The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1900-09-08
PORTO RICO LAW.

In view of the fact that the Dem
ocrats propose to work the Porto
Rlcan tariff to the greatest possible
advantage in this campaign by all
sorts of pervefsiops and misrepre-
sentations, it is important that
every voter should know exactly
what that law is. In the first place
the conditions that led up to the
enactment of the law should be
thoroughly understood.
A few months before Congress
took action, a destructive hurricane
swept over the Porto Rican Islands
destroying the crops, farms and
homes of hundreds of people.
These people were left practically
destitute and in no condition to
support themselves, let alone to be
taxed to support government. AL
ready their products raised. for ex-
portation to other markets had been
disposed of and were in the hands
of spectators and wealthy corpor-
ations, such as the sugar trust and
the tobacco trust. These products
were lying in the store houses of
the trusts Oh the island in expecta-
tation that they would be admitted
free to the ports of the United
States or that the tariff collected
would be refunded to the shippers.
Under such circumstances, what
sort of tax law could be more
just than to levy duties upon these
products in the hands of wealthy
institutions? Even if direct taxes
had been levied on the inhabitants
of the island, it would have been
impossible to collect them, because
the people absolutely could not
pay.
This, in brief, was the situation
when Congress came to the enac-
ment of a general law, organizing
civil government in the Porto Rican
Islands.
The law provides that all tariffs
collected on goods imported into
the island or exported out of them
shall be used solely for the benefit
of the Porto Ricans themselves.
This provision expires the mo-
ment that the Porto Ricans have
established a revenue system for
themselves, and in any event, ex-
pires at the end of two years. The
law further gives to every native
of the island, retaining allegiance
to the United States, every natural
and constitutional right and liberty
enjoyed by American citizens.
They will be as fully protected in
life and property as though they
resided in a State of the Union.
They will completely regulate and
control their own local government;
electing their own officers, having
their own Legislative body and do
ing all and any of the things which
Idahoans were permitted to DO
prior to our admission as a state.
The only thing that is denied them
is the privilege to vote for officers
of this government: and that will,
no doubt, be extended to them
whenever they have shown salts
factory capability for self govern
ment.
In fact, the Porto Ricans have
some advantages over the American
citizen, in that, while they get the
benefit of the protection of this gov
ernment, they do not have to bear
any of its burdens.
1t would be profitable for all
classes of citizens to study the situa~
ton in the Porto Rican Islands pri-
OF to the enactment of the law here
referred to and then study the pro-
visions of the law itself; and after
doing so, we firmly believe that no
candid man would think of raising
the slightest objection to the policy
of this government with respect to
this particular subject.