The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1900-04-13
Washington Letter.
From our regular Correspondent


upOu auu jdSSCu Dy tllS OtudtC tOfllOE-
row. Although the democrats are
moving heaven and earth to arouse
republican opposition TO theS bill in
the House, there is no reason to be-
lieve they will succeed. The principle
of the bill as origin ally passed by the
HOUSE has not been affected in the
| slightest degree by the changes and
additions made by the Senate, and
Chairman Payne, who will have
charge of the bill in the House, is con-
fident that it will be promptly passed
and other members of the House who
are in positions to know, have assured
President Mckinley that the bill
would be passed by the house, and in
his hands before the close of the week.
Representative Shattuc, of Ohio,
paid his respects to Senator Tillman
for pretending that he wished to con-
fer American citizenship upon Porto
Rlcans and Filipinos, and then gloat.
ing over his part in suppressing the
political rights of thousands of citizens
of South Carolina.
The Senate has for the second time,
by more than a two-thrd vote, put ON
record It's opinion that Porto Rico is
not part of the U. S. and that Porto
Rcans are not American citizens.
The question was brought to an issue
on an amendment offered to the Porto
Rican bill by Senator Pettus, of Ala
bama, that "the Constitution and laws
Of the the U. S. shall have the same
| force and effect in Porto Rico as in
other territories of the U. S." which
was defeated by vote of 33 to 13.
During the debate the position of the
republicans was fully defined by Sena-
tor Spooner who declared in answer to
questions of Senator Allen, that the
Porto Ricans were not citizens of the
U. S. but colonists, and as such Fora
|
ker, also in answer to Senator Allen.
who said, in. declining to accept Mr..
Aliens amendment designating Porto
Rico territory of the U. S. "We do
not propose to erect there territorial
government as such form of govern
ment is usually understood. We have
not seen fit to give the people OF Porto
Rico that kind of government. By
the treaty of Paris, this whole matter
| is vested in Congress. We may give
them any sort of government we de-
sire. do not believe, as the Senator
does, that Porto Rico is part of the
U. S., over which the Constitution ex-
tends of its own force and that is
where our roads part"
Mr.. J. L. Brass, OF st. Paul, Mimi,
who is in Washington on business thus
speaks on our business outlook, upon
which he is posted "Our trade with
the Orient will be tremendous. We
are not going to get this trade this
month, but we are going to get it. It
will come to us gradually. We will
do business with Porto Rico, Cuba,
and the Philippines, tariff or no tariff.
1t must come. We are manufactur-
ing country. Even now, we are ship
ping ship load after ship load OF goods
to China and Japan. We are bring
ing back cargoes of goods from those
countries. Mr.. James Hill, the rail-
way magnate, is building line of ves-
sells to ply between this country and
China. He intends to ship -four to
the Orient and bring back rice. Here
is another point. There are men in
this country representing South
African capitalists who have 81 ,OOO,O 900
to spend in machinery. There will be
machinery needed in the Philippines,
in Porto Rico, and in Cuba. We are
the country that will supply the de-
mand.
President Mckinley gave adinneras
farewell honor to the members of the
Philippine Commission, who have re-
ceived their full instructions and who
expect to sail from San Francisco for
Manila on the 18th inst, to be absent
about two years. This Commission
viii have more authority than any
other has ever been given, although
its acts will be nominally under the
authority of the Secretary of War.
As matter of fact, the Commission
can do whatever it thinks best with
the certainty that its acts will be en-
dorsed by Secretary Root and the
President.
The surplus in the Treasury is piiing
|up so rapidly 1T exceeded $53, ,O00, 600
for the three-quarters Of the fiscal year
ending Saturday, Mch. 81. that Presi-
dent Mckinley is considering the adj
4 visibility Of asking Congress to reduce
i the internal revenue taxes, which were
4 imposed on account OF the war with
Spain. This is bitter pill to those
democrats who have been predicting
deficit in the Treasury, and is grand
showing for republican statesmauship
80, - a. - tive ohi1ikv a1thor1011