Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1900-02-27
AN UNEASY FEELING.
House Republicans Anxious About
Fate of Porto Rican Bill.
MAJORITY OVER OPPOSITION SLIGHT.
Many Votes on the Republican Side
Are in Doubt, and Only Eight
Are Needed to Defeat the
Measure.

Washington, Feb. 21.-Again Tues
| day there were but three speeches in
the house upon the Porto Rican tariff
bill. Five hours were consumed i'll
their delivery. Mr.. Hopkins Qnp
spoke in support of the bill, and Mr..
Newlands (Nev.l and Mr.. Swanson
| (Va.) in opposition to it. The speak
ers devoted themselves almost eX-
clusively to the constitutional question
involved, and were listened to with at
tention. The republican leaders are
bill. They have only majority of IA
over the opposition, which is solidly
opposed to the measure. Eight votes
from the republican side would there
fore defeat it, and there are from IL
to Is republican votes in doubt. A
movement for republican caucus is
being agitated, and although no call
had been issued up to the time of adj
journment, the general understanding
was that one would be held tonight.
The republicans reported to be opposed
to the bill are Messrs. Mccall (Mass.),
Littlefeld Me.), Powers (Vt.), Tomp-
kins IN. ", Bromwell CO.,, Lorimer
IlL), Heatwole (Minn.), Tongue (ore.),
Loud (Cal.), Jones and Cushman
(Wash.) and Crumpacker Qnd.).
Senate.
Washington, Feb. 21.-Discussion of
the Philippine question was resumed
for a time in the senate Tuesday,
Senator Kenny speaking against the
retention by the United States of the
islands, and urging that the Filipinos
be accorded the right to govern them
selves. After the passage of SO pen
sion bills and number of bills on the
general calendar consideration was
resumed of the Hawaiian government
to but consideration of the measure
was not concluded.
No Agreement Yet.
Washington, Feb. 21.-The conferees
on the finance bill were in session sew
eral hours Tuesday, but it was an
nounced at the adjournment that no
agreement had been reached upon
any point, although prospects were
that an agreement might be finally
reached After the adjournment tne
house conferees consulted leading
members relative to the bimetallic
amendment adopted by the senate, to
see if there would be any great OBJ
lection to allowing it to remain part
of the bill.
The Macrum Case.
Washington. Feb 21.-The state de-
partment has completed preparations
for the reply to be made to the house
resolution inquiring into the allega-
lions that eX-Consul Macrum's mail
had been opened by the British censor
at Cape Town. The answer will be
sent to the house to-day by the presi-
dent, as is customary with communf-
cations of the kind from the state de-
partment 1t will show in brief that
the department has no official knowl-
edge whatever that there was any in
reference with the eX-consuls mail,
as he made no complaint to the de-
partment on the subject.
The Clark Case.
Washington, Feb. Ex-senator Clark
on Tuesday continued and completed
his testimony before the senate COM
mittee on elections. but his testimony
did not attract as much attention as
that of other witnesses who were heard
during the day. The other witnesses
were Frank Corbett, of Butte, recalled;
L. c. Day, who was the Clark leader on
the floor of the Montana house of rep
resentatives, and John b. Welcome,
who was a general manager for Mr..
Clark. Mr.. Welcome did not take the
stand until late, and his examination
in chief was not completed when the
committee adjourned for the day. He
made a general and specific denial of
all the allegations made by Whiteside
and others. Denials We're made in re-
spouse to questions by Senator Faulk-
ner, and the witness uniformly an
swered: ~ did not" NO." or Moth
ing like it occurred" Mr.. Day admit
ted having accepted present of ST.
600 from Mr.. Clark, and said he under
stood that it was given as a testimonial
and as compensation for his services.
PARAGRAPHIC POINTERS.