Union gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1899-1900, 1900-03-23
FRIDAY. MAR. %, 1900.
TIE PUERTO RICAN QUESTION.

CoAeO0 JOuAhoAo III viz A'SNSA
States-and taken altogether, it
has been said to be an ideal news
paper-is the St. Louis Globe
Democrat. Its utterances are always
dignified and command the respect
of all parties. II has this to say on
THE Puerto Rican Question.
In their feverish search for issues
democratic leaders seize upon every
passing incident in hope that at
last something to party advantage
is about to turn up. Yesterday it
was Macrum; today it is a charge
that the Puerto Ricans are to be
taxed and ground down for the
benefit Of outside syndicates and
spectators. The democratic party
is without single distinctive prin-
ciple on which it can appeal to the
country. Free silver is a lost
cause. The people have passed
judgment and the republican pledge
to establish the gold standard has
been fulfilled. Opposition to mo-
nopolies is not confined to any one
party. It was announced in the
republican platform of twelve years
ago and reafirmed later, Imperial
ism is a shadow. AS President
Mckinley said in his speech in
New York last week: "There can
be no imperialism. Those who
fear it are against it. Those who
have faith in the republic are
against it. So that there is
universal adherence for it and
unanimous opposition to it." I'm
der existing circumstances the
democratic party is compelled to
turn to the new possessions, especial
ly to the Philippines, for political
capital in the coming presidential
campaign. And they are trying
to establish in Puerto Rico some
precedent, no matter what, that
will embarrass the administration
in the far more populous and unen-
lightened Philippines.
In the Puerto Rican debate in
the house the burden of the demo-
cratic argument was that the In
habitants of the island, poor as
they are and suffering from calam-
ity, are to be the victims of tariff
on their products exchanged with
the United States. But the bill
which passed the house provides
that the money collected shall be
devoted to Puerto Rico itself and is
operative for only two years.
Furthermore, the house acting upon
the suggestion in the presidents
message, passed bill setting apart
for Puerto Rican uses all the duties
on its exports heretofore collected
by the United States, amounting to
over 100000. One hundred
democratic members voted against
this bill, showing plainly that the
relief of the island was not upper
most in their minds, nor in their
thoughts at all. What they strug-
gled to do was to put the republi
cans in false position as to the
status of the new possessions.
When it came to the point the ma
jority Of democrats went on record
against handing over to Puerto
Rico the money they said had been
heartlessly exacted from starvin g |
people.
As matter of fact, the tariff is
merely side issue with the demo-
cratic party in regard to the
Puerto Rican bill which has been
approved by the house and is now
before the senate. The democratic
managers have aimed at larger
and more important mark, and
that is the constitutional bearings
of newly acquired territory. This
is not subject to be settled hastily.
Democrats are more than willing
that the republicans in control
should go headlong at conclusions
and then pass through a period of
and humiliation. But |
the supreme court has yet to de-
fine the full extent of the authority
of congress in dealing with new
possessions, or, in other words, the
constitutional aspects of the whole
case. Republicans claim that the
newly acquired islands are con-
stitutionally entitled to the bust
ness regulations existing between
the states and that the laws passed
for Puerto Rico can be modified in
the Philippines, or changed again
to circumstances, for
Hawaii. 1t is to tie up republicans
on this important question that
/
Democrats are making their Puerto
Ricar, fight.
The passage of the gold standard
bill which Mr.. w. J. Bryan has so