The Republican., 1900-09-13

50 broad, with about 100000 people in one
of the most thickly settled pieces of terri
tory i'll the world. 1t was necessary to
look after those people; it was necessary to
give them school houses and build them
roads and support their civil government
and look after them in every way. How
could it be done? In several ways. One
was to take the money out of the treasury of
the United States and give to them. The
people of the United States do not approve
of that method. That is not the way people
govern themselves We are governed in
this country by raising revenues for our
selves by taxation of some sort either of q
direct character or of an indirect character:
therefore the United States did not think it
wise to begin to go into the treasury of the
United States and continue to give money to
the people of Porto Rico so they abandoned
that plan. The next plan was to mortgage
the island. We did not think that good. The
next plan was to tax the people by direct
taxation, namely by the extension of the
internal revenue laws OF this country upon
them. They would have operated more
heavily upon them than any taxation that
could have been devised. Direct taxation
was increased during our war with SPAIN
and it is the purpose of the Republican party
in the next Congress to cut some of that
down. Direct taxation is not popular with
our people, and it is only resorted to in
emergency. 1t is the most oppressive of all
methods of taxation. That plan was drop
ped. What was the next method? The next
method was to pursue the course which had
been pursued by the people of Porto Rico,
namely, to use tariff system. 1t was not a
new thing to them. They were not unacus-
toned to it, and therefore the Congress of
the United States, in which l have the honor
to represent this constituency, determined
the best thing to do was to raise the revenue
by the tariff duty, an approved method of
taxation in the United States government,
but did we put the whole Dingley tariff on?
No we passed bill which provided that
certain merchandise coming from the
United States to Porto Rico and from Porto
Rico to the United States should pay fifteen
per cent OF the Dingley rates. We did not
give them IS per cent. of free trade, and
they were IS per cent. better off than they
were before they became a possession of the
United States. Was there anything harsh
about that? Nothing. except that the Dem
ocratic party saws it is unconstitutional.
provided furthermore that money raised by
that method of charging duties upon inn
ports into Porto Rico and imports into the
United States in a separate fund devoted to
Porto Rican expenses so that every penny of
that Is per cent of the Dingley tariff rates
goes to the people of Porto Rico, with the
view and purpose OF building schools, max
ing roads, improving their island and lifting
them up from where they were kept by the
iron heel Of tyranny, to enlightenment, i'm
provement, cultivation and finally liberty.
That was not all that act did. 1t provided a
civil government for Porto Rico But be
fore come to that, | want to answer the
Democratic statement that that was un-
constitutional; that Porto Rico became a
part OF the United States Government and
being part of the United States Govern
ment, prohibited the imposition Of any tariff
duties. II you will look at the Territorial
Act of Florida you will find that the internal
revenue system of the United States Govern
ment in 1919 was extended over Florida, and
yet Florida did not have a delegate in the
United States Congress. That was done by
Democratic President. There was taxa
ton without representation down there un-
der Democratic administration, done by
Democratic President without the authIr-
ity of Democratic Congress, or il with the
authority of Congrest at all, with the au-
thority and sanction OF Democratic Con-
gress. Yet they say, Your law is illegal
and unconstitutional, because it is taxation
without representation, which is contrary to
the fundamental principles OF American
liberty And yet we find them in 1919 with
regard to Florida absolutely extending the
internal revenue laws over the people of
Florida any representation in the Govern
ment of the United States, even through a
delegate who sits there but has not the right
to vote. What an absurd pretense! What
an utter subterfuge this statement and az
gument and accusation of the Democratic
party is.
would like to have an opportunity of dis
cussing these matters further, but just in
conclusion along that line l desire to say
this: That when my time comes to leave this
earth want to be able to look back over my
life and recall the fact that whenever the
Republic was threatened by an enemy from
or from without, whenever anybody in the
United States questioned the constitutional
power of this nation to save herself and to
control her own property, whenever gentle
men call them copperheads or croakers, call
rebels or insurgents, whenever gentlemen of
type discourage the soldiers of the Union
and talk OF hauling down the flag of this ma
tion, | want to have the peaceful, placid
recollection and conviction of the fact that
in my heart and in my soul | was for the
flag. Loud applatseD
At the close of Col. Pearre's speech
States Attorney Thayer made short
address, who was followed by Mr..
Scott II. Jones, after which the club
was formally organized with an ell
rollment of about thirty members.
The Bravery of Woman
Was grandly shown by Mrs. John
Bowling of Butler, Pa, in a three
years struggle with q malignant
stomach trouble that caused distress
ing attacks of nausea and indiges-
ton. All remedies failed to relieve
her until she tried Electric Bitters.
After taking it two months, she
wrote: 81 am now wholly cured and
can eat anything. 1t is truly grand
tonic for the whole system as gained
in weight and feel much stronger
since using it, 1t aids digestion,
cures dyspepsia. improves appetite,
pives new life, ONLY soc. Guaranteed,