The sun., 1900-04-04
THE PORTO RlCAN BILL
Closing Words of the Debate In the
Senate. .--..
A SPEECH BY MR.. MASON.
Maintains Congress Has No More
Right to Tax Islands Products
Than Commerce Between New
York and Washington. .sse

Washington, April 3.--After some mi
nor business had been transacted Mr..
Mason ulls) addressed the senate His
speech was not confined to the Porto
Rican measure, but included in its scope
all the problems attendant upon the con-
troll and government of our insular pos
sessions. Mr.. Mason resented as cow
ardly and unjust any reflection upon his
patriotism and his love for the flag be-
cause of his opinions regarding the Phil
ippines. He declared that if it was trea-
son to oppose war of conquest, to lift
unjust taxation, to confer upon a strug-
Cling people the blessings of liberty, to
protect the laboring men and women of
this country, then he was guilty.
Adverting at this point to Porto Rico,
he maintained that when the treaty of
Paris was ratified the island became a
part of the United States, and congress
had no more right to put duty on her
products than it had to put Il tariff duty
| on products passing between New York
and Washington
Unless you can get the supreme court
to stultify and reverse itsclf,n said Mr..
Mason, there is but one way to levy
tariff upon the people of the United
States to prevent their trade with the
rest of the United States. You must
amend the constitution to do it, You
must strike out that clause of the con
! stitution which says all duties must be
uniform. l beg you TO count the cost Of
such an amendment"
| He spoke in favor of the resolution of
/ Mr.. Wellington, which offers indepcnd-
ence to the Filipinos, and against the
bill proposed by Mr.. Spooner (Wis.), CON
| ferring authority upon the president to
| govern the Philippines until congress
should otherwise direct. Incidentally, he
opposed the tariff proposed to be placed
on Porto Rican products. He was OPP
posed to holding the Philippines, "bc-
cause under the law of nations we have
not title and never can have complete
title except by conquest of the inhab-
itants. ! do not wish the 100000 Fill
| pinos for citizens. | do not wish them
| for slaves. If we govern them, they
must either be citizen or serf. Whether
| they labor as our citizens and equal be-
| fore the law or whether they labor as our
| political slaves, their labor competes
| with the labor of our country, and | am
| opposed to that. ! am for expansion. |
! voted for the annexation of Hawaii. hut
would never have sent G5000 men there
to compel them TO accept our flag. In
other words, am against taking any
territory by conquest against friendly
people and against taking any territory
that brings a cheap class of labor in free
and open competition with the class of
mon and women who do the labor in this
country.
81 cannot say to Europe. that is wholly
foreign and alien. You may deliver the
product Of Your labor here upon the pay,
9 q Al
and then say to the Porto Rican. You
arc 81 per cent American ami II pei
cent alien, and you must pay your pro
rata share Of an impost duty
wholly or Not at .ilI.
"Thcrc is no such thing rs IN s. pei
| cent annexation. The people Of pofto
Rico arc either our people 100 per cent oil
they are 100 per cent not our people,"
Mr.. Mason presented what he main
tanned was the good faith of the govern.
ment of the United States. The people
of Porto Rico had been promised by
General Miles and, at least in an implied
way. by others that they should enjoy
all the immunites and blessings of ouI
free government. These promises. he
held. the people would demand should be
kept.
|
speech Mr.. Culberson (Tex.) addressed
the senate in opposition to the pending
| bill. 1t was his first speech in the sen.
ate, and he was given an attentive hear.
ing, particularly by his Democratic col
leagues. He declared that the pending
| measure, so far at least as the tariff
provision was concerned, was "indefensi
BILE on moral, economic and constitutional
grounds"
When the house met, Mr.. Cooper
(Wis.), chairman of the committee on in
sular affairs, asked unanimous consent
for the consideration of the bill to author
ize the secretary. Of the treasury to desig
nate government repositories in Porto
Rico, Cuba and the Philippines. Mr.
Brewer (Ala.) objected.
A bill was passed to allow men who
served during the Spanish war or the
Philippine insurrection in the army, navy
or marine corps who enter lands under
the homestead act to deduct the time of
such service from the period required to
perfect title
Under the special order made some
time ago the house went into committee
of the whole to consider the Hawaiian
civil government bill. Under the order
the debate is to last until Thursday, on
which day at 4 o'clock the vote is to be
taken.
Mr.. Knox (Mass.1, chairman of the
committee on territories, who was in
charge of the measure, spoke in support
of it. Mr.. Knox said in part:
'"rhe duty is immediate and plain to
provide a government for this new terri
tory of the United States. framed to meet
the needs of the Hawaiian people, not Of
another people.
mo questions of general policy toward
other insular possessions should have
weight. Justice to Hawaii cannot be
: done except when her own needs, her
own capabilities and her own rights are
: fully regarded.
mo constitutional questions are in
volved in the present consideration Of 4
government for Hawaii. Tho spirit Of
the Declaration of Independence as well
as that of the constitution goes with the
present measure, for it is with the con-
sent of the governed"
Flour Trust Receivership.
Jersey City, April 3.-An order has