The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-04-03
FIX IN SENATE.
urSdayyy.ican Bill Was The Bone Of
,, ,..e, Contention.
VIII
VEST WAS VERY SARCASTIC
Ben
hstitutif nal Features of the BiIs
Dissected Piece by Piccc--sIr. De-
pew Delivered His speech.

opponents OF the Puerto Iican tariH an0
government bill waged vigorous warfare
in the senate today for more than seven
hours. Long before the senate convened
at IL o'clock the galleries were crowded
and so they remained until the senate adj
journed Those who listened to the de-
bate today were we'll repaid. The speech
es were good and the running debate UNI
usually bright and lively. During the
speech of Mr.. spoonor (Wis) particularly
the chamber seemed to scintillate with
sparks as he crossed argumentative
swords with some OF the best debnters on
the democratic side. His address, II s.
| it could be called, was devoted almost
wholly to discussion OF the constitutional
questions involved in the pending bill.
Mr.. Bate (Teun.) opened the debate with
a speech in opposition to the bill. He wa'
followed by MIR. Cullom (lll) In a ylgor-
Gus speech supporting the measure Then
came Mr.. Depew IN. W, a member OF tho
committee which framed the bill who
made an eloquent and forcofIl, defense of
the measure. MI. Spooner, who spoke next,
was followed by Mr. Perkins tCal) also
a member OF the committee on Puerto
for the bill. The closing speech was de-
llvered by Mr. Simon tOreD, who, in
cridcsing the measure, entered into q
brief discussion OF the pulitlcal effects OF
its passage. The final vote on the bill
will BIO taken late tomorrow afternoon. IL
IS arranged for o'clock, but an effort
will be made to extend the time for de-
ba,e beyond that hour.
The senate convened at IL o'clock N
order that the debate on the Puerto Rican
bin might be- extended The public GAL
leries were all crowded. Mr. Vest MOI,
rising to a question Of privilege, said
upon his return to tho city after an abb
sence on account of Illness. he found that
on the vote to strike out the provision IN
the Puerto Rican bill for a duty OF IL
per cent Of the Dingey duties he had
heen noted as absent and not paired. He
explained that he had a general pair,
which he thought was sufficient Had
he been present he would have voted TO
strike out tho duty on Puerto Rlcau
products. Proceeding, he directed attog-
ton to notable case which, he
said, had been overlooked in all the ar
guments. A sailor named Ross had
shipped ON an American merchantmen
from New York TO Nagasad At the lat
ter port he had murdered a fellow seaman
on the vessels deck and was convicted
and sentenced TO death by consular
court His sentence was committed to i'm
prosinmont for life in the Albany, N. Y,
penltontiary. H. sued out a writ OF
habeas corpus the ground being that no
had not been given trail by a jury,
which was Insured by the constitution.
The supreme court decided that he had a
fair trial ane must remain In prison, that
In order TO avail himself Of the right to
trial by Jury the vessel must have been
within the territorial limits OF tho Unitod
States,
Mr., Vest said he would like any senator
to explain how The supreme court could
come to that conclusion and state p,u-
rhntlcally that within the territorial
limits Of the United States the cunstltu-
ton applies without act o: congress OF
treaty stipulation and yet agree that a
different tariff can be Imposed on the
people OF Puerto Rico from that imposed
on the people OF Missouri
Mr.. Bate tTenn.l, after the Puerto
Rico bill had been laid formally before
the senate, delivered q strong speech IN
opposition to the pending measure. Whom
Mr.. Bate finished his speech Mr.. Cullom
tlll) addressed the senate briefly IN sup
port OF the bill.
Mr.. Depew New York; then delivered
his announced speech He vigorously sup.
ported tho pending measure. Mr.. Densw
said!
While the practical part Of this meas
ure has received some consideration vet
II has resulted in pictures of Puerto Rico
ana It's inhabitants which are utterly mis-
leading. The lower house OF the Iowa
legislature the other day adopted reso-
luton for free trade with Puerto Rico on
the sentimental ground that her people had
accented our sovereignty willingly while
other Islands were resisting It. The sud
deu collapse OF the Spanish power, aud the
almost instantaneous dropping into our
hands OF the island possessions OF Spain.
found different conditions In these posses
sions' II is admitted. for instance, that
CUBA Is to be under our government only
until she Is capable of governing herself
We all know that, With tho Revolutionary
elements and professional agitators OF that
island, II any excuse or opportunity had
been offered there would have been a re-
volt against our authority. We ali know
that In the Philippines there would have
been universal acceptance Of government
ny inc United states except that profess
/ slonal agitators. who revolutloni2ed FOR
revenue and had made fortunes In previous
reYolts. played upon the Imagination OF an
ignorant people and led them into insur-
rection, hoping the United States would
loiiow spanish presidents and purchase
their allegiance, II IA equally true that In
Puerto Rico the population Is so poor and
'4N"uNus dhu tue conformation OF the
Island makes II so easy for an army to pnt
down lnsurrection, that. though the same
government existed In Puerto Rico as in
{ cuba and in the Philippines, it was limos
slole 70 lnaugurate revolution In Puerto
RICO. The Puerto RiCans knew that thew
must come under some government. ana
after 800 years o. Spain hailed with delight
me transfer 20 the Unifed States"
! Applause swept over the galleries Mt
Tue conclusion Of Mr. Depew's speech and
II was several minutes before Mr.. SPOON
+ or tWis). who followed, could proceed.
IN response 70 question asked nv Mr.
/ lilman, Mr.. Sp0oner said THE prom.
ositlon that the constitution extends ~
is own force over acquired territory was
invented IN the interest OF slavery the
new dogma was advocated In the interest
OF slavery by Mr.. Calhoun. MI Wehster
\ opposed Il in the interest OF liberty and
IN the interest OF sound constituiionaI
Hesitation, The Calhoun dogma, we
thought, was shot to death In the nm.
numbered battlehelds OF the war Of The
repsliion' ] had supposed that after
slavery had been laid away that We had
nearu the last OF this contention which Al
~ no means so new as many people seem
Mr. Tillman inquired how II Vas that
'ne united STATES was in Puerto. Rico
by the power OF the president nd onm.
mander in chief OF the army replied Mr..
\ Spoonar. 'NpiNu "r'
Under the constitutionge inquired Mr.