VOL. XL NO. 12,234. PORTLAND, OBEGON, TUESDAY, FEBEUARY 27, 1900. PRICE FIVE CEOTSl
AWT SIZE. AXY QUANTITY.
MACKINTOSHES, RUBBER AND OIL CLOTHING
oodyear Ru
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Largest and meat eemnlete assortment of all kinds of Rubber Goods.
R. H. PEASE. Vkc-Prcs. and Manager
THE MOST COMPLETE STOCK OF
Photograp
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Newest, Best and Up-to-Date Goods Only.
Agents for Volgtlaender Collinear Lenses.
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Furs! Furs! Furs!
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HOTEL PERKINS
Fifth and Washington Streets . . PORTLAND, OREGON
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FRONT AND MORRISON STREETS
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American and European Plan.
Its valHe ia
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and. jprwned.
pure
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BERNHEIM BROS.
Owners ana Controllers
rtjSuuHF
THB
Portland Seed Company
ARE aOW
COR. FRONT AND
Farmorly ea Second St., between Morrison and Yamhill.
THE
PIANOLA
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by means of which
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that It must be seen
to be appreciated.
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TrlE AEOLIAN CO.
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KNOWLEDGE IS FOLLY UNLESS PUT
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SAPOLIO
THEN
AMY STYLE.
bber Company
73 and 75 first St, Portland. Or.
126 SECOND ST., near Washington.
Established 1870.
Single rooms 75e.to $1.50 per day
Double rooms $1.00 to $2.00 per day
C T. BELCHER, Sec. and Treas.
American
European
plan
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. 50c. 75c. $1.00
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Sole Distributor for Oregon
AT LOW PRICES
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PORTLAND WIRE & IRON WORKS
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WALTER REED
Bye Specialist
133 SIXTH STREET
OREGOXIAN BUIUJIxa
USE IT.
CRONJEGIVESUP
Surrenders His Army Un
conditionally. WAR OFFICE ANNOUNCES IT
Boers Are Concentrating
Defend Bloemfontein.
to
LARGE FORCE TO RESIST ROBERTS
Stubborn Defense nt Fnardebergr Wai
to Bnable Scattered Bonds to Col
lect at tbe Capital.
LONDON, Feb. 27. The "War Office has
received the following dispatch from Lord
Roberts:
"Paardeberg, Feb. 27, 7:45 A. M. General
Cronje and all of his force capitulated,
unconditionally, at daylight, and Is now a
prisoner In my camp. The strength of his
force will be communicated later. I hope
that Her Majesty's Governmnt will con
sider this event satisfactory, occurring as
It does on the anniversary of Majuba."
MASSING AN ARMY.
Boers
Concentrating nt Bloemfon
tein.
LONDON, Feb. 27, 4:20 A. ML The Boers
are assembling an army near Bloemfon
tein, with which to dispute the invasion
of Lord Roberts.
This intelligence comes from Pretoria by
way of Lourenco Marques. The com
mandos are described as "hastening from
all quarters of the two Republics." No
estimate is madeof their numbers, but
the withdrawal of the Boers from most of
The places where they have been in contact
with the British, except the district near
Ladysmlth, may raise the resisting force
to 30.CO0 men. This figure assumes that
the Boers have between 60,000 and 70,000
men in the field.
The gathering of this army across the
oath of TLiord Roberts irfves sicnlflcance to
General "C3ifi&s stSu?a8tSefense He
has engaged the corps of Lord Roberts
for 10 daysr and has given time for the
dispersed Boer factions to get together and
to prepare positions to receive the advance
of the British when Lord Roberts moves
forward.
General Buller Saturday faced the last
and strongest position of the Boers who
bar his way to Ladysmlth. The strenu
ous fighting indicates a battle between
armies, rather than rear-guard actions
protecting a retreat. Thursday and Fri
day he lost 43 officers killed and wounded,
representing probably a total loss of from
400 to 500.
General White's guns worked Saturday
upon the Boer positions, and a hellogram
from Ladysmlth reported that the Boers
were retreating, and that larger rations
were being issued, in view of the fact that
relief was at hand.
Nothing has been heard from Mafeklng
since February 12.
The movement on the veldt away from
the railway is becoming increasingly dif
ficult for large bodies of troops, as the
grass is burned up. General French has
to wagon forage for his horses, and even
the Infantry finds the long marches harder
than before, as forage for the transport
animals must be carried. This requires
the formation of garrisoned depots.
The ordinary campaigning season Is over
and the sickly season for both men and
animals has set In. Technical military
writers take these things Into considera
tion in forecasting events.
The Daily Chronicle says it learns from
private letters that British rifles and am
munition have been landed on the south
ern coast of Cape Colony, presumably for
the Dutch colonists.
Lord Roberts has recently received 72
additional pieces of artillery. Whether
all have been sent to Paardeberg is not
known.
Probably the Eighth division will leave
England next Monday.
DEFENSE OF BLOEMFONTEIN.
Reinforcements Are Arrivins
From
All Parts.
LONDON, Feb. 26. A dispatch to the
Daily News from Lourenco Marques,
dated Friday, February 23, says:
"It is reported here that 5000 burghers
have left Ladysmlth for the Free State.
The Boers are concentrating their forces
30 miles outside of Bloemfontein, and the
Free State government Is moving to Wln
burg. Reinforcements from all parts are
passing through Bloemfontein hourly.
President Steyn has telegraphed President
Kruger that Lord Roberts is within a few
hours of Bloemfontein, and he urges that
every male, irrespective of nationality,
should be commandeered. President Steyn
Is said to favor peace.
"The Boer General who was in com
mand at Colenso sent a message to Presi
dent Kruger, saying that he had been
smashed up there, and recommending
overtures for peace. The burghers at
Mafeklng are also reported to have sent
word to Kruger that they would rather
defend their own farms than fight else
where. "The Pretoria government is paying its
debts with bar gold, the English profes
sional coiners having refused to work.
Understanding how Continental share
holders are affected by the closing of the
Robinson Bank. President Kruger allowed
the institution to reopen."
LORD. ROBERTS' HUMANITY.
The Boers Are at Hi Mercy, but He Is
Treating Them Considerately.
LONDON, Feb. 26. The Dally Mall has
the following dispatch from Paardeberg,
dated Sunday:
"There are about 4003 beleaguered in
General Cronje' s camp, exclusive of the
losses he has hitherto sustained. His
wife is not with him, although there are
women and children in the camp. The
Boer position is now almost exclusively
confined to the river bed. The enemy are
entirely at our mercy, but Lord Roberts
Is treating them with great consideration,
from motives of humanity."
A dispatch to th Dally Chronicle, from
Paardeberg. dated Friday, February 23,
says:
"General Cronje'a attempt to mount
guns -was frustrated by our artillery."
A dispatch from Paardeberg, dated Fri
day, to the Times, says that several thou
sand Boers are hovering in that neighborhood.
BULLER'S ADVANCE.
Boers Offer Stubborn Opposition
British Looses Heavy.
LONDON, Feb. 27. Winston Churchill,
in a dlspatqh to the Morning Post from
Frere Camp, dated Sunday, says:
"The Idea ihat the Boers are raising the
siege of Ladysmlth Is premature. The ad
vance is being pursued in the face of the
most stubborn opposition and of heavy
loss. President Kruger"s grandson is
among the Boers killed."
Mr. Churchill then proceeds to describe
the heavy fighting last Friday, in which
the Inniskilllngs approached within 500
yards of the summit of a rocky Boer posi
tion, and then gallantly charged In the
face of a hall of bullets. He says:
"After repeated attempts, however, and
having lost heavily, they recognized that
they were unable to prevail. Nevertheless,
they refused to retreat, but law down on
the slope, behind a shelter of walls. The
Connaughts and the Dublin Fusiliers were
sent to their support, but the light faded,
and the night closed In before the main
attack had developed."
Spencer Wilkinson's article In the Morn
ing Po3t today is almost wholly devoted to
criticism of General Buller's apparently
mistaken tactics in sending small forces
to take positions, and then reinforcing
these by details, as revealed in the dis
patch from Winston Churchill. Mr. Wil
kinson admits, however, that Mr. Church
ill's advices are too Incomplete to enable
a correct idea to be formed, since his dis
patch breaks off in the middle, leaving the
battle unfinished.
The Times has the following from Pleter
marltzburg, dated Friday, February 23:
"The Dublin Fusiliers again distinguished
themselves by volunteering to take Groeb
ler's Kloof, which they did. This gallant
battalion, which began the campaign S50
strong, can today be said to muster on
parade only between 100 and 200 of Its orig
inal members."
CECIL RHODES' SPEECH.
Profits of tbe De Beers Company and
Cause of tbe War.
KIMBERLBY, Saturday, Feb. 24. Cecil
Rhodes, presiding at a meeting of the De
Beers Company, delivered a speech which
was received with enthusiasm. After an
nouncing that the year's profits of the
De Beers Company amounted to 2,000,000
he spoke of the Chartered Company's
transaction with the De Beers, and said
that the shareholders were divided into
two classes Imaginative and unimagina
tive. The former, he said, passed then
lives filling money-bags that are dissipated
by their offsprings on wine, women and
horses. To the latter class he stated that
the transactions of the Chartered Com
pany had closed satisfactorily, as the De
Beers Company owned all the diamonds
wherever its charter existed. To the
imaginary he drew an eloquent picture of
theso mines 1C0 years hence as mirroring
Europeaa civilization in the far south.
"The latter," he said, "feel a glow of
LaiLlf5
uiciioc ihmk lanuu uvui mc-Buii Mure
not been merely devoted to the decora
tion of the fair sex."
Speaking of the war, he considered It a
puzzle why It had arisen. The Transvaal
and Free State "were not republics, he de
clared, but oligarchies, and had been long
conspiring to seize British South Africa.
Each government was simply a small po
litical gang, who humbugged the poor
Dutch, appealing to their patriotism and
dividing: the spoils among their coteries.
The Afrikander has been working 20 years
for independence. He said that ex-President
Reltz, of the Orange Free State, had
years ago avowed that his only ambition
In life was to drive England out of Africa.
Afrikander Intriguing.
"LONDON, Feb. 27. The Brussels cor
respondent of the Daily Mall sayst
"As a result of special inquiries In Boer
circles here I am able to corrobate fully
the reported danger from the intrigues
of the Afrikanderbund and the coming
Congress. Unless the ends of the Bund
are otherwise attained, it will fan the
flame of rebellion throughout the colony."
Canadians Arrive at the Cape.
CAPE TOWN, Feb. 26. The Canadian
transport Pomeranian, from Halifax, Jan
uary 23, with another contingent of Cana
dian troops, on board, has arrived here.
The Boers are concentrating to defend
Bloemfontein.
Lord Rosslyn, who has obtained a com
mission In the Tborneycroft Horse, has
gone to Join Sir Redvers Buller.
Native Chief Attacked Bo era.
. LOURENCO MARQUES, Monday, Feb.
26. A dispatch from Gaberones, dated
Thursday, February 22, says:
"Chief Llnchwo has reported that he
made reprisals from the Boers near Sek
wani, killing a few men and capturing sev
eral wagons and oxen. There were some
casualties on both sides."
SITUATION IN KENTUCKY.
Democratic Contestants for Minor
Stnte Offices Given Certificates.
FRANKFORT, Ky., Feb. 26. The State
Contest Board this afternoon awarded cer
tificates of election to all the Democratic
contestants for minor State offices. Im
mediately afterward the contestants were
sworn in' and repaired to the Statehouse
in a body, where they made a formal de
mand on the Republican Incumbents for
possession of the offices, but the demands
were not acceded to. Clerk of the Court
of Appeals Shackelford administered the
oath of office to all the contestants for
office other than Governor and Lieutenant-Governor.
Immediately after the swearing in of
the Democratic officials, injunction suits
were filed by each of the new officials,
seeking to oust the present Incumbents
(from office and enjoining them from ex-
ercising
the rights, duties and preroga
tives now appertaining thereto. The in
stallation of the Democratic officials will
have the effect of tying up tightly every
branch of the State Government pend
ing a decision of al the contests by the
courts. From now until then the State
will be practically without a State Gov
ernment. 8
Knot Will Transfer His Flag.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 26. Admiral
Kautz is expected to arrive at San Fran
cisco on his flagship, the Iowa, about
March 20. He Is now in Mexican waters
engaged in annual maneuvers and drill.
At San Francisco he will transfer his flag
to the Philadelphia, and the Iowa will be
sent to Bremerton naval station, on Puget
Sound, to be docked.
o
British "Warship at San Francisco.
SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 23. The Brit
ish warship Icarus steamed into the har
bor yesterday, saluting the forts as she
passed up the bay, and dropped anchor.
The Icarus Is on the way to Esqulmalt,
where she is to be given an overhauling
before she joins the North Pacific squadron,
Agreement Reached on Tariff
for Puerto Rico.
PRESIDENT WANTS IT TO PASS
Duty Reduced to 15 Per Cent of the
Usual Rate Operation of the BUI
Two Tears.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 26. At the confer
ence of House Republicans tonight on the
"Puerto Rican tariff bill, assurances were
given that the President believed the
measure Constitutional and would approve
it if it came to him, and an agreement
was reached to limit the operatlou of the
bill to two years and to reduce the duty
Imposed by it from 25 to 15 per cent of
the American tariff. As a result, the Re
publican leaders claim that the bill will
have the support of all the Republicans
except four McCall (Mass.), Llttlefield
(Me.), Lorimer (111.) and Crumpacker
(IndJ, and that this loss will be offset
by affirmative votes of the opposition.
They claim the passage of the modified
bill Is certain.
After the conference adjourned at 11
o'clock, Chairman Cannon gave out the
following statement of the amendments
agreed upon by the conference:
"The conference requested the ways and
means committee to offer amendments to
the bill as follows: Amend the title to
make it 'an act temporarily to provide
revenue for the island of Puerto Rico and
for other purposes,' and to add the fol
lowing section: This act shall be taken
and held to be provisional In its purposss.
intended to meet a pressing, present need
for revenue for the Island of Puerto Rico,
and is not to continue in force after
March 1. 1902 These amendments were
adopted with practical unanimity. An-
other to reduce the duty Imposed by the
act from 25 to 15 per cent was adopted
by a vote of 105 to 1L A further amend
ment Is to be offered by the ways and
means committee to make It clear that
no double duty is imposed; that the pay
ment of one Internal revenue tax is the
total tax on importations."
About 125 Republican members attend
ed tonight's conference, which was held in
the hall of the House of Representatives.
The members had been In consultation
during the day discussing plans for allay
ing the opposition to the bill and bringing
the recalcitrants into line. So much had
been made by the kickers of the alleged
opposition of the President to the meas
ure that the managers were particularly
desirous of being able to offer some as
surances that would remove all objections
to the measure on that score, and th!s
afternoon the Republican members of the
ways and means committee, with the ex
ception of McCall, the Massachusetts
dissenter, called on the President at the
White House.
The Republican members of the ways
and means committee, with Speaker Hen
derson, remained at the caD'tol canvass
Jm -ffie, sjtuatjfin. during the Interim bj-
i -, a .,, v rTT
V J WVUV (hiiU LUG OCDCIUUUllf, VL iuc tuu
ference at 8 o clock.
Chairman Cannon presided over the
caucus. As soon as It had been called to
order, Payne, the floor leader, submitted
two amendments, changing the title of the
bill and limiting its operations to March
1, 1902.
General Shattuc opened the proceedings
with a plain statement to the effect that
he was willing to defer his opinion In this
matter to the wishes of the President, al
though he was convinced that his constit
uents favored free trade with Puerto Rico.
He demanded to know, however, and he
wanted no equivocation about It, whether
the President believed the bill was consti
tutional and whether he favored the
measure. If he did not, Shattuc an
nounced that ho would) not be bound by
the aotion of the conference.
This brought Payne to his feet. He
said he had seen the President this after
noon, and he announced emphatically that
the President was convinced that the bill
was constitutional, and that he would sign
the bill. Corliss backed up Payne with
the statement that he had seen the Presi
dent since the House adjourned, and that
the President desired the bill to pass.
Grow, the venerable ex-Speaker of the
House, said that the amendments pro
posed made the bill an emergency meas
ure, against which the question of con
stitutionality ought not to be raised, and
Marsh earnestly appealed to the recalci
trants to rally around the Republican
standard and bury their dissensions.
This drew statements from McCall and
Llttlefield, the two leaders of the Repub
llacn revolt. Both spoke In good temper,
but abated not one jot of their individual
opposition to the measure. McCall said
that the modifications offered and the as
surance from the President might remova
the objections of those who had opposed
the bill on the ground of expediency, but
his objections, going deeper, to the con
stitutional question, could not be assuaged
by any such amendments. He should, he
announced, vote against the bill. Little
field's speech was along the same lines
He, too, he said, must oppose the bill.
H. C. Smith then offered an amendment
to reduce the duty Imposed by the bill
from 25 to 15 per cent. Powers, who wa
one of the objectors, then announced his
willingness to vote for the bill. The tlm
limit placed upon It, he said, did not re
move his objections, but he said he wa
willing that the bill should become a law
In order that Its constitutionality might
be tested, so as to clear the way for the
future disposition of the broader ques
tions relating to the Philippines.
Speaker Henderson and Chairman Payne
wound up the speechmaklng with elo
quent appeals for harmony and united ac
tion In the face of the enemy. The
speeches aroused great enthusiasm.
Speaker Henderson concluded:
"This bill should pass. I say to you
tonight, put on your armor and sing
glory hallelujah."
Payne adjured his colleagues to stand
shoulder to shoulder and to vote "solid
ly." The amendments offered were then
adopted and the conference adjourned.
McCall said after the conference that
he still believed the bill would be de
feated. "It will be a tight squeeze, any
way," said he. Cannon said that the bill
was misunderstood, that it was in fact a
bill for the Immediate relief of the Puerto
Ricans by providing them an equitable
means of raising $1,600,000 annually in
an emergency.
BONDS GO UP.
Government Securities Reach a High
Price In Hew York.
NEW YORK, Feb. 26. Government
bonds went up a few points today, and the
price of 4s of 1907 and 1925, with the 5 per
cent bonds, reached a higher level than
any touched last year. The demand was
ascribed to the belief of Individuals and
1 corporations that there will be unusual
call-for the bonds when the refunding law
goes into effect, and the banks are allowed
to Issue circulation up to the par value of
the bonds. The 4 per cents of 1925 reached
J today the highest price to their history,
and the 43 of 1907 the highest since 131,
when the Government was baying bonds
heavily. Part of the heavy borrowing-
from the banks has been attributed to op
erations with a view to this future de
mand, and some of the banks have
made purchases for the purpose.
B
PENNSYLVANIA TOWN ON FIRE
Water Pipes Frozen and Flames
Could Not Be Controlled.
PITTSBURG. Feb. 27. At 1 o'clock this
(Tuesday) morning Are was discovered In
Wilson's billiard-hall. Main street. Clari
on, Pa., and in a short time an entire
block of business buildings was destroyed.
The loss is estimated at $150,600. Judge
W. W. Barr, the oldest inhabitant and a
prominent politician, dropped dead from
excitement The water pipes are frozen.
At 4 o'clock thfe morning, the fire was
still raging, anTJ not under control. Snow
was being piled up in huge piles, and
teams were used to cart it to the scene
of the fire. Huge bonfires were lit at all
fire plugs, but at late reports the water
had not thawed out. The nearest town
Is Edenburg, 10 miles away, and there is
no possibility of getting help there.
Chlcagro Summer Resort Burned.
CHICAGO, Feb. 26. Franz Thlelmann's
summer garden, with its palm house,
stage and other buildings, and the broad
sweep of water pavilion threading the
edge of the lake, the breathing spot for
thousands of merry-making folk through
out -the summer evenings, burned early
today. The loss was $50,000; insurance,
$6000.
Montreal Theater Fire.
MONTREAL, Feb. 26. The Theater
Francals and nearly the entire block on
St. Catherine street, between St. Domin
ique and Cadioux streets, was burned this
morning. Five business properties wera
destroy od besides the theater. Loss is
about $100,00).
English Theater Burned.
LONDON, Feb. 26. The Grand Theater,
Islington, where Henry Irving and othet
actors have been in the habit of beginning
provincial tours, was gutted by Are this
morning. Arson is suspected. Tbe the
atrical wardrobes and properties were lost
o
JONES ON THE ISSUES-
Democracy Will Oppose Imperialism
as for Silver, He Says Little.
ST. LOUIS. Feb. 26. Senator James K.
Jones, Chairman of the Democratic Na
tional Committee, who Is In the city for
a few days, submitted to an Interview
with the Post-Dispatch today. When
asked what would be the position of the
Democratic party on the issue of ex
pansion in the coming campaign, Senator
Jones- said:
"The Democratic party will be opposed
to Imperialism, and by that I mean the
acquisition of territory remote from this
country, and its government, either as a
part of the United States or as colonies.
The Democratic party has always favored
the extension of our commerce, while the
Republican party, by Its protective pol
icy, has always opposed and discouraged
It. The Democratic party will con-tlnjjftrfa
'favoi? every legitimate means of expand--ing
and extending the commerce of the
United States."
"Will silver be as important an issue as
It was in the campaign of 1S86?" he was
asked.
"If you will come to me about Novem
ber 15 next. I will be better Informed on
that point," answered the Senator.
"Do you think silver has paled any a3
an issue before the American people?"
"You "know as much about that as I do.
Conventions and platforms do not make
issues. The wishes and opinions of voters
make them. The Democratic party 13 the
party of blmetallsm, and its declaration
in the next platform on this question will
be as strong as it was in 1896. But wheth
er silver, opposition to trusts, or Imperial
ism will claim the most attention from the
people Is something I cannot tell you."
a
FLOUR TRUST COLLAPSES.
Three Receivers Appointed for the
Company.
MILWAUKEE, Febl 26. The United
States Milling Company, generally known
as the Flour Trust, collapsed Saturday
afternoon, but the fact did not become
known until today, when Judge Jenkins, in
proceedings ancillary to the United States
Court of New Jersey, appointed three re
ceivers for the company, two of whom are
now In charge of the property. The re
ceivers are Daniel Thomas, of New York;
Charles E. Kimball, of Summit, N. J. and
Albert C. Loring, of Minneapolis. The col
lapse of the company was due, it is said,
to inability to float Its securities on tho
open market.
NEWYORK, Feb. 26. The United States
Milling Company was organized last May,
with 16 mills in the principal milling cities
of the country. Last year the bonds of
the company took a tumble, and it was
found that the company could not go on
under Its then management. To add to
the complexities, the Hecker-Jones-Jewell
Company stockholders, who had come Into
the consolidation some time ago, brought
a suit looking to withdrawal.
"This appointment of a receiver," said
George Ballou, secretary of the reorgan
ization committee, "was asked for by
stockholders, and was forced upon us
by creditors, but has been carried through
with the consent of the committee. It was
inevitable, but the best thing to do. It will
help on the reorganization. It will force
stockholders who have been hanging out
lnco the reorganization. The committee
will now go In and carry out Its scheme
of reorganization to the end without
trouble."
a
A Carnegie Suit Begun.
PITTSBURG, Feb. 26. John Walker,
guardian, Andrew Carnegie Wilson, S.
L. Schoonmaker and John Pontefract, on
behalf of themselves and such other stock
holders of the H. C. Frick Company as
may choose to join In the suit as plain
tiffs, filed the much-talked-of bill in equity
to annul the contract with the Coke Com
pany by the Carnegie Steel Company,
Ltd., in Common Pleas Court No. 2 late
this afternoon. The action is remotely
connected with the trouble now existing
between H. C. Frick, ex-chairman of the
Carnegie Steel Company, Ltd., and An
drew Carnegie, and was precipitated by
the filing of Mr. Frick's bill In equity In
Common Pleas Court No. 1 to secure an
accounting of the affairs of the Carnegie
Steel Company, Ltd.
a
New Orleans Mardi Gras.
NEW ORLEANS, Feb. 26. In the pres
ence of an Immense assemblage on the
river front, Rex, King of the Carnival,
made his entry into the City today. After
the Marine parade, a pageant filed through
the business district. At the City Hall
the King received the keys of tbe munici
pality. o a
Railroad. President Dead.
SAVANNAH, Ga., Feb. 26. President H.
W. Comer, of the Central Railroad of
Georgia, died here today. He had been
J ill for some time.
THE TARIFF MUDM.E
RepublicanLeaderski thctHousc
Blamed for IX.
STORM OP OPPOSITION RAISED
Canal
Senate
Legislation Delayed by tae
Democrats Wast t G&aage
the Convention Date.
WASHINGTON. Feb. M. If tbe Puerto
Rleaa hffi Is defeated la the Bouco. K
will be simply because of the iimwar la
which it to presented and Is better handled
by the majority of tbe ways and mean
committee.
The offer to reduce tbe tariff to IK per
cent is such a bald-propeeitton that efftry
body understands now that the desire la
simply to retain the right of tha United
States to tax colonies, so that a tariff may
be levied on Philippine products and on
Cuba's sugar and tobacco If that Island
should ever be annexed. The only valid
excuse for having a tariff between -Puerto
Rico and the United States was that the
revenue to be raised was needed for the
island, and this falls when only 16 per
cent of the present duties are to be ex
acted. In the face of the often-repeated
declarations that the president wants the
Puerto Rican bill passed, there Is sent
today by the Secretary of War an argu
ment by General Davis hi favor of abso
lute free trade. Thus the official action
of the President ha bis message, and of
other men connected with the Adminis
tration, controverts the assertions of
those who are pushing the measure hi the
House.
The proposed 16 per eent reduction, as
cheap as It is, seems to have caught a
number of members of the House who
opposed the Puerto Rican bill, but H has
disgusted some others because of the
very transparent fact that all that to aow
desired is to maintain the principle of
protection.
There never was sueh a muddle in Con
gress in many years as has occurred from
this Puerto Rican bill, nor has any action
ever been taken by the party which has
raised such a storm of opposition through
the country, and threatened the success
of the party In the Presidential and Con
gressional elections Some of the shrewd
er politicians, especially those In the Sen
ate, who have been viewing the curious
situation of the House, are wondering
where the political sense of the leaders
of the party has gone Men are amaaed
that, in view of the fact that the Presi
dent recommended free trade, and the
chairman of the commltte on ways and
means offered a bill for free trade, this
committee should then report a tariff bill
and try to put it through under party
whip and spur Why the political Pan
dora's box should be opened on the thresh
old of an Important campaign is one of
the things that cannot be understood.
A very direwd observer said today that
the mistake of the ways and means com
mittee was that It fortcot that Reed was
no kjogasjpeaker. and that independent
members could not b whipped fato tee as
ln"f?B3r MmaD. Th halftiC' hv-jnpje gmt
eral that no sueh attl as thfc would have
been reported if Reed had been managing
the House.
Canal Legislation Delayed.
The Interest of tbe Administration in
favor of the ratification of the Hay
Pauncefote treaty. In order that the canal
might be built, is as strong as ever, but
a careful investigation of the situation in
the Senate Indicates that little or noth
ing is being done or will be done looking
to putting the treaty through, for fear
that some one will shout "British-American
alliance." Meanwhile, the canal bill
stops because any attempt to put It
through before some action is taken on
the treaty will be resisted. It is well
known that England has no objection to
tne fortification of the anal by tbe United
States, and would probably say so, but
it Is also well understood that if England
made any such declaration, every Conti
nental power would object. A neutral
canal seems to be the only solution, for
an independent one, owned and fortified
by the United States, would get the gov
ernment into a great many complications.
The statesmen of Great Britain know
what every person should know, that the
canal is for the strongest fleet la ease
of war.
Democrats Are Dissatisfied.
The selection of July 4 for the Demo
cratic convention has not resulted In the
establishment of harmony, and already ef
forts are on foot to have the date changed.
It is understood that Bryan's friends think
a great mistake was made to have it so
long after 'the Populist convention, as
the Populists will be insisting upon his
accepting their nomination, and he will
have no valid excuse for postponing it
from the middle of May till tbe 4th of
July.
It Is also feared that the Republicans
may steal some of the Democratic thun
der in the declarations they make, but
way down deep is the same suspicion of
Gorman that the Democrats had during
the last campaign, when they would not
allow him to have any views In the man
agement of tbe party. They fear that
he fixed the latter date in order to give
the Republicans some advantage. The
Bryan men do not believe that Gorman
wants to see Bryan elected, but hopes to
take advantage of the Democratic slaugh
ter In the coming fall to reorganise the
party according to his own views.
Complaints are being made of the man
Lentz, who undertook to speak for the
Germans, and said, among other things,
that he knew efforts were being made by
the Republicans to buy up the German pa
pers, and in order to circumvent this the
convention should go to Milwaukee, which
would head tbe German papers m line.
Of course, the leaders of the party recog
nize that Lentz is an as, and they were
not responsible for him, but tbe Demo
cratic papers have been obliged to do
considerable explaining of that speech
since the adjournment of the committee.
Of course, these are minor matters com
pared to the mosey question, but It shows
the. Democracy has seme annoyances in
getting into the campaign, as wen aa the
Republicans.
Orea-oa Bills.
Representative Tongue has introduced a
bill extending the privilege of bounty land
to persons who served in the Indian Wars
subsequent to March 3, MSB. which de
signed especially to reach the veterans of
the Indian wars of Oregon and Wash
ington. It was recently erroneously announced
in these dlspatebes that Representative
Moody had introduced a bill for the Port
land assay office. This bill was intro
duced by Representative Tongue.
Senator McBride today offered an
amendment to the Indian btlf, appropriat
ing $204,808 for the payment of the Ump
qua, Coos and Siuslaw Indians of Oregon
who surrendered lands to the general gov
ernment under the provisions of the
treaty of 186$.
RJohard Hevey Is Dead.
NEW YORK. Feb. 2 Btefcar' Hevey,
the poet, professor of JSngHeta i'tratare
In Barnard College, is dead to Uw ait?
Qt apoplexy, aged 3f ?.