The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-22

PHILADELPHIA. April 2l.-Senator J.
r. Foraker Of Ohio addressed the members
Of the Union League upon The Relations
Of Porto Rico to the United states to-
night He came from Washington in the
private car of Vice President Charles L
Pugh OF the Pennsylvania Railroad and
was met az the station by President Darl-
iuEtou. of the League At $50 o'clock he
was entertained at dinner, other guests
being j. B. Foraker jr who accompanied
the Senator from the Capital; Major Cen
araI Brooke. Charles f. Pugh, f. T. stotes-
bury Hon. Dinner Beeber. Charles :. For
syth. and Theodore Search. The speech
was delivered in the large Assembly Hall.
which was crowded. Mr.. Foraker said, in
part:
The criticisms Of the legislation in re-
spect TO Porto Rico has been due 20 two
misapprehensions First as 20 the atu-
tude of the President in regard TO IT, and
second as TO the legal relations Of Porto
Rico TO the United States.
The President in good faith recon-
mended free trade between the United
States and Porto Rico. but earnestly Ia
yored and personally as well as officially
approved the bill that has just passed.
His reasons were three-fold: First, be-
cause its provisions are a substantial and
almost literal compliance with his recon-
mendatious; second. because they are far
more liberal and generous than his rec
Ommendation was. and third. because IN
SO far as the bill fails to comply strictly
with his recommendation there was ne
cessity therefor. recognized by the prssi-
dent and all engaged in framing the legis-
lation that has been enacted.
The President in his message used this
much-quoted language:
uur plain duty is 10 abolish an customs tariffs
between tlc United sJate- and Porto Rico and
give hl products free Sccess % our markets
when he made that recommendation,
ne had reference to what had occurred,
and to the then existing conditions. Be
fore Porto Rico was ceded to US she traded
chiefly With Spain and Cuba; but when
the cession. occurred. both Spain and Cuba
closed their ports against her products
except on payment Of tarin duties that
were so high as TO be practically pro-
hibitive The President. as Commander
in-Chief during the military occupation.
could control The tariff duties leyi11 on
& imports into the island. but he had no
imports into the United States In conse-
4 quence our ports remained closed to Porto
+ Rico except on payment Of the full Dingley
rates of tariff. and as a result the war
took from Porto Rico her former markets
and left her none in return. The result
was complete business stagnation, and tens
of thousands of Porto Rir8ns were suffer-
ing for. the necessities Of life.
, "Ou August S the conditions were aEgra-
NmHH HH.Ha do
vastated the coffee plantations. BY 1t the
people were brought almost 10 absolute
poverty and despair when the President
wrote his message. What be had in mind
was not any great principle or legal right
OF obligation. but The best means for the
. speedy relief of The suffering and starving
people. j. occurred 10 him that the oesl
helu 90 them would De in giving them free
access to our markets. But in that same
message the President pointed our the
urgent necessity for providing the Porto
Ricaus a civil government tu take tht
place Of military rule. and be reCommeudes
immediate action ia that respect
Conditions tn the Island.
Both recommendations were general IL
their terms. and were made with th'
lnouledre that Congress would take n,
action without Investigating the condition.
there The CougIes si1usl committees hav'
irE the matJer 100 hand found that th
President was right iu calling for the i'm
mediate establishment of the civil gov
rrumeur. and they found that not les
than s. 01a 600 annually would be- needle
60 run If. Au additional million yea
would be needed to maintain the municipa
governments on the island They foun
that the total valuation Of taxable propert
on the island would not exceed $l00. GOA
and that it was already burdenei Wit
private debt amounting nearly to $4,000,
600 according 20 the records.
Poverty bauiTuptcy, and ruin wer
crervvhcre No system Of property taxa
tion had been employed, and probably tw
wears would be required 10 establish one
ON the other hand the public revenues q
the island save from income and bushes
taxes were raised chiefly by import an
I export duties Owing TO the conditions