The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-04-02
REPUBLICAN PREDICAMENT.


[From the Washington Post.1
When congress assembled last Deem
Der, the presidents message was. of
course. the first number on the pro-
gramme In that message Mr.. McKin-
ley declared himself, unreservedly, for
free trade with Porto Rico. BY way of
supplement to this, the secretary Of
war-one of the most eminent and gift
ed jurists in the country-urged the
measure in even more elaborate terms.
While the president appealed to our
plain duty" Secretary Root reminded
US that Justice and good faith de-
mand," etc. Only the most callous and
indurated Of congresses could have re-
sisted such clarion calls, and the con-
gress to which these illustrious gentle
men addressed themselves was. motor
iously, a congress of unusual sensibility.
No wonder, therefore, that the ways
and means committee of the house
promptly reported a free trade bill with
reference to Porto Rico, and still less
wonder that all the forces Of altruism
and humanity and benevolence rallied
as one man to praise and to commend
the proposition. Right there, however,
is where the trouble began and where
the Republican party entered upon a
course of qualification, and moral aero
battles, and intellectual hide-and-se seek
which has enshrined it permanently in
the disrespectful amazement of the
country.
Let US be .business-likel
Explanation 1st The Republican con-
gress could not grant free trade to Por-
to Rico without committing the party
to the principle that the Constitution
Ell
ton with reference to Porto Rico would
affect the constitutional question, one
way or another, pending a decision by
the supreme court)
Explanation I'd. A tariff on Porto
Rican products was necessary 50 as to
create a fund which could be applied
to tie necessities, thus giving the Porto
Risans more relief than would have
h-en afforded in one year by the pro-
9Osed tariff.
! Explanation Sd. It was Indispensable
I to uphold the principle of protection.
I Labor-Organized labor-was supposed
to demand such a policy. (Note: This
4 principle had already been abandoned
4 in the case of Hawaii, and no evidence
could be presented to show that or
ganized labor cared three straws about
| Porto Rico).
Explanation 4th. If we give free trade
to Porto Rico, we must also give it tc
/ the Philippines, haps-later-tc
Cuba This would establish a danger
GUS precedent. Moreover the idea OF
| giving Porto Rico representation in
| congress was fraught with mischief and
alarm. (Note: The precedent had beer
established in the matter of Hawaii
both as to free trade and representa-
ton in congress. Mr.. Lodge says Sc
himself).
Thus we find that in none of theil
| squirmings and tergiversations hav,
the Republican leaders a shadow o.
| justification in fact. They are in tn,
position of advocating a policy-nay
insisting upon (which the presiden
and the secretary of war have will
force and eloquence, if by indirection
denounced, and for which they car
offer no rational excuse. And to com
plete the illustration of the party's sax
predcament, we need only refer to tn
remarkable declaration of Gen. Gros
venor's Ohio convention-the Eleventh
congressional district-which, for OBJ
security, on-committalism, obfuscation
and general elasticity, is without parable
since the, days of good Jack Bunsby.
1t may be that at some period in tn
past a great national party has foun
itself, upon the threshold of a cam
paign, in such a humiliating plight. Blu
we do not at this moment recall the in
! eident