New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-03-30
PRICE THREE CENTS.
DEFEAT FOR FREE TRADERS
VOTES WHICH INDICATE PASSAGE OF
THE PUERTO RICAN BILL.
PROPOSITION TO STRIKE OUT THE Is PER
CENT RATES OF DUTY REJECTED
[nr rELEcaAru TO rHE rRlnrvz.I

BY TELEGRAPH TRIBUNE-I
Washington. March 29-The Senate made
some progress with the Puerto Rican bill to-day,
and the votes two amendments proposed ty
Democrats. while not a full test Of the strength
of Jhe opposition TO a tariff between the United
States and Puerto Rico. indicated the passage
of the pending measure by a safe majority and
the defeat of any free trade amendment which
may BE- offered. The first aye and no vote was on
an amendment offered by Seratcr Pettus. of Ala
bama. TO strike out the provision imposing a
duty of > cents pound on coffee imported into
Puerto Rico. and this which rejected
by 13 to 81. all the Republicans present and
voting were recorded IN the negative. On the
other amendment which also offered by
Mr.. PettUs. to strike out the provision which
imposes duties equal to 10 per cent Of the
Dingley rates goods passing between the
ports of the United States and those of Puerto
Rico, in either direction. the result OF the vote
was 16 in the affirmative to 33 in the negative
On this amendment Senator Wellington voted
in the affirmative, and Senators Hoar and simon
were paired the side. Mr.. Hoar with
Mr.. McEnery and Mr. Simon with Mr.. Depew.
Senator Beveridge will not vote or be paired
against the bill. tariff or no tariff. Mr.. Hoar
will not vote or be paired in favor of it with a
tariff, and it is understood that Mr.. Simon oc-
cupies the position. Senator's Beveridge
and Mason were put down paired against
the amendment. the former with Mr. Butler and
the latter with Mr.. Taliaferro. Five Repubn-
Senators did not vote-Messrs. Davis, Nc
Cumber Nelson. Proctor and Thurston. Five
opposition Senators also failed to vote-Messrs.
Allen, Mallory, Stewart TiIlnnan and Vest
None of these paired. or if so the fact
was not made known. Eleven Republican SEN
ators. including Messrs. Beveridge and Mason,
were paired in the negative. together with
Democrat-Senator McEnery-and two Silver
Republicans-Joaes, OF Nevada and Teller. OF
the five Republican Senators not accounted for
by pairs, at least One-1Ir. Thurston-wiu vote
against any free trade amendment. that 1t
would not seem possible for such proposition
to be adopted.
ESTIMATES OF FREE TRADE STRENGTH.
Thus far only three Republicans have been re-
corded in favor of one. either b. votes or pairs.
They are Messrs. Hoar Simon and Wellington.
Adding to them Messrs Beveridge and Mason.
who paired in the negative to-day, and
Davis McCumber Nelson and Proctor all of
whom more less inclined support a
free trade amendment of some sort and the
total Republican opposition TO the tariff is nine
This. together with the entire Demo-
cratic and other opposition. would amount
forty-one votes. leaving a majority against the
shrewdest free trade amendment that could be
devised. This is believed to be the most liberal
estimate of the strength of the free trade oppo-
sition that present indications justify.
The amendment pending. which may be
brought to a vote tomorrow. is designed TO at
tract the support of all Senator'S who in
favor of free trade between Puerto Rico and the
United States without reference to the consti-
tUtiOnal theories involved 1t was prepared by
Senator Lindsay, who agrees with the Repubh-
cans as the constitutional question and who
is an ardent free trader from conviction IL IS a
substitute for amendment drawn by Senator
Bacon with the same design in view, but would
have failed to accomplish it, As 1t is. the free
trade Democrats cannot vote for 1T without in
terms enacting the Dingley tariff provisions so
To protect Puerto Rican industries against
foreign competitiOH-a fact of which Mr. Bacon
was reminded to-day in the course of the debate
on the amendment. The Lindsay-BacOn amend
ment is proposition in lieu of the tariff pro-
visions contained in Sections and 3 of the bill,
and provides for absolute free trade between
Puerto Rican ports and those of the United
States.
SENATOR BEVERIDGE'S SPEECH
Before the amendments were taken up Sena-
tor Beveridge delivered the speech which he
prepared and expected to deliver last week. He
was inspired by the presence of one of the larg-
est audiences of the session. and he spoke with
his usual fire and energy. The effect of the
speech had been somewhat dulled and impaired
by it's pOStpOnement, and in fact. discounted to
considerable extent so far as the Senate itself
concerned II might have been better for
the young Senator to have struck while the iron
hot for both the manner and matter of the
Grafton and the argument were the same as
they would have been last week-the same sin
Cerity of conviction and purpose. the same lucid
exposition of his views. and the same oTatorical
attractiveness. The best portion of the speech
probably that devoted 10 the discussion of
the powers and duties of Congress in dealing
with the territorial acquisitions, in which
he skilfully laid bare the hopes and purposes Of
the anti-eXpanSiOnistS. His only criticism of
the pending measure on the ground of
pedency, and Senators could hardly have been
surprised when he declared that he would sup
port the measure. even if the tariff provisions
should be retained. because il long step
in the right direction, and moreover because IL
provided for the early removal of all trade re-
strictiOns commerce between the United
States and Puerto Rico.