The evening times., 1900-04-03
TUESDAY, APRIL 3, 19Oe.


AS, in his speech upon the Payne For
aker Porto Rican Tariff bill, Senator De-
pew appears to have taken himself seri-
Ousiy. perhaps it would be nice on our pari
TO follow his example. The difficulty is
that his remarks bTistle with the sup
pressed but still unconcealed humor OF
conscious and deliberate humbug, and can
not be read without hilarity.
For instance, he declares that the plan
rates on Porto Rican sugar and tobacco is
not in favor OF the trusts. but is in effect
3 crushing blow to them. Now. never in
the course Of his career-never when ap-
pearing at his best, under the spreading
chestnut tree" of his after dinner Oratory
has Or. Depew told a story as mirth- h-pro-
voking as this sapient statement. Like
many other of his anecdotes, it raises the
question as to whether the great and
genial Doctor has or has not an i lea
in his head that his auditors or readers
are inhabitants of an asylum for the fee
e-minded. If arguments such as he ad-
vanced with much JUNCTION in the Senate
pubhcans can say in defence of national
broken faith and violation of the tConsti-
tuition. the Administration and the party
are certainly in a bad way. They may
think that because the people were fooled
in 1896 on the subjects Of bimetallism and
civil service reform a similar game can be
played in 1900 on the issue Of the trusts
ba ion,
aud his co-laborcrs in the vineyard Of
monopoly are greatly mistaken if they
look for any such good luck. 1t has been
well said that all the brains and education
do not disappear from the States when
their representatives. leave them to at
tend sessions OF Congress- There are al
ways few people remaining at home who
understand public questions. and the de-
sirability or viciousness Of proposed legis-
lation quite as well as DO their legislative
delegates Coming down iC ;he concrete.
there is not person in the employ Of the
railway, oil, sugar. steel, tobacco. or any
other great trust in either Senate or
House, who if he reads the papers. does
not know that the American people are
INlie4l Aei1lA wen AH4bILAtu itSdi uGilE tlt
Payne-Foraker infamy. what it is for and
by whom and for what specific reasons it
has been violently forced upon an Admin
istration too cowardly and corrupt 10
Withstand the influences behind it, In
view Of this fact. which is absolutely no
torious. the wonder is that men like DR.
Depew. supposed TO have business COM
with such puerii;ies a. he indulges in ap-
parently with some notion that they will
help TO stem the surging tide of popular
indignation against the impending national
dishonor and disgrace.
Vet he has the nerve to stand up and
assert that the Payne Foraker bill is a
grievcus thing for the sugar ard tobacco
trusts which secured its introduction and
demand its passage. Not only Senator De
pew hut nearly all Of his Republican COL
leagues who have spoken have held like
language, saying that nothing would
please the tobacco monopoly better than
10 get every leaf Of the weed from Porto
Rico that could be grown there free Of
duty. No doubt that would be true If free
factured tobacco; but that actual domestic
free trade to which Porto Rico is as much
entitled as the Connecticut VALLEY would
bring to the mainland millions of Porto
Rican cigars which the trust could not
control. and with which,it could not COM
pete profitably in the American market.
That is the reason why the Tobacco
Trust demanded an uDcCDSfituriDUa' far-
i'll against the island.
What viii be the result of its passage. as
far as tobacco is concerned? The duty on
leaf tobacco viii amount to about six and
n quarter cents The trust viii gladly pay
that FOR the sake of principle What is the
principle involved? 1t is that, as cigars and
cigarettes will be taxed sixty-seven and a
half cents pound, not a Porto Rican ci-
gar or cigarette can come here in compe-
tition with the trust. The free trade prop
ositiop wslld have given the cigar facto-
Iies of the island a chance 70 establish a
profitable commerce with the States. The
Payno-Foraker trust tariff will close every
one Of them. The total crop OF Porto Rico
will be forced into the warehouses of the
trust to be here manufactured. compelling
the Porto Ricans to be merely raw mate
rial producing colonists, for the benefit of
their imperial industrial masters. This is
the colonial system of oppression and out
rage against which the American people
rebelled in 1776, and viii rebel again in
November, 1900.