Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1900-03-30
DON'T MAKE A SECOND MISTAKE.

We are told from Washington that if
the country knew all the '.ins and outs"
of the proposal to impose Is per cent.
tariff on Porto Rican products it would
fling duty to the winds, dismiss it's fears
and join hands in substituting charity
for justice in the performance of nat
ional obligations. The west especially
is told that its zeal for the national
honor has outrun lis knowledge OF con-
ditions and constitutional limitations.
One Senator goes so far as to suggest
that the opponents of the Puerto Rico
tariff might we'll visit Washington that
their minds might be illuminated by
that flood of light which caused q
transformation without parallel since
Saul was stricken as he journeyed to
Damascus. -
Let not our Senators be so wise and
stiftnecked in their own conceit as to
cherish the delusion that they alone
possess all the knowledge and wisdom
on this subject. Since it is clearly i'm
possible for the millions who believe
that momentous blunder has been
committed by Republican majority 10
travel to Washington suppose their rep.
resentatives in Washington visit their
homes and try to enlighten the darkness
on the Puerto Rico subject that they
pretend envelops the minds of nine out
of every ten men who have given it a
thought. e .L,.a% ..
If these representatives cannot come
now let them remember that they will
have to come next November, when if
their knowledge is not revelation and
their wisdom foolishness they may
never go back.
In the meantime let some Republican
of national reputation state what new
light has been thrown on the subject
since General Miles pledged TO the Por-
to Ricans:
We have come to bestOw upon you
the blessings and immunity of our gov
erment.
Or since Governor General Davis
said that free intercourse with the
United States was absolutely "neces-
sary" to the prosperity of Porto Rico.
Or since Secretary of War Root told us
that
The highest considerations Of justice
and good faith demand that we should
not dissapoint the confident expectation
of sharing in our prosperity. with
which the people of Porto Rico 80 glad
ly transferred their allegiance to the
United States.
When Mr.. Root also urged most
strongly" that 1.-The custom duties be-
tween Porto Rico and the United
States be removed -.t.
What light has President Mckinley
had, denied to the rest of US, since he
proclaimed that it was ''our plain duty
to abolish all custom tariffs between
the United States and Porto Rico"
What light does Chairman Payne Of
the Ways and Means committee possess
now that he did not when on Jan. 26
last, speaking of Porto Rico, he said:
A free admission of her products to
the United States (Which is now accord
ed to every state and territory and to
Alaska, not organized into a territory
would give her relief. 1t will not hurt
us, but on The contrary will give us a
market for $40, 900, 600 annually, largely
OF the products of our farms, which
will increase as American prosperity
comes to Porto Rico. am heartily in
favor of extending this relief to Porto
Rico, while 1 don't in any way commit
myself 10 extend the same privileges to
either the Philippines or to Cuba.
If any one in the United States has
any new light to shed upon our duty
to Porto Rico that was not possessed by
Republican Senators and Representa-
tives when the original free trade"
bills were introduced by Senator Fora
ker and Congressman Payne, there
ought not to be a days delay in shedding
it before the country with all the illum-
-. ,o,ro,. 10 %opt IN fIo oloctri ri tv