The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-04-04

to paralyze the business in
terests and inhict hardship
upon the inhabitants of
Puerto Rico than all other agencies
combined. The adoption by the senate
Yesterday Of the amended Foraker bill
to establish provisional civil govern
mcnt for the ISLAND and to provide
revenue for meeting the expenses
thereof will. if speedily concurred in
by the house. whose earlier bill it lib
cr2Iizls, cnd the long suspense and
be the signal for Il swift recupera-
tion.
As Senator Fairbanks has explained,
there is no ground whatever for the
charge, So mistakenly brought BY
many Republicans who have consult
ed tho" emotions instead of their
reason, that the United States is not
treating Puerto Rico in the most lib
cral manner possible. Coffee consti-
tutos sevon-tonths of the exports of
the island. 1t found a market chiefly
in Europe Spain imposed an export
duty on it. but that has been abolished
under American occupation TO pro-
tect the Puerto Rican coffee growers
duty has been imposed OF cents
an foreign coffee coming into the ISL
and. Under the senate bill. the pro-
posed duty of - per cent. will bring to
the island revenue on its average
sugar production, of $202,500. The
duty will be "a 50 per ton. instead of
the present $50 per ton. The Is per
cent, duty on tobacco will yield $2l0,-
OO0. There will be derived from the
duty on tobacco and sugar the sum OF
$li2, 800, and on all items $49S.271. The
duty upon existing stocks OF sugar and
tobacco will be paid by the large plant
"rS and by the sugar and tobacco
trust and the burden will not in any
way fall upon the mass of the people
of Puerto Rico. The duty Of $3.50 per
ton, which will he collected On sugar
VIII not add a solitary dollar to the
burden of the people of Puerto Rico,
but they will get the benefit of every
dollar collected in that duty.
It will require 1000, 600 for the Ord-
nary civil administration of the ISL
and. There are no schoohOuses there
and their construction and Inaugural
tion of comprehensive system OF
education, the construction of public
roads and other needed improvements
will require $3,000,000 additional. Where
ia that money to be raised from
Governor General Davis has testified
that the imposition of additional taxes
would practically amour, to conhsca
ton. Another plan proposed is by di-
rect appropriations from the United
States treasury. Our people have beer
very generous to Puerto Ricans, but
the latter are not mendicants, and il
would be unWiSe to undertake TO sup.
port them out of our treasury. An.
other proposition is to borrow tho
, money. Rut, lat would be turning
them over to bondholders and Cannor
be done until thev have full gov
ernment of their own, even if advis
able at any time. The fourth plan is
that of indirect taxes through customs
and that is the only way available
now and the best way.
30 lar as the proposed civil govern
ment is concerned, it's provisions arr
as liberal as the present status of tn
large majority of the islands inhabi
tants will permit. 1t enables tn
Puerto Rican people to start on thei
career of self-government,. not at tn,
top of the ladder, but at the foot
where they belong because they hav
not the experience. the education o
: the temperament to conduct at once
= after all their centuries of SDanisl
: nlisguidance, a republican government
: OF the first class As fast'as they car
= show evidences ot Improvement the.
8 Will undoubtedly. receive, opportunitie
!. to broaden and better their forms >
= gogernment ami may even aspire I
= statehood as the ultimate goal Of thei
= political progress. - .
: .The problem. Of the moment, how
= ever, is, to bring ipdecision to close
= Yesterdays vote !n the senate place
:. this problem once more on the thresh
=. hold of the house.
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