The evening times., 1900-04-04
TIE PORTO RICAN OUTRAGE.


day from the ISLAND and was prevented
from landing b. the immigration authori-
ties, the unfortunate Porto Rican is in
deed "a man without country
The inhabitant Of Porto Rico now owes
allegiance to no government but that of
the United States, and If the latter de-
Clares that he IS an alien tae definition Of
his status viii present a delicate and in
teresting question. Meanwhile the Senate
has voted do~naall amendments declaring
that the island is within the constitutional
Jurisdiction Cf the United States and pass
ed the compromise bill. The Republican
Representatives, who voted for free trade
with the islaRd-'when the bill passed the
House have been confirmed in their atti-
tude by the enthusiastic support OF their
constituents. while the vigorous express
SONS OF sentiment expressed through the
press and through some OF the Western
legislatures have brought recruits 10 their
ranks. IT, as now seems probable. there
is in the House a majority in favor Of
opening our markets free to the products
Of Porto Rico IL is in its power to reject
the report OF the conference committee
and to direct report in favor Of free
trade or disagreement between the two
houses. This would leave the unfortunate
still subject to the fun Dingley tariff. As
modified by executive order
New York Journal: The Senate has
added les part to the record of shame made
up by the Republican politicians at Wash
ington in the matter OF Porto Rico BY a
vote Of forty to thirty-one it has decided to
ignore our plain duty and to repudiate
the highest considerations OF justice and
good faith" But the agitation for justice
has not been without effect. When the
prOtectionist ring first captured the Re
publican machine and forced the President
and the Secretary OF War to eat their own
worcs. % per cent OF the Dingiey rate both
ways was the minimum OF its demands. Ii
was said that this might be increased In
the Senate to>50 or even 70 per cent, and
some organizations OF alleged domestic
producers even sent in memorials deciar-
ing that they would be satisfied with moth
ing less than the full Dngley taxes on the
unhappy Porto Ricans. II looked fJr
time as II this swinish selhshness might
prevail. Even when IL was decided that
the tax bill should be called a provisional
one il was put in such shape that its eNpi-
ration at the end OF two years would leave
not free trade but unmltigated Dingleyism
In force But the country soon showed
that sOrdid greed would have to bend q
little to moral considerations. Talk OF in
creasing the rates was dropped. Then IL
was decided to cut them down. Then the
tWo-year limit was made a reality instead
% a mOckery. Now we are to have i5 per
cent Of the Dingley rates for two years or
a shorter time il the Porto Rican Govern
msnt shows its ability 10 raise the neccssa-
~ revenues in other WAYS. and then We are
70 have absolute free trade. That Is
g eat adyance-sO great that with strong
pull we ought to be able 10 get the rest.
. The House can vote down any conference
report that does not provide fur the imms-
diaJe abolition OF the duties II the mem
| bers who have been hearing from their
1 constituencies viii do their duty our hon
1 or can still be saved"
I Philadelphia Record. The passage of
4 this bill is not so important In It's effect
upon the fortunes Of the people OF Porto
I Rico as in the issue involved as 10 the
I right Of Congress 10 disregard the consti-
tutional provision requiring uniformity OF
; taxation In all paris OF the United States.
I On this question the Republican party is
/ seriously divided. TIE bill also provides
aside fTcm the constitutional issue. "A
I brc lch Of good faith on Tie part OF the
! Administration, which ad;Iits OF neither
| dispute nor Justification"
Philadelphia Inquirer: AT last the
Senate has disposed Of the Porto Rice bill
and it has done wisely 20 adoIt IT, There
] - l4dtL4Ndlle lAlAlt AlAFffLi-t ~ aaE IS
Z the people OF Porto Rico are couce-ue1.
/ between this tariff bin and actuB rec
I trade. So the island is not .Sacridceo.' as
{ the Democratic OTstors pee Il IN an man
uer whatever"
/ Baltimore sun: Last December Presl-
I dent Mckinley recommended free trade
} with Porto Rico as the plain duty OF tre
J United States in its relations With the
! island Secretary OF War Root urged
! free trade as some thing which We owed
/ the Porto Ricans on the grounds Ct hu-
I msnity and justice. The law officer OF the
/ Bureau Of Insular Affairs Of the War Ie-
partment prepared an elaborate legal opin-
/ ion in which he held that it would be con-
| stitutional for the United States to do i,s
/ plain duty IL the Porto Bicaus in the
: matter OF free trade When the President
| Topped. this eminent legal authO-ity also
turned abou; face and decided in favor Of
/ tsTiu duties. The House was prepared to
pass the free trade bill introduced in se-
/ cordance with the Presidents plain duty
recommendation. but yielded to the die
. tates OF The protected interests as soon as
: Mr.. Mckinley had reversed himself There
I is nothing more humiliatng in our po,iti-
/ cal history that the vaciIl9ting course Of
( the Administration on the Porto can
! tarif-'
Chicago Times Herald: THE United
I States Senate has passed The Porto Rico
Tariff bill. which begins by denying Porto
[ Ricans allegiance 30 or free trade with the
/ United States. and ends by taxing them
I without citizenship and without repreSt n
( JatiOn. Thus has been CCnsummated so
far as one house Of congress car tie
! most remarkable depar "-e from ,ln -ary-
I ing American preCedeLts she most undc-
/ cOuntable violation of American good
Z faith. the most insolent afrcnt 20 almost
I universal American sentiment. With one
! heart ole mind. one yO.Se. the people lf
the United States. as represented by ne
press have protested against the outrage
/ against Porto RicO--the violation Of Amer
ican honor contained in this I3riI bill
/ Their protests have been received with
/ contempt and they have been told. You
! are ignorant; you do not understand Now
| We will see if the House which has Ia
| face its constituents within seven mouths
| daTes to reaffirm the obnoxious tariff. new
| that il knows the temper OF the American
| people. Just as surely as this is a Gov
! ernment Of the people. by the people. for
| the people. the American people viii no.
1 suffer the obloquy this bill casts on their
| honor and good faith TO be perpetrated
I with impunity. II the Republican raajori-
! ty permits it there viii be a reeEonius
I with the Republican party by Republicans
! next November"
Chicago IntNr-Ocean: In defiance of
plain duty. plighted faith, and &c con-
science OF the great Republican party.
! thirty-seven Republican Senators voted
| yesterday to impose tariff on Porto Rico.
| Their excuses for so doing have been laid