section 30 the words as 10
railroad. telegraph. and telephone fran
chises." requiring such franchises to be
approved by the President and reported to
Congress After discussion the amend
ment was agreed to. being modified so as
to reserve to Congress the power to annul
or modify such franchises
Mr. Morgan moved to add to section Z a
provision for the free coinage Of gold and
silver. and argued that the provision was
in line with section =, which authorizes the
recuinage of the Porto Rico peso and other
r0fnG ar fhaf- faro Na1ua n American
money. In the course OF his argument he
remarked that there was no provision in
the bill for national banks in Porto Rico.
The Senator is mistaken Mr.. Foraker
interp0sed There is a provision that
everything in the law not locally inap-
plicable shall apply to Porto Rico, and un
der that provision national banks can be
established there
Then" said Mr.. Morgan. Porto Rico
is not a foreign country. There is no ques-
tion about The logic Of that proposition
He then went on to speak in favor Of
his amendment and said that the seventh
section inaugurated a movement that
would result in the entire freedom of gold
and silver coinage. This section came
from a Senator from the great State of
Ohio just as he Stanley Matthews amend
ment had come from another Senator from
that state. and he Mr. Morganl welcomed
the movement. The silver mines Of the
world he said. were in the Western Hem
isphere Nations and communities could
not live without the use of silver subsi-
diary coin. And why should not the
United States he asked. being the pos
SCISSOR of the most valuable gold mines Of
the world create a policy that would
stimulate the production Of silver and
also of gold
The Democrats Of the country. he de-
clared. had never shivered at the prospect
OF too much specie money They would
gladly substitute. in place Of national
bonds 10 secure circulation, the deposit Of
gold and silver
Mr Foraker objected that Mr. Morgan's
amendment was in the nature Of general
legislation. while the pending bill was only
concerned with Porto Rican affairs. Sec
tiou = was not a provision for free coin
age Cf silver bullion. but for the exchange
zud redemption OF Porto Rican coins so
that only American coins should be used
in Porto Rico. He expressed unqualified
respect" for the Senator from Alabama
who, be hoped, would long continue to &C.
cupy a seat in the Senate.
Mr. Morgan said that his amendment
gave to Republican Senators an opp1rtuni-
Is to pacify the people after the passage
Of the gold bill He hoped that the oppor-
tunity to do justice to the people would
not be forever and forever declined by
those Senators. He argued that his
amendment was as much at home on the
Porto Rican bill as it would have been On
the gold bill. II was not only at home.
but il was so BY invitation. What kind OF
justice was IT, he asked. to force the peo-
pie Of Porto Rico 20 sell their silver coins
at the rate Of 60 cents per peso, which
contained as much silver as the American
dollar?
Mr.. Foraker remarked that the present
value OF the peso was only from 45 to as
cents, and yet under the bill so cents would
be paid for IL: so that it was not proposed
TO deprive the people Of Porto Rico OF any
value.
Mr. Clay suggested that II the peFo were
re-coined into American dollars land il
contained silver enough for the purpose)
the profit TO the United States would be
40 cents on each peso.
Mr. Morgan explained that his amend
ment contemplated the coinage OF a dollar
in gold for every dollar in silver
vote was taken on the amendment
and resulted, yeas, 10, nays, 25-no quor-
um.
The Senate then at 4:50 O'Clock ad-
journed until today.
FUNDS FOR POSTAL SERVICE.