The National tribune., 1900-03-22
In CONGRESS.
Synopsis of the More Important
Proceedings of Both Houses.

PEOSeSuiiiSS vi DUH itOuoSS'
In the Senate on March 13, a general
attack on the policy and provisions of the
Porto Rican bill was made by Senator
Turner. of Washington. He declared thai
its enactment would result in the de
bauchery of our citizenship or of our Con-
stitution. He presumed that the mi
nority in Congress would be charged with
favoring competition of American work
ing people with the underfed and under
paid labor of Porto Rico and the Philip
pines; but in this connection, he said, II
would have TO be remembered that the MI
nority had opposed consistently the ac-
QUESTION of the islands.
Even now. he believed. the United States
ought to let the Filipinos go IN peace. 1t
ought TO be the mission OF this country 10
give them start on the road to good govern
ment. and then permit them to proceed for
themselves, reserving such coallng stations
and harbors as we might need. II the
commercial interests, he said. must have
their pound of flesh, this country might
make such treaties with the tliipinoS
affording us such advantages as their
sense OF gratitude to the United States
might prompt them to give us.
Mr. Turner thought the proposition OF
the bill to levy tariff on commerce between
Porto Rico and other portions OF the I Unlted
States was a poor return for the ready ac-
ceptance of our Institutions on the part oil
the Porto RicanS.
The evident purpose, he said. was to
break down the system which had stood
the test of l23 years. The bill was clearly
unconstitutional, and it was repugnant
to every utterance of the Supreme Court
bearing upon the subject.
RapraCantatIVa SIllZnr OF New YORK,
which was referred to the Committee
on Foreign Affairs: Resolved, That the
Secretary of State is hereby directed
TO send to the House of Representatives
copies of all letters in the Department OF
state from citizens of the United States
resident in the South African Republic
from Jan. 1, 1892, to the present time"
Representative Sulzer says the purpose
Of this resolution is to develop that no
complaints from American citizens against
the South African Republic are on file.
In the House the conference report on the
financial bill was adopted by vote Of
yeas 166, nays 120; present and not voting.
10. Soon afterwards, President Mckinley
affixed his signature to the document
The debate on the report continued from the
day before, Mr.. OverStreet, of Indiana,
opening. and Mr.. Brosius.. of Pennsyl-
yania closing. in support of the measure
while Mr.. Little. of Arkansas, closed IN
opposition with a severe arraignment OF the
Representative Overstreet. Of Indiana;
who was in charge of the report, explained
in detail the notifications of the House
and Senate bills agreed upon by the con-
ferees. Mr. Overstreet said that every
principle contained in the House bill had
been preserved in the conference report
except the provision relative to the ia tax
alton of national bank franchises. The
establishment of the gold standard into
Law was still its all-important and es-
sential feature This law would, he said.
become the foundation of the business
prosperity of the country.
Nine Democrats voted with the Re
publicans to agree to the report; viz, Rep
resentatives Clayton. briggs. Fitzgerald,
Levy, and Scudder, all of New York; Denny,
of Maryland; McAleer, of Pennsylvania;
Thayer, of Massachusetts,, and Underhili.
of New York. In other respects the vote
was on party lines.
After the bill was passed Secretary
Gage issued an elaborate statement In
explanati on of the provisions Of the law.
The preliminary statement Is: The r.
nancial bill has for its first object what its
title indicates. the fixing Of the standard of
value and the MAINTAINING at q parity
with that standard of all forms Of money
issued or coined by the United States.
It reaffirms that the unit of value is the
dollar, consisting of % $40 grains OF gold
nine-tenths fine," but from that point it
goes on to make the duty of the Secretary
Of the Treasury to maintain all forms OF
money issued or coined at parity with
this standard. 1t puts into the hands of the
Secretary ample power to do that. The
methods of operation are then explained in
detail.
In the Senate on March IA Senator
Teller said. in discussing the Porto Rican
+; do hajiaT-e. tn al thp Constitution
is in force in any OF our new possessions
Congress. / believe. is supreme so far a;
the making of legislation for acquired
territory is concerned. OF course, in en-
acting such legislation, CongreSs.i5 bound
1y certain fundamental principles that
Inderlie this free Government.
After careful examination of all Sl-
preme Court authorities, ] have been able
to find only one case that will support
the doctrine that the Constitution goes
of its own vigor into the acquired territory.
My own belief is that we can make
the acquired territory part of the United
States or not. as Congress may see fit
II We do not make il part Of the United
States, / believe we may hold them as
colonies-that We have the same power
to hold them as Great Britain has to hold
colonial possessions.
Mr. Teller did not believe that it was
necessary to make the acquired territory
q part Of the United States in the sense
that it should be regarded and governed
as incipient States OF the Union. Porto
Rico might, he thought, be held under
the sovereignty OF the United States, and
the people, subject 10 our dictation, might
make the laws of the island, and the United
States might determine what the inhab-
itants should or should not do. He found
no legal difficulty in dealing either with the
acquired possessions or their inhabitants.
do not want 10 make Porto Rico and
the Philippines a part of the United States,
and do not want to make their inhabitants
citizens of the United States" said Mr.
Teller.
The tariff question involved in the pend
ing measure. Mr.. Teller said, depended
for solution wholly upon the relation Of
the inhabitants of the islands.to the United
States.
If they were citizens we could not legally
or constitutiOnally levy ii tariff on their
products; if they are not citizens. then
this Government might do as il saw fit
about ieyying a duty on those products.
The latter view raised only question OF
policy.
II Porto Ricans We're not citizens OF
the United States. then they had no right
TO demand that they be given free trade
with us.
In the House. Representative Adamson.
OF Georgia, member Of the Committee on
Interstate and Foreign Commerce, and
intensely interested in the construction of a