The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-04-04
lORTO RICAN TARIFF PASSED.
Ill GOES THROUGH THE SENATE
FL BY VOTE OF 40 TO 81.

Behalf of the Struggling Islanders.
Foraker's Reply to Wellington
who Opposed the Measure-BacOn
and Clay Made Speeches.
Washington, April 3.-This was a no.
! table day in the United States Senate. 1t
4 brought to q close the sharpest and most
1 prolonged debate upon any measure since
those discussed during the memorable
war Congress- two years ago.
Al A o'clock this Afternoon the votes
were begun on the Porto Rican tariff and
civil government bill and pending amend
ments, and less than an hour later the
/ measure about which there had been so
much contention in and out of Congress,
was passed by a majority of nine, the final
vote being 40 to 81. Only committee amend
ments were adopted.
Ii has been evident for some time that
the bill would command majority in the
Senate but Notwithstanding that fact,
the interest in the measure, both of sena-
tors and of the public, has not tagged an
instant To-day the galleries were crowd
ed and hundreds of people filed the cor
ridors unable to secure standing room in
the galleries.
From II O'Clock, when the Senate con-
vened, until the hour when the voting be-
gan, advocates and opponents of the bill
brilliantly and eloquently maintained
their convictions and the auditors were
kept in state of constant excitement
The particularly nota bic speeches of the
day were delivered by Mr.. Mason of Illi-
nois, in opposition to the measure, and by
Mr.. Foraker of Ohio, who replied TO a
brief speech by Mr.. Wellington of Mary
land 1t was the Ohio senator's desire to
clear up any misunderstanding or misin-
formation concerning the bill. Mr.. Ma
sons speech was argumentative, eloquent
and amusing by turns and, as it covered
the entire range of the country's duties
and responsibilities to what the Illinois
senator caustically termed 'our insular
possessions" it was very interesting to
his hearers.
Senator Mason's Views.
Mr.. Mason spoke in favor of the reso-
luton of Mr. Wellington, which offers in
dependence to the Filipinos and against
the bill proposed by Mr. Spooner of Wis
consin conferTing authority upon the
President to govern the Philippines until
Congress should otherwise direct Incl
dentally, he opposed the tariff proposed to
be placed on Porto Rican products. He
was opposed to holding the. Philippines.
because under the law of nations we
have title and never can have COM
habitants
q do not wish the 100000 Filipinos for
citizens, he said. II do not wish them for
slaves. If we govern them, they must
either be citizens or serfs Whether they
labor as our citizens and equal before the
law, or whether they labor as our politi-
cal slaves, their labor completes with the
labor Of our country, and 1 am opposed
to that. I am for expansion. L voted for
the annexation of Hawaii, but would
never have sent 5000 men there to COM
pei them to accept our flag. In other words
l am against taking any territory by con-
quest against a friendly people and
against taking any territory that brings
a cheap class of labor in free and open
competition with the class of men and
women who do the labor in this coun-
try"
He declared that if il was treason to op-
pose war of conquest TO lift unjust tax
atlon, TO confer upon a struggling people
the blessings of liberty, TO protect the la
boring men and women of this country.
then he was guilty. He said that only by
amending the constitution could a tariff
he levied against the people of the United
states to prevent their trading with the
rest of the United States.
Il beg you" he appealed ito count the
cost of such an amendment"
The War Fever Is On.
NHNdhhlS vi the lever Ol war WHICH ne
said was upon the administration, Mr..
Mason said
But as we approach the hour when we
must again appeal 10 the judgment of TO-
c0oU people and the fires under the pos
OF patronage are burning low and the
dangers of disappearings postoffices appear
TO US ike hideous nightmare, the hour
OF convalesence approaches and we shout
TO the laboring people of the country:
no, no. 1t is a mistake We have sacri-
need the money and the lives of the peo-
PIE; we have abandoned the faith of the
fathers for land, but we will abandon 4
all rather than forsake the political parti-
san doctrine; and we are saying on both
hldeS OF this chamber-thcse who have b.
IeVed IN the permanent government of
the Philippine Islands-that if our perma-.
nehI sovereignty there means. the taking
INTO this country, in competition with our
idpor, products of the people there, we will
abandon this kind of expansion"
discussing the powers Of Congress under
tue constitution as interpreted in the light
OF the provisions OF the pending bill Mr..
Mason said:
The constitution says you cannot
make title of nobility, but we apply that
oniy to the state, you understand The
distinguished senator from New York
NDepeW) can be the Duke of Ponce and
hot violate the constitutions the distin-
sulshed senator from Indiana CBeverdge)
HV Illhce OF Porto Rico, and the distin-
suished lawyer who has sought to defend
4 (als oill upon an unconstitutional ground
I9pooner) can al least demand the title of
l"oid Chief High Duke Of the Checker
nodtd somewhere in the Philippines, that
.Hay sit in judgment upon the laws and
upon lhe people. Naughter) Does the
Gechsutuiion say you cannot make a title
IN. Hobilty? Yes. Does 1t go into the out
[ssiue territory? No. Then you can make
Xttes OF nobility there
~ Hod help the man in November who
'dys that game"
Culberson's First Speech.
Mr Culberson Of Texas then spoke. II
was his first speech in the Senate. He
characterized the bill as "lndefensbie.
morally economically and constitution
AR Culberson said It had been main
italned by the senator from Ohio Fora-
,H9iJ mat the dogma that the constitu-
n 'on extended of its own force over ac-
HulIed territory originated with Mr.. Cal
noun In the interest OF slavery" This.