The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-03-22
PARTY SAFETY LIES IN DOING ITS
plain DUTY,

1
and in the words Of the president him.
self this time, that
The people do not understand the
situation now, and as soon as they do
they will be with us. This newspaper
agitation will blow over in week or
two, and upon gaining full information
the country will endorse our attitude.
Adoption Of this policy (the 10 per
cent. tariff for Porto Rico) is now essen
tial to republican success. If we retreat
in the face of the enemy We shall be
overwhelmed next November. We can
neither retreat nor compromise.
The trouble Is fifst. t * b g republicsns in
Washington have already both retreated
and compromised. They have only to
rejcin the republican party iu the coun.
try, which remains steadfast and will
not BE- compromised to insure that re.
publican success in November now i'm.
periled by the inexplicable vacillation
of the administration in the Porto Rico
matter.
Up to January 30, last the republican
position on this subject was impreg-
nable. 1t had behind it the nations
pledges to Porto Rico and every tradi.
ton of our government investing con
gress with plenary power to deal with
nav territory as seemed best for it and
for the United States. There has moi
been an instance in the annexation ol
territory, from that of louisiana down
to the acquisition of the Hawaiian is
lands where congress has not disposed
of each case independently, as "the
highest considerations of justice and
good faith" demanded.
No vexatious question of constitu
tional power or of legislative authority
stood between US and the solemn pledge
that:
Porto Rico under the American fla(
will enjoy the same privileges and th'
same immunities as the citizens of th,
different states and territories of tn
union.
i To the fulfillment of this pledge tn
republican party was committed no
, only by every dictate of honor, human
ity and statecraft, but by the explicit vi
terances of the president himself, hi
representative in Porto Rico, his sec
retary of war and the original senat
and house bills, with the statements {
Senator Foraker and Congressman
Payne, who introduced them RESPECTIVE,
ly.
There is no need to reiterate whe
+ these utterances were. They we're pr
sumably based on full knowledge and
official appreciation Of what congre
could constitutionalIy do. The Const
tutional question is precisely the san
to-day that it was last December, whe
President Mckinley pointed out SO,
plain duty" under it.
/ No, the constitution has not budged
hairs s-breadth during the past thr
months. And, what is more to Il
point, popular sentiment in full acco
with '.our plain duty" then, has n
budged either. It is irrevocably fixed
. keeping faith with Porto Rico.
What can account for the presiden,
; change of front on this question: It
not that he feared that any principle
, a protective tariff was involved. Sen
, tor Foraker, speaking for him express
! declared: "It's revenue duty simp
! and solely, and not in any sense pr
tective."
Now the only claim put forward I
any tariff is that it is imposed in ord
to obtain decision Of the supreI
court as to the constitutional power
? congress to discriminate in taxes laid
different parts of our territory.
II this is a thoroughly ingenuo
!, claim Why was it not advanced prim'
{ lily? Why wait until the popular mi
was set on free trade with. Porto Rio
/; Why al this mystery and shuffli
9 about responsibility for the tariff bi
8 Why. il it was merely test case Il
was wanted, wasit not sufficient
,asl u -. . ,,.,.,1sN.i : = riff enf4,6So ~