Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-03-31
COUSINS ON
PORTO RICO.

=
course to pursue on the Porto Rican
tariff question. and saying at the same
time he presumed the problem would be
solved for the best of all concerned. MIR. I
Cousins replied at some length, and as
Mr.. Norton has placed his letter in our
hands we take pleasure in publishing
it:
Washington, March IS, 1oOo.C. NJ. /
Norton, Esq, Marsfalltown. Iowa-My |
Dear Sir: received your letter of the |
10th inst. expressing your views on the I
Porto Rcan question, which l am very
glad to have. need not say to you that /
i have had many letters, and have read !
many accounts of the views taken of the
situation turnout the country. ] infer
from your remarks that you have the
Impression and are of the opinion tina
the inhabitants of our new possessions
come at once into full possession Of all
the rights and privileges under the cen
stitution which you and / have as citi
zens Of the Unitsd States do not
think that, after you have considered
the subject fully, you will be of that
opinion Those who are opposed TO our
keeping the Philippine islands and other
position, that all constitutional rights
and privileges extend to the inhabitants
of those Islands, knowing very We'll that
! if that view of the case is taken that il
will then be realized that we are liable
to have senators and representatives in
congress from the Philippines@and that
such realization viii create such Il re-
Volt in the Countrywide these possessions
/ viii be let go of entirely. Personally. 1
have thought it would be we'll for us to
retain these possessions. and / should
/ hate very much to see our country take
4 a position that would make it irnpossi-
/ sble TO keep them. While these islands
| belong to the territory of the United
/ States. and are under its sovereignty, /
think they occupy the same position as
4 did he Louisiana purchase before it
was organized into territories. You re-
/ member that congress authorized
Thomas Jefferson, the president in 1903
Ito govern the Louisiana purchase en-
4 tirely outside the constitution. They did
Il not have representation, and all need
l full rules and regulations Mere made ar
bitrarily and in accordance With the
constitutional provisions which govern
the states. i can hardly believs that
T whcn you think it ovar YOU win be in
favor OF placing the Inhabitants of the
II Philippine islands IN exactly the same
q position that you and your neighbors
occupy as citizens of this country, With
4 equal rights of representation and all
that.
Now, as sor the 10 per cent duty,
that is 4 small matter compared witr
4 this greater question of the constitu-
ton which is at stake. All first, the
!, president thought that free trade
would be the best thing for Porto Rico,
!. but later he realized that in their dis
tressed condition money had to be
raised to carry on public improvements
in the island Of Porto Rico. It had te
he raised in one OF three ways. eithes
by bonding the island, or by direct tax
3ation. which it is Acknowledged those
people can not pay. or by placing
!, i small duty upon goods passing TO ans
: from the country, and then Turning ths
: money so collected back for the bench
iof the island. Most Of this Is per cen
lduty would be paid by the large tobae-
leo and sugar trusts, who have boughf
up stores of tobacco aud sugar III ths
island. hoping 70 get it in free. Yer.
little of the duty, il any. would be pale
| by the average citizen OF Porto Rico
IIf the duty was established 1t would b,
Z /, collected from these people who ar
able to pay, and at once turned back
back, as / have said, for tilt purpose q
s building school houses and iirprnNn.
tire internal situation in the island No
lone cent, under the provisions of tn
measure, is 10 be- retained by tn
United States In addition to that
more than two millions of dollars hay
recently been turned oyer by act o
congress, heretofore collected on dutie
for the benefit Of the island. The his
tory of our world reveals no such ex
ample pf magnanmity TO any posses
sion or colony as has been exercised b
the United States toward Porto Rice
The president has clearly indicate
that he thinks this method of raisin
revenue for the Porto Ricans is III
best. and desires the bill to pass. Per
sonauy. | think the 10 per cent duty
of far less Importance than the consti
tatonal position contended for who
Tiss that this government has the RICH
thru the representatives of the peopi,
10 deal with these new possessions i
-Iits discretion. and that the nhabitant
&c these islands do not come at one
into the full rights ard privileges tina
American citizens enjoy under the cor
stitution. II is one thing 10 shout syn
patty for a people and quite anothe
O Thing To provide for them Would yo
be wilins: 10 bond the island of Port
Rico or would you favor direct taxa
ton to be placed on those people il 80
had a Knowledge that they are unab
al to pay a direct tax II you would M
be in favor of either one OF these plan
would you favor appropriating direetl
out Of the United States treasury, an
taxing our people for all public in
lie provements in Porto Rico? The tern
=, of this IL per cent bill provide that
is only Ia extend two years. until sue
~ time as the inhabitants can recoy,
40 from the recent storm devastation
and the coffee ard other crops be avail
= able so they viii be able To bear II
e expense for their own public improv
In ments. There is much talk abo,
!. squeezing the poor Porto Rican /
IN leyyirg a small duty in the way
cd revenue. but how can such a view
it be had when every cent goes back
once for the immediate benefit of Il
y, average citizen there. and when u
US most of it would be paid by rich Poop
or who own these vast stores of tobact
and sugar that have been bought up
l..