The evening times., 1900-01-27
4 RerrettnhIe RncksIiding.

ReErettnbIe BncksIIding.
On more than one occasion il has been
both our privilege and pleasure TO call at
tentiOn to President McKinley's attitude Oh
the question OF trade with our insular pos
sessions. Although a lifelong protection
ist. and the political associate of a class Of
men which has always been cheerfully
ready to sacrifice the Constitution or the
Bible or any other bulwark OF American
society, whenever such a course might be
necessary TO the Derpetuity of a system
which gives it the power TO loot the public
under pretence OF aid 10 infant industries
the wickedness Of extending the curse Of
Dingloyism TO regions under our own flag
and sovereignty has been so evident to Mr..
McKinley's mind that for a long time he
has been Independent enough TO dare the
hostility Of the Chinese Wall element in
his party and stand up for right and jus
tice. Apparently, after serious struggle.
he has been driven from the admirable pO-
sitiOn he originally occupied in relation to
free trade with Porto Rico, and there is
JOY unspeakable among the cabbage-leaf
tObacco-grOwers Of the Connecticut Valley,
on the sugar-beet farms of Iowa, and all
around the rum distilleries Of New Eng
land
1t is a Presidential year, and although
the hapless American subjects who in
habit our Antillean colony are starving
because their products are shut out from
the markets OF the rest of the United
- 81.
preached and practiced by the Presidents
evil genius, Hanna, steps in and forbids
relief. The excuse Is made that to declare
free trade with Porto Rico would be tanta-
mount 10 an acknowledgment that the ISL
and Is an integral portion OF our common
country. Now. down in his amiable heart,
MIR. Mckinley knows that there is no
truth contained in the Scriptures. or in
the multiplication table more certain or
more eternal than that any land under
the Stars and Stripes and the Government
of the country as a possession. is ipso
facto American territory in the same
sense and to the same extent that Alaska.
Arizona, New Mexico and Oklahoma arc.
The contention. invented by the tariff rob
beIs. that we can take by treaty or pur-
chase and incorporate within our impe-
rial boundaries territory Of other nations.
without making il American, and for fs-
cal purposes treat il as foreign is too silly
to justify discussion. The same may be
said regarding the collateral argument,
that TO remove the oppression Of Ding
leyism from place like Porto Rico would
amount TO a national undertaking to grant
a Territorial Government with universal
suffrage and, later, 10 erect the possession
into a full State. There is no Constitu-
tiOnal or COmmOn-sense ground for the
I proposition The whole plea is a vicious
| sybterfuge on the part Of the ultra-pro-
I tecionists in behalf Of their monopOlies.
/ AMI We are sincerely sorry that Mr. Nc
/ Kinley has given way TO it,
/ Of course. 70 rs unnecessary to say that
/ the monopolists have tried 10 show the par
J ty managers what a terrible mass Of votes
the beet farmers. the stogy rollers. and the
+ Medford rum makers could throw against
/ the Republican candidate If Porte Ricau
/ cigars. sugar. and aguadiente we're per-
+ mitted to get loose in the States before
election. but we think that such excited
/ representations might be ignored with per-
feet mpunity. There does not appear to
( be the slightest reason for doubt that Mr..
Mckinley viii be nominated. irrespective
Of his attitude to the tobacco rum. and
sugar champions. After that. let it be
granted that many Of them might vote
against him out Of spite, He need not
lose a moments sleep on any such account
He has an enduring foundation in the no
bic army Of domestic Filipinos in Congress.
both OF his own. and the opposite party.
who are fighting desperately day by day 10
make votes for him. and are succeeding
magniicently. As long as the anti-expan-
sionists are roaring and Iashing OF their
tails. there is not the least danger for Mr.
Mckinley. On the contrary. it is highly
probable that if this Filipino foolishness
continues he will get more than enough
Democratic votes to offset any losses he
might incur among the tariff monopol.sts.
His Porto Rico backsliding is something to-
tally unnecessary.