The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-03-13
REPUBLICANS CANNOT AGREE.
DIFFERENCE OF OPINION ON PoRTo
RICO PROBLEM.

Something or He VIII Put in a Biil
to Make Porto Rico IA Territory.
He Wants the Revenues From the
Island Used for Its Benefit-NO Defi-
mite Conclusions Reached.
Washington, March 12.-The Senate
chamber and adjoining committee rooms
to-day were the scene of a sharp conflict
of opinion of Republican senators that
found no place in the Congressional Re-
cord.
Some senators hold that legislation for
Porto Rico for the present at least, should
bo confined TO providing for the imme-
diate needs of the inhabitants OF Porto
Rico and not include efforts to establish
a form of government. Their idea Is to
leave the island in the control Of the war
department.
Senator Foraker. I'm charge of the pend
| ing bill, declared that IL the proposition
of inactivity was persisted in. he would
not only drop the bill now before the Sen
ate entirely, but would introduce as a
substitute for II a measure providing for
the organization CT the island as a terri
tory inclrd ng establishing complete free
trade between the island and the United
| States proper.
His further purpose, as he outlined 1t,
was to introduce it as an amendment to
the bill passed by the House and now
pending in che Senate, appropriating the
revenues collected from the island for use
of the people of the island.
When the purpose of Mr. Foraker be-
came generally known, -lere We're many
tlA
con leaders, and thee Ohio senator was
immedia tely besleged by Republicans of
all shades of belief on Porto Rican policy.
While several of them supported his prop
| osition as a wise one, many others con-
tended against 1t as calculated to COM
init the country to a course which might
be more easily repented of than remedied.
They held II would be easier in the fu-
ture to change from a present policy of
imposing a tariff to free trade, than il
would be TO change from free trade TO
tariff.
Many Want the Present BdII.
The conservatives hold out for the pres
ent bill. Senator Foraker himself is we'd
ded to the bill under consideration, and
after comforting with most of the Re-
publican senators decided to allow matters
to drift for few days.
After the Senate adjourned a number Of
senators held an informal conference In
Senator Allison's rooms, but they declared
with one accord that no definite CONCLUSION
had been reached as to line of policy
to be pursued with reference to Porto
Rico. All admitted that the conference
was devoted to an effort to secure har-
mony.
The most definite statement that could
be obtained was that Mr. Foraker had
consented to attempt to amend the pend
ing bill so as to make it conform, il pos
sible, to the conflicting views of the various
interests. This. II was ntimated, was to
be done by providing a movable scale of
duties.
Senator Foraker said tonight that moth
ing in the territorial proposition would
be attempted for several days at any rate.
| Some of the members of the House have
been advised of the various plans under
| consideration. Representative Moody of
Massachusetts, who took an active part
in the House debate. said the proposition
up to yesterday was to com blne the
House bill, che 100000 appropriation
measure and a territorial bill, doing away
with the duties on gooNs entering Porto
Rico and retaining the Is per cent rate
on goods entering the United States from
| Porto Rico. He expressed surprise and
some doubt as 90 the Senate abandoning
the tariff feature entirely, although he
said there was no doubt that such
change If made by the Senate, would be
accepted by the House.
Representative Cooper. chairman of the
Insular Committee, and Mr.. Crumpacker
of Indiana, concurred with Mr.. Moody
that the changed temper of the House
would lead TO the acceptance of n free
trade amendment If the Senate made it.
Messrs. Cooper, Crumpacker and Moody
were engaged throughout to-day in per-
fecting the bill for territorial form of
government for Porto Rico sswhich is to
be submitted to the 1nsular Committee in
few days.