The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-03-17

quences to themselves, but they refuse
to utter single word of penitence. Each
one seems to hope that his offense win
be condoned and to believe that his in
fiuence over the Republican voters in his
district remains sufficiently strong to Sc
cure denomination.
Mr.. Morris denies the authenticity Of
the interview published in the Baltimore
Sun and credited to him, wherein he is
represented as saying that he voted for
the tariff bill against his convictions, and
whether he did or did not make such a
statement has now become a question of
veracity between the congressman and
the newspaper.
Like Messrs. Tawney and Eddy. Mr.,
Morris assures the people Of Minnesota
and. those of the Sixth congressional dis
trict in particular that they Go not
understand the question at issue, and
that a thorough comprehension of such
weighty public questions is the sole pre-
rogative of the congressman with his al
most human intelligence. That is to say.
Mr. Morris and his cenfreres who voted
as he did on this bill assume that they
understand and know the wishes and
opinions of the people better than the
people do themselves. Such are the eff
fects of Imperialism upon the mind Of
the average Republican congressman.
Mr.. Morris seized upon the occasion to
issue a solemn warning to William Henry
Minneapolis that if we have free trade
wherever the flag goes, it is not only little
Puerto Rico that will be affected, but,
later on, the Philippines. with 12,Oo0,0O0
people. The question we must first con-
slider Is the welfare of our own people
rather than those of Puerto Rico"
Setting aside the fact that the people OF
Puerto Rico are now supposed to be "our
own people," being governed neither by
Spain nor by themselves, but owing al
legiance to the United States government
and supposedly entitled to the enjoyment
of all the rights and privileges of all peo-
pie living under the American flag and
the constitution this warning given by
Mr.. Morris is a clear indication that the
Rico is not regarded by the Republicans
in congress as the main question at issue,
but that the sugar, tobacco and Irvine
trusts have seized upon the necessitous
condition of the people of Puerto Rico as
a pretext for the imposition of a tariff
which will be used as a precedent when
the Philippine question is reached
This warning also throws a doubt upon
the declaration of certain Republicans
near to President Mckinley. that his OBJ
ject in turning tail on his former
official free trade utterances was that
basis for an appeal to the supreme
court might be established. The state
ment of Mr.. Morris seems to indicate that
the precedent which it was sought to es-
tablish by the imposition of a tariff on
Puerto Rican exports and imports was
one which would form basis for SINH
lar tariff enactment for the Philippines.
This is exactly where the shoe pinches
the trusts. Free trade for Puerto Rico
means establishing a precedent for free
trade with the Philippines
After thus letting the cat out of the
bag, in the heat of his desire to rebuke
b
the usual explanation of his vote on the
bill, in which, apparently forgetting the
words he had used in warning Mr.. Eustis,
he declared that the problem before
committee and the house" was how to
relieve the poor. suffering Puerto Ricans
He denies that the bill applies the policy
of protection to Puerto Rico. but that 1T
was intended by the passage of the meas
ure only to raise the necessary revenue
for the Puerto Ricans themselves By
all this Mr.. Morris would have the people
believe that the congressman who voted
for the Puerto Rican bill were actuated
by motives of pure philanthropy and had
no thought of the future tariff for the
Philippines, or that they first considered
the welfare of our own people, rather
than those of Puerto Rico" as Mr.. Nor
ris told Mr.. Eustis.
The Republicans of the Sixth district
will no doubt discipline or reward Mr..
Morris in their own way as they may see
fit. but, unless they are persons of an in
finite capacity for being gulled, the ex-
PLANTATION made by Mr. Morris will not
| placate them on his action in voting for
the Puerto Rican tariff BILL