The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-03-29
DAVIS SPEAKS.
CONCLUDED FROM FIRST PAGE

CONCLUDED FROM FIRST PAGE)
matter clearly i'm your mind. Mr. Knott,
for, sooner or later, the country will UNI
derstand our position.
"First-There are large quantities of to-
bacco and sugar in Porto Rico. bought up
by trusts and syndicates. They want to
get that into the United States free of any
duty, and when once In, Of course. 1t will
the tobacco and sugar which have to pay
the full tariff rates. thus giving hundreds
of thousands dollars profit to the syndi-
Gates, etc. The trusts ana syndicates
fighting the bill, and | have given you the
reason why. There has not been, nor is
there now, TO my knowledge, lobby here
working for the Porto Rican bill, but these
syndfcates and the Goldfish interests or New
England and other interests, including the
flour interests, all trying TO get into
Porto Rico without paying the 10 per cent
duty on their product as proposed in the
bill. While under the Dingley law a tax
OF one dollar, to illustrate, is imposed upon
a certain article. under the House bill 1t
would only pay Is cents
SecOnd-Now, why have we imposed this
Is per cent of the Dingley tariff? Let me
answer this and fix 1T in your minds
Porto Rico is poor, and has been swept by
devastating and destructive floods. Her
people are not at this time and in their
present condition able to pay the expenses
of their government No one wants the
United States to pay the expenses of run
ming the governments of any of our several
new possessions. The people themselves in
each of the islands, or groups. should pay
their own expenses. How is Porto Rico to
do this, now that she has no local govern
ment? We must first give her a local gov
eminent. and both houses of Congress are
at work upon that problem, and In my
opinion that problem will be wisely solved
when Ii Is done. But IL will take a year
and half or two years to formulate
government for her and to put IL i'm run
ming order. so that those people. with their
own government machinery. may raise
mr. 10 rrtr1 fhai m
I'm the meantime, what should we do?
Follow the advice of the syndicates and
trusts and tax this desolate island. or their
lands. or their limited productions, or do
as we propose and put this trifiing duty
upon their exports and imports and give
every dollar of Ii back to them to run their
government? This will be felt by none ex-
cept the syndicates and trusts and rich in
terests that will do the buying there and
the shipping to Porto Rico. Indirectly, Of
course, some of this will be paid by the
consumers. but Ii will fall lightly upon
them. and the burden will be impercepti-
ble while a direct tax would be simply
brutal and inhuman. The bill also provides
that this tax shall expire in two years.
which Is time enough to allow the govern
ment machinery of Porto Rico to get into
working order. There is no proposition TO
put permanent burden upon Porto Rico.
but It is merely temporary expedient for
her own interest.
MY friends. never was bill so misrep-
resented and misunderstood our Porto
Rican bill. and the time will come I'm the
near future when those who propose di-
rect tax. which would result from absolute
free trade. will suffer In every possible
way for their misguided conduct. for their
selfish acts.
''What the Senate is going to do is prob
lematical. IL has its share of towards
The Senate is always the body upon which
the great interests concentrate their eff
forts to defeat proper legislation. But this
fact remains. that I have the knowledge
that have done my simple duty. and have
done IL In consultation and I'm cooperation
with the President of the United States,
whose heart is quick to feel the Affections
OF this little island; have done Ii I'm con-
ference with such men Allison. Foraker
and the earnest patriots of the Senate. who,
defying special interests and combinations.
are trying to map out plan for the pres
ent needs of Porto Rico. and to keep our
country 50 that il will be unfettered. and
fitted for the wise treatment needed for
all of these new possessions.
u OA- .