Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1900-03-30

wrong and Injustice upon a people
who come to us checrtully and wei
coined us eGusivcly because OF their
confidence IN the good faith OF our
government.-PhiludelphIu Ledger
Qiep.)
The s stuffed bOgy, that the admIs-
sion OF Puerto Rican goods into II
markets without the payment Of duty
would he Il step toward free trade us
Il national policy, has lost its force il
it over had any. We have heard OF
mother countries, like France and
Spain, that force their colonies to buy
every thing in the mOtherland. We
never heard Uf any mother country
which forced the colonies to sell all
their goods outside the motherland.
Ii we insist upon cxactlng tribute
from the suffering island, we shall be
acting the m%otherland very strangely
1t will he more like the stepmother
land of tho conventional style. Dos,
ton Transcript tRep.)
Isn't it about time for The advocate
OF the Puerto Rico tariiT biz to selec,
some apology for that amazing poliii
cal blunier on which they can stand
over night? In the six weeks that
have elapsed since the Ways and
Means committee cut it's safe moor
ings to the dock OF duty and ventur-
ed forth on the stormy set of broken
faith and temporary shifts each week
has seen the inve ltion of Il new ex-
plauation to replace an exploded ex-
cuse. Take them i'll the order il
which they were invented the govern
ment will not fulfill the pledges OF
Miles, the necessity Of DAVIS, the
Justice OF Root, the "plain duty" Of
the President.-Chicago Times Her
aid.
II is long since any policy adopted
10y the representatives OF the Rcpub.
lican party i'll Congress has been at
tackled by so great II proportion OF
the best Republican newspapers in
the United States ms have opposed the
Puerto Rico tariff bill. The outbreak
OF dissatisfaction is SO wide and in.
tense that it may alarm the most san
guine leaders Of the party. The rea
son is that the question is largely Il
matter Of morals. Foremost in the
issues raised by this bill is the plea OF
Puerto Rice FOR kindness and justice.
That is what breaks the liues OF the
Republican party. 1t is IN appeal to
the moral sense OF the people. Re.
publican policies cannot safely or
successfully be turned away from the
instinct Of right and justice involved
i'll the demand for free trade between
the UnitcdSthtes aud the little island
which welcomed the American flag
with high hopes and every lennon
stration Of joy-Clcveland Leader
(RepJ
There Is no weaker argument in de-
Tense Of the Puerto Rico tariff bill
than that bascd On the ignorance and
poverty Of the people of that island.
We are told that when we got the is
land that II large majority of them
could not read or write that thous.
ands OF them were never clothed be-
You'd wearing II shirt, that So per
! cant nf fhAun frn lao r.F,,t.l ,,l 90
Much the same might have been said
OF the Southern plantation negro at
the close az the war, yet we gave the
latter unrestricted FREQ trade with the
United States and the ballot also. II
Ignorance and poverty furnished Il
justification Tor discriminating duties
and taxes, there would be n great
deal OF class legislation in this coun-
try,-lndianapolis journal (Rep)
The proposition made by some Of
the Senators to levy u tariff equal to
ID per cent Of the Dingley duties upon
imports from the United States free
Is probably the most remarkable
compromises ove offered. Certainly
nothing more extraordinary has been
proposed since duty and destiny es.
tablisheh themselves in tho seats oi
the mighty. The principle argument
advanced by the supporters OF the
House measure is that Puerto Rico
needs the Now the solemn
Senators como along and say "let us
do the right thing by these helpless
people. We will keep their products
out Of the United States; but We will
let them buy our products without
paying anything extra for the blessed
privilege" humanity aud benevo.
lent assimilation can go no further.
III tho Porto Iiicans are not tickled
1t ~ hardly worth while trying to
please such II tickle md frivolous poo.
plc.-Dctroit Tribune (Rcp)
Some commercial dcgcncratcs are
said To have used the argument with
The President That Puerto Rico sugar
and tobacco will compete with the
American product. We must protcc,
our own growers. Oar own growers!
Is not Puerto Rico our own? What
kind of mn absorption is this2 What
kind Of an characterization Of our
dependencies docs il purinndY II
would leave Puerto Rico woraa off
than II was With Spain, and il would
impose on the people Of this generous
and justice loving republic the hard.