Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-13
Mr.. TURNER SPEAKS
Denounces Proposed Tariff on Porto
Rican Goods.
POOR RETURN 70 The ISLANDERS
Senators Allen and Butler Explain
Position on Silver.
URRENCY IN THE HOUSE

Mr.. ThuIston CNeb.) from the committee
railroads. Mr.. Simon (Ore.) from the COM
mittee on Potomac river front, Mr.. Foster
(Wash) from the committee on woman
suffrage and Mr.. Wetmore (R. - from the
committee on manufactures.
President Pro Tenn. Frye then appointed
Mr.. Bard (CalD to the several committees
from which senators had resigned, in order
to make committee places for him.
At the conclusion of morning business
Mr.. Allen (Neb) rising to a question of
privilege said he had been misrepresented
by the Washington correspondent of a New
York paper, who had reported that Mr..
Allen had abandoned the free coinage of
silver Mr.. Allen denied the correspond
ent's statements.
Nothing that I ever said could by any
kind of torture be construed as a lack of
faith in my party platform which declares
for the free and unlimited coinage of both
gold and silver at a ratio of 10 to L. he
said.
Mr.. Allen read the colloquy between him
self and Mr. Aldrich, which. he said was
the basis Of the report concerning him.
Il want to repeat said he. '.and | want
the public printer to put this statement in
hIack-faced type-that am firm believer
and always have been in the doctrine of the
free and unlimited coinage of gold and sill
yer at the ratio of 16 to l. and do not be-
lieve in waiting for sny other nation"
Mr.. Allen was proceeding with an elabora-
tion of his views when he was interrupted
by Mr.. Turner (Wash), who had yielded
to him, and reminded that it was per
sonal statement for which he had yielded
and not a speech.
Mr.. Allen Immediately gave way but was
followed by Mr. Butler On. c., who desired
to make personal statement concerning a
similar matter.
Mr.. Buffers Position.
Mr.. Butler said that the report of the coll
loquy between himself and Mr.. Aldrich had
not correctly represented him. This report
stated that Mr.. Butler evaded a direct
answer to Mr. Aldrich's question as TO
whether or not he CButler) was in favor of
the free and unlimited coinage of silver at
the ratio of 16 to l. Mr.. Butler then re-
stated his position given during the col
loquy, but did not point out wherein he
had been msreprese sented. In closing Re
said he wanted to make the statement that
he was in favor of the free coinage Of gold
and silver at a ratio of 16 10 I BY The
United States, independent Of any other
nation.
Mr.. Aldrich replied briefly. saying that
the Associated Press account of the col
loquy was a fair and accurate statement
of what occurred. He had asked the North
Carolina senator six eight times if he
was in favor of the free and unlimited
coinage of silver at ratio of 16 to 1 by the
United States alone and had not received
a direct answer. Mr. Aldrich said he was
glad to get today statement from Mr..
Butler that he was now in favor of such
free coinage.
The Porto Rican Bill.
At the request of Mr.. Turner the Porto
Rican tariff and government bill laid
before the Senate. His speech was a gen.
eral attack upon the policy and provisions
of the measure. He declared that its
enactment would result in the debauchery
of our citizenship or of our Constitution.
He presumed that the minority in Congress
would be charged with favoring competi-
ton of American working people with the
underfed and underpaid labor of Porto
Rico and the Philippines. but in this con-
nection he said, it would have to be re-
membered that the minority had opposed
consistently the acquisition of the islands.
Even now he believes the United States
ought to let the Filipinos go in peace.
1t ought to be the mission of this country
to give them a start on the road to good
government and then permit them to pro-
ceed for themselves reserving such coaling
stations and harbors might need. If
the commercial interests. he said. must
have their pound of flesh. this country
might make such treaties with the Filipi-
nos, affording us such advantage as their
sense of gratitude to the United States
might prompt them to give us.
Poor Return to Porto Rico.
Mr.. Turner thought the proposition of the
bill to levy tariff on commerce between
Porto Rico and other portions of the United
States was poor return for their ready
acceptance of our institutions on the part
of the Porto Ricans, and no amount of su-
gar-coating could disguise its evil smell or
nauseating taste 1t was, to his mind,
desperate assault upon the liberties of the
people, and no more preposterous measure
looking to the grant of power to Congress
mad ever been presented in either house.
The evident purpose was to break down
the system which had stood the test of 123
years The bill was clearly unconstitu-
tionai and 1t was repugnant to every utter
ance of the Supreme Court bearing upon
the subject. 1t was denounced as a crime
and as imperious and vainglorious, and MI.
Turner said he did not believe we could
MAINTAIN such a system was proposed
without its being reflected upon our own
Institutions He feared, indeed that it was
one one OF those innovations against which the
and he considered it wise to stop and con.
slider where we were drifting.
Supreme Court Quoted
He did not agree with Mr.. Foraker that
We have passed the law book stage" and
he quoted numerous decisions of the Sill
preme Court to sustain his position, which
was that the Constitution must appIv
equally to all portions of the territory of
the United States, and that there could
properly be no discrimination in favor of
one section in the matter of taxation or
otherwise in the interest of another section.
At the opening of the session of the
House today the following bills were
passed:
To establish light and fog signal at the
southern entrance of the new breakwater
at Buffalo. N. Y. and for the relief of the
heirs of Philip McCi1sky and John Hogan
of Mobile, Ala.
Mr.. Grow Pa) in a personal statement
.sal xl,o% 1,1 I,,I
paper interview that the Porto Rican hill
was an Outrage and robbery"
Then. under the order previously made
the House proceeded to the considerable
| of the conference report upon the financial
| bill.
Mr.. Overstreet (Tnd.), who was in charge
| of the report, explained in detail the modi-
fcaticns of the House and Senate bills
| agreed upon by the conferees. Mr.. Over
street said that every principle contained
| IN the House bill had been preserved in the
conference report except the provision rela-4
t1,r 90 nwyeAt Ato~n <F - -