The Washington weekly post., 1900-03-20
Tuesdays Proceedings.


A general attack upon the policy and
provisions 81 the Porto Ricau bll Was
made IN the Senate tuesday by Senator
Turner. % Washington. He declared tnat
lis enactment would result in tie de-
HauehsTy of our cltizer ship or Of our
Constitution. lie presumed that the mi
u9uty In Congress would De- charged with
f-y5rue competition Of American work
ing people with the uEderied and under
paid labor Of Porto Rico and the Philip
Ilaes. bat ia tnis connection, he said, II
would have 20 be remembered that the MI
E5Tity mad opposed consistently the ac-
qu.sltIou of the islands. Even nov. he De
LeS 90. the United States ought 70 Jet The
Fisp.uos so In peace u ought 20 De the
mission of this country 20 give them a
start on the road 90 good government and
then permit them TO proceed FOR them
selves. Tcserying such coallng stations
and harbors as We might need, II the
commercial interests, he said, must have
heir pound % fesh. this country might
make such treaties with the FIlipinOs ar
f0rdiuE " such advantages as their sense
OF gratitude 20 The United States might
prompt them 10 give Us.
Nj Turner thought the proposition Of
the bin % levy tariff on commerce be-
tween Porto Rico and other portions OF
the United States was poor return :Or
the ready acceptance OF our institutions
on the part OF the Porto Ricans and no
amount Of sugar coating could disguise
It's evil smell or nauseating taste" L
was. 10 his mind, a desperate assault
upon the liberties Of the people. and no
more preposterOGs measure looking TO
the grant OF power 90 Congress had ever
been presented in either House.
The evident purpose, he said. was 10
break down the system which had stood
the test OF lZ3 years. The bill was clearly
unconstitutional. and Il was repugnant
10 every utterance OF the Supreme Court
bearing upon the subject. II was de-
E0UECed as a crime and as imperious and
VainglOrious, and Mr.. Turner said he did
not believe we could maintain such "A sys-
TEN as was proposed without its being re-
fected upon our own institutions. He
feared, indeed, that IL was one OF those
innovations against which the fathers
had warned the American people, and he
considered II wise 20 stop and consider
where We were drifting.
He did not agree with Mr. Foraker
that we have passed the law book
stage and he quoted numerous decisions
OF the supreme Court to sustain his posi-
ton, which was that the Constitution
must apply equally to all portions of the
territory Of the United States and that
there could properly be 10 discrimination
In favor OF one section In the matter of
taxation OF otherwise in the interest of
another section.
Without having completed his speech,
Mr. Turner, at 800 o'clock. yielded the
floor until to-day. and the Senate went
INTO executive session, ad1OuTnlng at 3.2O
y. III.
The last legislative step in the enact
ment OF the financial bill was taken By
the House OF Representatives Tuesday
when the conference report on the bill
was adopted by vote of yeas, lG5; nays,
20; present and nOc voting, 10. The Sen
ate had already adopted the conference
report, so that it remains only for Prcsi-
dent Mckinley TO affiX his signature to
the measure TO make IL a law.