The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1900-04-11
students of the University of Califor-

sWeeplng over the country mas come very
near being perverted into the means Of
turning away the general policy and per
manent course of great nation. To re-
lieve the temporary distress by recognizing
the Porto Ricans as citizens and by All ex-
tension OF the Dingley tariff to Porto Rico
as a matter of constitutional right, foreclosed
the whole question.
L know 1t is said, plausibly enough, In
some quarters, that Congress cannot fore
close the question-has nothing TO do with
it, in fact-but that 1t ia a matter to be set.
tied only by the supreme law of the land, of
which Congress is merely the servant. The
point need not be disputed But it is an
uuquestioned part OF the supreme law OF the
land, as absolute and as binding as any
thing in the Constitution ITSELF which de-
clares, in the duly ratified Treaty Of Paris,
that the whole question of the civil rights
and political status of the inhabitants in
this newly acquired property of ours shall
be reserved for the decision of Congressl
Let those who invoke the supreme law OF
the land learn and BOW to it.
As to the mere duty of prompt and ample
relief FOR the distress in Porto Rico there is
happily not a shade of difference OF opinion
among the seveuty-fve millions of our in
habitants. Nor was the free trade remedy
so vebemently recommended important
enough in itself to provoke serious objection
or delay. Cynical observers might find, in
deed, a gentle amusement in noting how
in the name OF humanity the blessings of
free trade were invoked by means of de-
mand for the immediate application Of the
highest protective tariff known TO the his
tory of economics. The very men who de-
nounce it as a Chinese wall are the men
who demand It's application. They say
give Porto Rico free trade" but what
their proposal means is deprive Porto Rico
of free trade, and put her within the barbar-
GUS Chinese wall" Their words sound like
Offering her the liberty of trade with all the
world, but mean forbidding her to trade
with anybody except the United States.
The Importance of the question from an
economic point OF view has been ludicrous-
ly exaggerated on both sides. The original
proposal would have in itself done far less
harm than its opponents imagined, and far
less good than its supporters hoped. Yet to
the extent of its influence IT. would have
been a step backwards. It would have
been the rejection of the modern and scen-
titic colonial method and the adoption in
stead of the method which has resulted in
the most backward, the least productive
and the least prosperous colonies in the
world the method, in word, of Spain
herself For the Spanish tariff in fact,
made with some little reference TO colonial
interests, we should merely have substi-
tuted our own tariff, made with sole refer
euce to our own interests. A more distinct
| piece of blacksmith work in economic leg
lslation for helpless, lonely little island
in the mid Atlantic could not well he i'm
| agined What had poor Porto Rico done
that she should be- fenced in from all the
old would by an elaborate and highly COM
| plicated system of duties upon imports, cal
culated to protect the myriad varying man
ufactures and maintain the high wages of
| this vast new continent, and as little adapt
ed to Porto Rico's simple needs as is Jur-
geusen repeater for the uses of kitchen
clock? Why, at the same stroke must she
| be crushed, as she would have been If the
| Constitution were extended TO her, by a
, system of internal taxation, which we our
selves prefer to regard as highly exception
| al on tobacco, on tobacco dealers, on bank
checks, on telegraph and telephone mes
sages, on bills of lading, bills of exchange,
leases, mortgages, life insurance, passenger
tickets, medicines, legacies, inheritances,
mixed flour, and 80 on, aud 80 on, ad intin-
itum, ad nauseam? Did she deserve so
badly Of us that, even in hurry, we should
do this thing to her in the name of Human.
| ty,
All the English speaking world, outside
the United States Congress perhaps, long
since found more excellent way. II is
simplicity itself. II legislates for COM
munity like Porto Rico with reference to
the situation and wants of that community
NOT with reference to somebody else. 1t
applies to Porto Rico a system devised for
Porto Rico-not one devised for distant
and vastly larger country, with totally diff
| ferent situation and wants. II makes no
effort to exploit Porto Rico for the benefit
and scientific effort from the Porto Rico
point of vew-not from that of Temporary
Spanish holders of the present stocks OF
Porto Rican products-to see what system
will impose the highest burdens and bring
| the greatest benefits on Porto Rico herself
The result Of that conscientious inquiry
may be that the very best thing to provide
| for the wants and promote the prosperity
of that little community out in the Atlantic
ocean is to bestow upon them the unmixed
boon OF the high protective Dingley tariff
| devised for the United States of America
III so, give them the Dingley tariff and give
| 1t straight. III, on the other hand, IL should
be found that lower and simpler revenue
system, better adapted to a community
which has practically no manufacturers To
protect, with freedom to trade on equal
terms with all the world, would impose
upon them lighter burdens and bring them
greater benefits, then give them that. II il
should be further found that, following
this, such system Of reciprocal rebates as
both Cuba aud the United States thoupht
mutually advantageous in the late years OF
Spanish rule, would be useful to Porto Rico
then give them that. But in any case the
starting point should be the needs of Porto
Rico herself. intelligently studied and con.
sclenuously met,-not the blacksmith's off
hand attempt to fit on her head, like a rusty
iron pot, an old system made for other
needs, other industries, distant land and
another people.
And beyond and above all, give her the
best system for her situation and wants,
whether it be our Diugley tariff or some
other, because IL is the best for her and
is therefore our duty; not because it is ours
and therefore under the Constitution OF the
United States her right. The admission OF
that ill-omened and unfounded claim would
be, at the bar OF politics, colossal blunder
at the bar Of patriotism, a colossal crime.
The politics Of it need not greatly concern
this audience or long detain you. Bnt tn.
facts are interesting, II Porto Rico IN
stead OF belonging to us, is a part of us, &c
are the Philippines. The title is exactly
the same. So ere Guam and Samoa and
the Sandwich Islands; and so will be Cuba
II she comes, or any other West India
Island.
First, then, you are proposing to open the
ports OF the United States directly to the
tropical products OF the two greatest archi.
pelagoes of the world; and indirectly
through the open door we have pledged IL
The Philippines, to all the products of all
the worldl You guarantee directly to the
cheap labor of these tropical regions, and
indirectly but none the less bindingly tC
the cheaD labor of the world free admia