The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-04-01
EXCEPT
Continued from First Page.)

against the coellctor of customs in the
city Of New York to recover some &, 900, :
coo collected on imports rom Porto Rico,
upon the ground that the constitution ex-
tended to Porto Rico, and that the duties
could not bel awfully collected. The
plaintiffs suing are Lawrence, Turner &
Co; the American Sugar Refining COM
pany; L. w. & P. Armstrong; Muller,
Schall & Co; John Farr, and Melchor,
Armstrong & Dessau. One Of the prin-
eipal parties, it Will be seen, is the
American Sugar Refining company, which
is the corporate name of the sugar trust.
Of the amount collected, 90 per cent. or
some s1,S00,000, represent the duties paid
or sugar and tobacco. To maintain the
suit, the sugar trust denies the constitu-
tional power OF the United States to col
lect ay duty whatever. The opposition
would have us believe that while the
trust was in the courts nying the con-
stitutional power Of congress to impose
any duties upon the raw sugars i'm
ported by it to New York, it was in
Washington advocating IN congress the
imposition Of a duty upon sugar. 1 do
not believe that any one will fail to
understand how utterly contradictory
and absurd the proposition is
THE only legislation suggested in the
present congress which is in the interests
of the sugar and tobacco trusts, was
proposed by the senior senator from Ar
kansas (Mr- jones', who introduced an
amendment proposing to refund to those
who had paid it, the s2,OOO,00O collected
on imports from Porto Rico. The mon
ey If the senator's amendment had been
adopted would be returned to the sugar
and tobacco trusts and other importers
now suing the government.
''The money collected from the trusts
and importers in New York has recently
been appropriated by act of congress and
will in few days be sent to Porto Rico,
to be expended in public works, in the
cause of education, and in granting re-
lief tothe poor people requiring it.
For one, 1 would regard myself re-
ereant to the trust committed to me and
false to the best interests of the people
ofthe United States, if l did not by my
vote compel these trusts and their al
lied interests to pay some part of main
tanning the Porto Rfcan government
which they do pay under the duty upon
their raw products, rather than increase
the direct taxes upon the people in the
island, or, in the alternative. appropriate
it from the treasury of the United States.
'Mr. President. it has not escaped pub
lie attention that a lobby from Porto
Rico has been maintained here during
the consideration Of the pen"alg bill. 1t
is headed by British subject who has
been insistent for free trade between
Puerto Rico and the United States and
who is one of the largest producers of
sugar in the island. It is quite natural
that he should desire that his product
should reach the American market with
out any duty whatever
''We rest the justification Of the pend
ing bill upon the broad and simple prop
osidon that it is the duty of congress
to provide revenues for the territory be-
longing to it, and to provide it in a just
and equitable manner. There is no pow
er save and except congress which can
legislate for Porto Rico. 1t is entirely
within the competency of the congress
to legislate forever for them. but to do
so would be in contravention of the ge-
MUS Of our institutions and contrary TO
thew ishes Of the congress and the peo-
pie"
After pointing that the proposed tariff
shall cease absolutely on March /. 1902,
and that as soon as the Porto Rican as
sembly shall have put into operation q
system of local taxation the commerce
between the island and the United States
shall be free, Mr.. Fairbanks concluded:
we should consider the subject before
us in no iliberal or dogmatic spirit. No
matter what shades Of opinion there are
with respect to the best course 10 be
pursued and the wisest measures to be
adopted with respect TO Porto Rico. there
IS perfect unity Of purpose among all
parties here to provide the most liberal