The evening times., 1900-03-21

failed, II is very plain that the future
| may have sensational and uncomfortable
things in store for this. as well as fer
other countries.
Public Opinion aud the Trusts
The Senate yesterday presented new IL
lustratiOn Of the effect which the national
uprising against injustice to Porto Rico
is having on the minds and methods Of our
legislators. After a hard struggle IL ac-
cepted in conference the House provision
that ECt GaIy The customs duties collected
on Porto Rican commerce before January
1, 1900 shall be appropriated for the bene-
&c Of the island. but that all such taxes
collected since ttat date or which may BE-
hereafter collected shall be SO used
We do not approve the proposition or any
1art Of IL in principle. There is no oh
lection to an appropriation OF few mil
lions fer the purpose of succuring the re-
conCentrados whose misery and starvation
is directly due to our oppression and bad
faith But to Sttempt to shelve the Porto
Rican tariff issue by using the money stoI-
en- under Dingleyism to relieve the wild
Ows and orphans Of the victims. is nom
sensical As soon as the Supreme Court
can get chance to pass upon the political
status OF Porto Rico. every cent Of these
cNtCrted duties will have to be repaid to
The people from whom they have been col
lected. and Congress will be forced to pro-
vide a sum equal 10 its present "benevo-
'cnce'' out Of the general funds OF the
Treasury TO make good the amount.
Yet the inclination OF the Senate trust
representatives TO make concessions is
strong evidence of the fear they are be-
ginning to have Of the people. Indeed il
may be said with truth that for the first
time during the present Administration.
the Republican leaders. and all Of them.
are in a state Of absolute panic. They
would give anything or do anything pos
sible TO allay the excitement and national
wrath which their subserviency to the
monopolies. in violating the plghted word
and the Constitution Of the United States.
has produced throughout the length and
breadth OF the country. But they are
! apparently too deeply in the mire. and
too conscious Of the shame and ridicule
which attaches to them TO accomplish
much.
Senator Morgan. in a speech yesterday
said that the world must be amused at
the discussion in the American Congress
of the question whether the Philippines
are part OF the United States. while Con-
gress was. voting armies. supplies. and
money to suppress insurrectiou against
/ its authority, Similarly it is the depth
- FnT for hf. hi
creatures to try to convince the voters Of
this country thai Porto Rico. ceded by
Spain to the United states. did not be-
came a part OF the United States BY vir-
( tue Of that cessiOn. Being a part of the
. United States. it is necessarily under the
Constitution OF which the President and
the Congress are but creatures. The
Constitution does not follow. it goes with
the flag. It viii 80 with every Demo-
cratic freeman aud every honest Ameri-
can to the polls next November.
The SSnni~h claims Commission.
r On Mond1y 1asj the Senate passed bill
( prepared 10y Mr. Davis Chairman OF the
/ Committee on Foreign Relations, provid-
! ing for a commission to adjudicate the
! claims CT American citizens against Spain.
which the Uaitgd States agreed to inves-
! tigate and settle under the Seventh Arti-
/ clr OF the Tr95fy-O OF Paris The commits
sion is 20 csH@t~ta-of three jurors. who
. will be appointed by the President with
+ the advice and consent or the Senate The
tribunal will sit in Washington. and from
. its find .ngs there will be an appeal 20 the
/ SuB=y me Court OF the United States.
/ II is me talk i'm official circles that the
I total amount Of claims likely to be fled
| before the commission. will not exceed
/ twen;y million dollars. This may be
! true. though we are inclined to
! be skcptical on the point; but
whatever the fact may De. there
is not a sciutHIa OF doubt that the matter
OF this national inquest is a vastly i'm
portant one. II is well that the bill Gre
ating the commission reserves the right OF
confirmation TO the Senate. Too much
! care cannot Be taken ia the selection OF
the men who are to administer upon this
/ war legacy, which is OF a character that
/ might easily involve the creation Of one
Of the most stuDendous jobs aud scandals
| even in the history Of the present Admin
( istration. which in such directions has
! succeeded in breaking all records. ancient
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