The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-06-23
Circulation Statement.
The Suppr rssed Porto Rican Plank
in the Republican Platform


It is not the usual thing for the leaders
of political party TO realize their platform
mistakes as early as twenty-four hours
after they have been committed, but til;
has happened at Philadelphia. The country
fully expected that the trust machine
would take the bull by the horns, and, in
the pronuncianlento which is to be the key
note of the campaign on its side, brazen, y
endorse and defend the Administration s
violation of what President Mckinley de-
clared to be "our plain duty TO Po.o
Rico;" and exploit, in somewhat more
guarded style, the Hanna ship subsidy
scheme TO loot the Treasury of ninety
million dollars for the enrichment of less
than a dozen transportation trust mag
mates.
Regarding the Porto Rican infamy, the
Republican platform is absolutely silent,
and that silence was noted by the American
press and satirically commented upon from
one end of the Union TO the other within
a few hours from the time the plat
form was read in the Convention. In
formation to this effect did not take
Hanna's headquarters in the saddle, and it
was not regarded as pleasant or hopeful
Intelligence. In fact, it was instantly seen
that the charge of cowardice would inevita-
bly, lie against an Administration and or
ganization which had abandoned their finn
convictions of duty at the command o. the
trusts, and then had not dared even the
oF eYrrca for their perfidinllS
action. The second matter did not amount
TO SO much. What the platform says, CT
could have have said, respecting the pro-
posed subsidy steal would count for little.
The American public is reasonably well adj
vised as to the milk In that particular CO.
coanut, and voters will treat it as raid
upon the national till, and an outrage,
which would follow trust triumph at the
polls next November as matter of course
but which otherwise may be prevented.
When the sensitive human form is hit
on raw spot, it is the mouth which gives
voice to the general anguish. When the
combination, composed of the trust Admin
istraticn and its dependent machine, is hit,
II is Grosvenor of Ohio who 'holleTs." True
to his mission he was in evidence as well
as in pain yesterday in statement printed
in the New York Journal in which he
asserted that the Porto Rican iniquity had
been duly endorsed by the bosses, but that
the embodiment had been surreptitiously
''driyeled out by Griyeler from New York,
who had charge of that branch of the
work" that is, the driveling branch, which,
and important one. Grosvenor does not
designate the "driveler." but the Journal
assumes his other name to be Lemuel Eli
Quigg. The Ohio mouthpiece then declares
that the following declaration was under
stood by himself and Senator Foraker
whom it is now desirable TO let down easy
to have been adopted as part of the
Republican platform:
eve reasset the principle which was the watch
word of the Republican party in its first great
battle, Of which Abraham Lincoln was the first
illustrious champion, and which he was elect
ed President, that Congress has full legislative
power over territory belonging TO the United
States subject only TO the fundamental safeguards
The credulity of Senator Foraker may
be subject to taxation sufficiently to make
him believe that his superiors in the game
at Philadelphia actually endowed Quigg
with plenary power to change the punctu-
alton OF and to drop paragraphs from a
document which had taken weeks TO ham
mer out in Washington. Foraker, who is
no; in position 10 say much, may allow
himself TO be convinced that the missing
link was written On a piece of paper for
Quigg to copy in, but that he lost 1t, az
Grosvenor is reputed 10 have lost another
slip on an occasion. But the American
people will not get dust in their eyes quite
go easily. Hanna. Lodge, Fairbanks, and
the rest would be very certain to know
what was to be presented TO the Conyen-
ton, and to study every line of it at the
last moment before presentation, to see
that no accidents had happened
The outside world will be found very |
ready TO believe that the plank which |
foated out TO sea, without getting into |
the framework of the trust ark was the
plank that Foraker tried and begged to |
have inserted, in order that 1t might float |
him back to the Senate. 1t would also
accept a suggestion that this fierce ar
raignment of "driveler'' who "driveled"
is not to be taken at more than its mar
ket value, and that 1t only represents the |
chagrin of Hanna and the Administration |
over the way the Porto Rican silence has |
been interpreted by the country. and their |
incidental desire to throw sop of coun-
tenance to the faithful but condemned and |
BETRAYED Foraker