The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1900-03-08
Washington Letter.
Washington, March 8, 1900.


Washington, March 8, 1900.
Everybody now recognizes how i'm
portant and far-reaching are the questions
involved In the Porto Rico tariff bill.
which has passed the house and Is now
being considered by the senate. When
the bill was being debated in the house,
1t was broadly asserted that this govern
ment had promised the world that COM
mercially the "open door" policy should
prevail In the Philippines. Senator For
aker, chairman. of the senate Porto Rican
committee, said, on the came subject:
beyond Porto Rico lie the Philippines.
1t has been suggested that in our eastern
possessions we shall have the open door.
II we open the Philippines to the trade of
all the world. we shall have the products
Of the world poured into the U. s., and
cur whole protective tariff system will
fell to the ground. This raises q ques-
tion on which it is entirely unlikely SEN
ators in debate will ever get together. 1t
will have to be determined by the courts,
and it is highly important that the de-
termination shall be reached soon. AL
though Senator Foraker was the first sem
ator to publicly say as much, the belief
among them has been general that the
questions involved could be more flttingly
decided by the U. 8. supreme court than
In the field of partisan politics.
Men In congress, who are usually we'll
informed, are expressing the opinion that
II the U. s. supreme court decides that
congress has not the constitutional right
to impose duty upon the products of any
territory owned by the U. s., as claimed
by the Porto Rican tariff bill, that the re-
tention of the Philippines by the U. s.,
will be an impossibility. Already, prom
inent senators and representatives have
said that they would prefer giving up the
Philippines to giving up the protective
tariff, which could not be maintained with
the Philippines having free trade with the
U. s., and presenting the "open door, to
the commerce of the world, which is
pledged in the Paris treaty, which trans
ferred them from Spain to the U. s.
This aspect of the question has already
been touched upon In the debate in the
senate, and it will be gone into much
deeper before that body disposes of the
Porto Rico bill.
| 1t may be that there was politics in the
recommendation cf the president that the
money already collected and to be collect.
ed as tariff duties on Porto Rican prod.
ucts, be expended for the benefit of Porto
Rico-at present there is politics In al
most everything done in Washington
but there was also humanity In 1t, anG
congress deserves credit for so promptly
responding to the suggestion of the presi
dant and making more than 81, 2,O0O, ,OO(
Immediately available for Porto Rico.
Senator Teller is man of positive
opinions on all subjects, and they are
usually opinions which receive the most
respectful consideration from senator's
who know that they always. represent
deep and careful thought. He said in &
speech on the Porto Rican tariff bill nov
before the senate: 81 want the party ir
power to say whether 1t may be the pur
pose ultimately to take in this island as
state. know the people; they are fit fol
self-governmeDt, and they ought, in m,
opinion, to have 1t as soon as 1t may b,
given them. Iwould not be alarmed ]
we should speak of the Province of Port,
Rico But say that am not going t,
vote for any bill that does not give tn
people absolute control of their owl
affairs. Mr.. Teller offered an amend
ment declaring that Porto Ricans shall b
allowed to determine the permanent form
Of government for the islands, and tina
they are citizens Of the U. s.
Exaggeration is one of the curses @
the American newspaper world. A strik
ing instance of it is the paragraph, nov
going the rounds, saying that the Turks
minister had brought a harem to Wash
ington. This paragraph has greatly dis
tressed Ali Ferrough Bey, the Turks
minister to the U.S S., who is quiet an
modest gentleman. He says it has mad
him afraid to pick up an American news
paper, lest he discover new variation {
the irritating and utterly untruthful story
He has no harem with him. The stor
grew out Of the presence of his wife, VIII
Is in bad health, and who was given pei
mission by the Sultan to accompany hin
solely because her physician advised
long sea voyage.
Although Secretary Hay will not adm
a belief in the probability of tariff We
with Germany, on account of discrim
nation against American meat product
in bill which has been favorably repor
ed to the German Reichstag, Secretal
Wilson, in bulletins issued by the depar
ment Of agriculture, points out the pro1
ability Of our having to engage In such
war If the objectionable bill becomes
law. State department officials intima
that this government has received assn
ances from the German government whit
have removed uneasiness concerning ii
bill.
1t was a relief to the members of Il
senate elections committee, when the la
witness in the Clark bribery case, whie
has cost the senate $4,000, was hear
TO give counsel time to prepare argumer
the committee has adjourned until Mare
Goth, when each side will be given q
hours to talk, and the privilege of filir
printed briefs. For unblushing perju
on the part of Witnesses, this case brol
all records.
In the Imperial library at Calcutt
more than 10000 volumes on India
affairs are brought together and ella
sified