New-York tribune., 1900-03-01
TARIFF BILL is PASSED.
HOUSE AGAINST FREE TRADE
WITH PUERTO RICO.
ELEVEN MAJORITY FOR THE MODIFIED
BILL-FOUR DEMOCRATS VOTED
FOR AND FIVE REPUBII-
CANS AGAINST 1T.
IBY TELEGRAPH To TIE TRIBUSE.l

eleven votes, and thus was settled, so far as
that body could settle il, the proposition that
Congress is to have free hand in dealing with
the political status and civil rights of the in
habitants OF the territory acquired by the United
State from Spain. well as the authority Of
Congress to exercise the taxing power therein
and in relation thereto.
1t the end of the severest contest that has
taken place in the House since the memorable
fight against and victory over free silver In
1890. when, as now. the Republican majority
was narrow one and there was disaffection
and opposition in the ranks of the party. To-
day as then a small number of Democrats
joined with Republicans TO insure victory in the
hard fought battle An element entered into
this contest more important and vital than was
found in the free silver contest Of ten years ago.
and the fight was more stubborn. II came. TOO,
on the of an impending Presidential elec-
ton. and a great many Republicans hoped to
see it postponed until after that event
THREE RECORD VOTES.
There were three record votes. The first was
on the motion Of Mr.. Mccall. of Massachusetts,.
TO substitute the free trade bill originally in
troduced by Chairman Payne of the Ways and
Means Committee for the pending bill. The
motion lost by vote Of 159 ayes to 175
noes-a result which greeted with hearty
applause on the Republican side The motion
received the votes OF five Observation-Disclosures.
Crumpacker of Indiana; HeatwOe, Of Mime
sofa: Lttleheld. of Maine: Lori1ner. of Illinois,
and Mccall. of Massachusetts. and these five
voted against their party on the lother two mo-
tions. Four Democrats voted against the SUBJ
stitute-Messrs. Davey and Meyer. of louisiana;
De Nries, of California. and SibIey. of Pennsyl-
vania- These four Democrats also voted with
the Republicans on the motion TO recommit. and
all except Mr.. Meyer so voted on the passage of
the bill Mr.. Fletcher. a Republican. of Mime
sofa. voted for the motion TO recommit against
the Mccall substitute. and did vote on the
motion to pass the bill.
FIVE REPUBLICANS FOR FREE TRADE.
Messrs. Crumpacker, Heatwole. Littlefeld.
Lormer and Mccall not only voted for free
trade. but also 10 sustain the Calhoun doctrine
Of the self-acting operation OF the Constitution
and against any measure of legislative relief for
Puerto Rico
The motion of AIr Mccall having been lost
Mr. Richardson. the Democratic leader, moved
TO recommit the bill TO the Ways and Means
Committee but offered no instructions. His
motion was lost by a vote of 162 ayes 10 1t2
nOes--a negative majority of votes The
vote the motion 10 pass the bill stood: Ayes.
1I2; noes. 161; majority. IL.
Mr., Warner. of Illinois. was paired against
the bill with Mr.. BouteIle of Maine. for it. Two
other RepUblicans-MT. Lane. of Iowa. and Mr.
Faris, of Indana-were absent and impaired
They We're understood 10 be against the bill
Four Democrats who were opposed TO the bill
Nessrs. Fleming, of Georgia; Small. of North
Carolina; Smith. of Kentucky. and Stallings. OF
Alabama We're absent and impaired. Other
pairs were Jiessrs. Gibson of Tennessee: Reeves.
of Illinois; Harmer. of Pennsylvania: Bailey OF
Kansas; Sheldon. Of Michigan and wadsworth.
Of New-York. all Republicans. for the bill. with
Messrs. Tate. of Georgia; SparkInan, of Florida;
Fox. of Missouri: Bellamy. of North Carolina;
Cox, of Tennessee. and Epes. OF Virginia, Ds1no-
Gratis. all against the bill
Speaker Henderson who had felt and ex-
pressed deep anxiety for the fate of the measure,
voted against the Mccall substitute and for the
passage of the bill.
The result of the final vote was Iustiv an
plauded by the Republicans, as well as 5y many
spectators in the galleries. which had been
crowded all day The Democrats and assistant
Democrats the floor did not feel like cheer
ing. The latter had cIung TO the hope. even
after the Mccall free trade substitute had been
defeated, that the motion TO recOmnit would be
carried. and its defeat was a keen disappoint-
nent 10 them as we'll as to the Democrats. who
were anxious TO have their theories OF the
Constitution prevail Messrs. Crumpacker, Lit
teield and Mccall were equally anxious on that
score. They appeared TO fear there might be
some danger that the Supreme Court of the
United States would reverse their Judgment re-
specting the constitutionality of the Puerto
Rican Tariff bill. and they sought to avert or
avoid that danger by killing a measure de-
signed TO bring relief Puerto Rico and it's in
habitants and thereby leaving them without
means to rebuild their shattered fortunes.
LIVELY CLOSE OF DEBATE.
The four hours devoted to debate under the
five minute rule before the voting began was
well spent. The discussion was lively and per-
tinent, and a number Of excellent speeches were
made. Mr. Bromweu, of Ohio. explained his po-
sition a second time and voted with his party
afterward Mr. Powers. of Vermont. did the
same and voted with mis- party, Mr.. Sibley OF
Pennsylvania. did the same and voted for the
bill and against his party he also recited some
appropriate rhymes of mis- own composition de-
sCribinS and lamenting the decadence of that
party. which made some of its members s1uirnl
and evoked applause on the opposite side of the
chamber. where the Pennsylvanian OBJ
served. his seat belonged whenever ne wanted
say patriotic thing or cast patriotic vote.
Mr.. Otey, of Virginia, contributed TO the
gayety of the proceedings by buresque trnita-
tion of Mr.. CannOn's speech Of yesterday, which
that gentleman seemed 10 enjoy a well as any
Body else. Mr.. Richardson caused 10 be read
the memorial of the Puerto Rieans now in
Washington in opposition TO the pending biIL 20
which Chairman Payne replied In scathing
terms. Other terse speeches in favor of the bin
were made by General Grosvenor, OF Ohio; Colo
mel Hepburn of Iowa; Mr.. Graft. OF Illinois. and
others
BROUGHT FROM SICK BEDS To VOTE.
Tremendous efforts had been made TO get out
the full vote and this led 10 some remarkable
incidents Six men were brought from beds Of
sickness two of them from hospitals. Mr..
Brown!ow Of Tennessee. was brought in car
rfage accompanied by his wife and physician