The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-04-03

ally with Porto Ricans He said that
there has swept over the country a wave
Of wild misrepreseutation and misinfor-
nation backed W by the direct personal
insstence of representatives of monopolis-
tic interest.
senator Depew's Speech.
Mr. Depew then spoke He said in part:
The Presidents recommendation of free
trade was made in order that Porto Ri
cans might have The use of these duties
in Porto Rico'by not having TO pay them
that is, by keeping he money for public
purposes IN the island. The proposition of
the House of Representatives and of this
committee is that those duties shall be
collected and returned to the people of
Porto Rico, because it is the only way
by which the people of the island will get
a dollar Of benefit from them. Now, from
whom will they be collected2 In the last
twenty-five years sugar has fiuctuated as
much as any other product in the mar
ket; c flee as he n sub3e-t TO the open
ing of new sources of supply, to failures
of crops, and TO all those elements which
add or take away from twenty to fifty
per cent. of the market price. But while
coffee and sugar importers have grown
rich and by their skill, their capital, and
their far-sightedness been able always to
calculate future prospects and to make
money. no matter what the conditions,
the laborer upon the plantations who pro-
duced these crops has never known any
difference in his wage. Unhappily for him,
the labor market was always overstocked;
unhapFily for him. there was no industry
but the land to which he or his family
could apply for help. He was "the man
with the hoe" meeting all the conditions
of DR.. Markham's remarkable poem. He
was too ignorant to know when good
times were making fortunes for those who
handle the product which he raised by his
Ia hOI. he frin lror, to St,b
sist in an organized effort to increase the
remuneration for his toll. 1t will be many
a year before these conditions change for
the masses of the Porto Rican people. They
can never change when an overcrowded
reputation has but one means of liveli-
hood and there are no varied industries
for it's relief.
Then who pays this tariff. and who
gets the benefit of it? For the first time
in the history of Porto Rico it is paid by
those who make money out of her by
those who are enriched by her toll: by
those who are far removed from the ig-
norance and the suffering and the squalor
Of her po2ula tion. The tariff money taken
from them goes really to the people of
Porto Rico who never before received any
be=-c 81
in word, what is all this contention
about? What is the apple of discord
which is lashing some friends to fury2
he ETeSldent proposed free trade, and
this bill gives free trade in all the necesL
saries of life in all implements and man
utactures required for the resuscitation
development, aud working of industries.
and a tariff amounting, on the average
to per cent. upon their market value
on products.
This tariff comes off by operation Of
law in two years and as much sooner as
the people of the island. through their
IsaPislatnrR 1apiIa to oh
cause they can raise the revenues neces-
sary for the support of their government
their roads, and their schools and for
their general welfare by direct taxation
THE opposition to this bill is the result
of the usual tactical operations for ad.
vantageous positions in presidential
year. The Calhoun theory of the Consti-
tuition and the century-old fight of. free
trade to destroy protection have made
united and desperate charge upon the pol
icy and provisions OF this measure. The
Democratic position in regard to our IS
land territories is clearly defined They
viii claim that the moment any territory
becomes the property of the United States
by conquest, purchase, cession or dis
covery it is under our Constitution and
laws; that its people and products have
the same rights and are entitled to tho
same freedom of movement all over the
United states as the people end products
nave the same rights and are entitled 10
the same freedom of movement ell over
the United States as the people end prod
ucts of any state in the Unioni that state
hood must speedily come and can not be
denied; that this would break down every
protective barrier against pauper labor
and admit free into our ports the things
produced by people working in our tropj-
cal possessions for few cents a day
and would degrade our citizenship and
therefore, II they get in power they will
at once abandon these islands.
1.-THE Republican party stands upon the
action of jefferson, Monroe. Jackson. Polk
Pierce and Seward that Congress has the
power to govern these acquisitions. subject
only to the prohibitions of the constitu-
ton.
General Jackson's Case.
81 recall for the consideration and cd.
monition of my Democratic friends that
story of Gen. Jacksons governorship OF
Florida, to which he was appointed by
President Monroe, under the act Of Con-
gress Of March g. 1921, providing that III
military, civil and judicial powers shall be
vested in such person and persons and
shall be exercised in such manner as the
President of the United States shall di-
rect" He claimed and evercised the exec
utive, legislative and judicial functions Of
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