Evening star., 1900-03-23
TILLMAN OPPOSES 1T
Conference Report on Porto Rico
Appropriation Discussed.
CRIHICISES EXTENSION OF CHARITY
Would Have Free Trade With the
Philippines.
PENSIONS IN THE HOUSE

When the Senate convened today it agreed
to the conference asked for by the House
or the diplomatic and consular bill.
Mr. Pettigrevg's resolution, coming over
from yesterday, requesting that the Presi-
dent. if not incompatible with the public
interest send to the Senate an itemized
statement of the expenses of the Philip
nine commission together with the amounts
paid each commissioner, was agreed to-
\ bill authorizing the Cambridge bridge
commission to construct a drawless bridge
across the Charles river in Massachusetts
was passed.
The conference report on the Porto Rican
appropriation bill was then called up by
Mir. Allison.
Mr. Tillran so. who votcd for the bill
as it passed the Senate, and as a member
Of the committee appropriations voted
favurably to report it. vigorously opposed
the conference report. He expressed his re-
gret thai the Senate Confcrees had yielded
- the contention Of the House conferceS.
particularly in agreeing TO enlarge the pur-
pose Of the measure by providing for the
aid and relief Of the people" of Porto
Rico
There were two motives behind this bill.
he said. The frs. the necessity for the
immediate relief by the United States of the
Porto Ricans and the other was that the
republicans were uneasy about the result
OF erecting tariff wall against Porto Rico,
which, he said, had to be CLOSED over some
what for the benefit of the people. He
sharply criticised the method adopted by
the United States of extending hands full
of food to the people of Porto Rico as a
gratuity.
sAs long as you continue to feed those
people down there" declared Mr.. Tfllman.
''you may feed them. So long as the freed
mems bureau was maintained in the south
the cOl1red race there amounted to nothing
That's a characteristic of the race. So long
9S o food n those Porto Ric10S they
Will never DO a stroke of work. This gov
arnment Will set itself up as an eleemosy-
nary institution by the passage of this bill
and do not believe We should stand on any
such ground"
In response to an inquiry from Mr. Spoon
er Mr.. TilIman said Il m in favor of free
trade with Porto Rico | don't believe in
protecting one part of the United States
against anO-her. That's my position
Mr.. Tillman alluded to the proposition
now made to obtain uniform Labor day
and remarked incidentally that such
proposition. if adopted, would initiate
against the interests of his state.
Mr. Ga.linger inquired how uniform hours
Of labor would initiate against the people
Of South Carolina
Mr.. Tillman replied it was because of the
difference in climate. The south. he said.
had advantages in climate over the north
which God had given it.
Il am simply opposed said he, ito one
part Of the country robbing another and
this applies as well to Porto Rico as to the
South.
Free Trade With Philippines.
Mr.. Perkins (Cal) inquired if Mr. Till
man was in favor of free trade with the
Philippines. knowing that those islands had
the advantage of peon and Malay labor.
Mr.. Tillman-''If we are to continue to
hold the Philippines I'm in favor of free
trade with those islands. There is an old
legal axiom that a man cannot take ad-
II
10 bring into this country those islands
with their cheap contract, peon and Malay
abOr were tod of the results that would
follow the ratifica ton of the treaty. And
yCu could not gel. the votes necessary to
make that treaty law until you had bought
some men TO vote for it,
Vow. then. if it is proposed to send
horde Of carpet baggers. over there, backed
by the bIyonets of soldiers. so long as
have voice / shall protest"
Referring to the recent speech of Mr..
Brveridge. Mr. TiIlman declared the speech
had been translated into the Spanish lam
guGge and distributcd among the FilpinOs
Il had. he sid infused new life and energy
mo the revolution. because 1t indicated the
hypocrisy and double dealing which he said
the United States mad resorted to in the
treatment of the Fflipinos.
He was sorry. he said, for his republican
friends and would feel for them even the
more deeply after the people had had an
opportunity TO pass upon the action of Con-
grsss next November.
The people" he shouted. will teach you
that trade and the flag and liberty and the
Constitution go together
Looking over at Mr.. Allison, Mr.. Tillman
laughingly alluded to the resolution adopt
ed by the legislature of Iowa. warning
their representatives In Congress- he said,
''of the consequences of their action on the
pending bill 1t never rains. but it pours.
The whole political structure is tumbIing
about their ears"
Further along, Mr. Tillman said he had
asked before and would like to know now
wh-ther the President was in favor of free
trade with Porto Rico.
Wide Range in Discussion.
The DEBATE In the Senate continued dur
ing the afternoon on the Porto Rico bill.
Senators SpOoner. Gallinger and Tillman
participated in the debate. The discussion
took a wide range. covering the southern
race question. Hawaii and the Philippines
Mr. Sp0nner took Mr. Tillrnan to task for
the use of certain words and expressions.
which made the conoquy quite interesting
THE HOUSE.
This was pension day in the House. Prev