Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-09
HARMONIzBS WITH PRESIDENTS VIEW
The Small Tariff Practically Re-
movaI of Customs Duties.
GENEROUS ACT OF A NATION

small that to all intents and purposes it is
practically the same as the Presidents mes
sage to Congress last December. The state
ment is as follows:
There has been a wide misrepresentation
of the Porto Rican tariff bill, of the atti-
tUde of the President, of the action OF
Congress and of their relations to each
other. The criticism and the concern which
have come from some well-meaning quar-
tiers are due almost entirely to a misunder-
standing of the real facts. When the
country correctly understands the truth as
it certainly will, 1t will thoroughly ap-
prove what has been done.
THE attempt TO represent that there
has been disagreement between the Pres
ident and Congress is wholly unfounded.
There has been no essential differences be-
tween them. Both have sought the same
object. The recommendation of the Pres
ident and the House bill. in their purpose
and their effect. come to the same thing.
As consequence each rightly sustains the
other. The clouds of confusion on the
subject have been clouds of misunderstood
ing and will clear away. A simple state
ment of the facts will make this plain.
The Presidents Message.
THE President in his annual message of
December urged that the customs duties
on trade between Porto Rico and the United
States be removed. Imports from Porto
Rico into the United States have been and
are now paying the Dingley rates. They
have no preference over goods from any
foreign country. The President felt that
Porto Rico should be relieved of this bur
den. He urged that it should be removed
not as matter of legal right, but of lib
eral and humane public policy.
His argument indicated his reasons and
suggested mis- view TO the question of
constitutional obligation. Porto Rico, sew
cred from Spain, had lost her old markets
and had gained none in their place. She
had been devastated by hurricane and left
destitute. Humanity dictated every effort
to lift her up and to give her a new mar
ket. This was the Presidents plea and
what need of such plea if the Constitu-
tIon OF itself carried free trade to Porto
Rico? In that case free trade goes to her
whether right or not.
What the President proposed was that
the United States should offer the largest
ana most generous measure of help to the
distressed and suffering island and he has
never wavered a single instant in the OBJ
Ject he sought. Had his suggestion been
accepted and followed by all in his spirit
and as he meant it, with the limitations he
intended, all would have been well. There
would have been no harm in any direction
But when the time came for action in Con-
greSs two tendencies were seen. On the
one hand, there We're good men and some
business and agricultural interests that
while not Directing or little Directing to
free trade with Porto Rico alone feared
that free trade with Porto Rico would be
made precedent for free trade with the
Philippines. They felt that there should be
a distinct assertion and exercise of the
power to impose duties, however small as
an assurance that this power was reserved
for other cases.
Claim of the Opposition.
On the other hand, what the President
proposed as worthy act of national gem
crosby and liberal policy was seized by po-
ntlcal opponents and claimed as necessary
and inevitable measure of inherent consti-
tutional right. They insisted that the Con-
stitution by its own force extends to Porto
RICO and all the new island possessions and
spreads all its provisions over them. fncIud
ing uniform taxation. They were eager to
commit republican Congress to the adon-
ton of free trade with Porto Rico. NOT as
measure OF generous expediency, but be-
cause they could then claim that II had
riveted hard and fast principle which
would tie the hands of the government
everywhere, in the Philippines as well as in
Porto Rico, without regard to varying con-
dttions, and which would expose the ad-
ministratiOn and its party to all the crit
icisms and attacks that would be made on
such a position.
1T was cunning game, but 1t didn't sue
ceed The apprehension of the honest oh
1ectors who feared that the concession of
full free trade to Porto Rico would lead
to misconstruction and the designs Of the
CRAFTY partlsans who meant that it should
were Doth met and frustrated by the bill
which passed the House and which le,,ies
10 per cent, or less than one-sixtT of the
Dlngley rates. Tat low rate involves no
revenue which, until civil government and
law are fully organized in Porto Rico. can
not be raised as well from any other source
Bill HarmOnizes With President's oh.
ject.
There was another point which was not
generally understood. The bill provides
that the whole amount of duties on goods
coming from Porto Rico shall be paid back
to Porto Rico for the benefit of the island.
Thus 1t fully harmonizes with the object at
which the President aimed of relieving the
trade of Porto Rico from burdensome re-
strictions and of extending the largest de-
gree OF neip. and when 1t was crowned by
the PRESIDENTS special message promnfIv
carried out by the House. providing NOT
only that the duties hereafter collected. bnt
that those n heretofore oa collected, to the
ated to be expended wholly in Porto Rico
for her development and Improvement ali.
soluteiy no ground was left for auy nre
tense that the policy of the President and
Congress was in the slightest degree harsh
and oppressive.
Nobody can understandingiy object tn
me 10 per cent duty all paid back to Porto
h hlco on the ground that it is unfair and
hard toward Porto Rico. He can under
standingly object only on the claim that
there is no power to levy any duty at ali
and such claim would leave the President
and Congress powerless and helpless in the
Phll1ppineS as well as in Porto Rico
Between a is per cent duty as provided
by the congressional bill, every cent Of
which is to be returned to Porto Rico. that
Island also getting all collected at the other
end, and the removal of customs duties nc
suggested by the President for humanity's
sake thers is absolutely no difference what.
ever in practical results. In both eyery-
thing iS for humanity
ing at the same result as the President and
the President rightfully accepts the act of
Congress. Ths representation that either
every essential element in the case.
But between Is per cent duty and free
trads as a constitutional right, going necess
sarily and instantly wherever new land NAV
be acquired, there Is the worldwide differ
ence between reserving full discretionary
power to deal with the new possessions an
their varying interests and ours NAV re-
i u