The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-03-09
president And CONGRESS


IN Harmony on the Puerto Rican
Measure Misunderstanding Have
Arisen Through 1liSapprshension.
as to the Scope Of the Bill and
What Is Involved.
WASHINGTON. March s.--A member
OF the cabinet tonight gave out the
following authoritative statement:
"There has been a wide mlSapprahen-
sion Of the Puerto Riean tarin bin, Of
the attitude OF the President OF the ac-
tion of the Congress- and OF their rela-
tions to each other. The criticism and
the concern which have come from
some well-meanlng quarters are due al
most to misunderstanding Of the real
facts. When the country correctly un-
derstands the truth. as It certainly VIII.
1t viii thoroughly approve what has
been done.
"The attempt to report that there has
been a misunderstanding between the
President and Congress is wholly tln-
founded. There has been no essential
difference between them. Both have
sought the same object. The recon-
mendatlon Of the President and the
house bill. in their purpose and their
effect, come to this same thing. AS a
consequence each rightly sustalns the
other. The clouds Of confusion on the
subject have been clouds OF misunder-
landing and viii clear away. A simple
statement of the faotsawill make this
plain.
''The PresIdent, In his annual mes
sage Of December, urged that the cus-
toms duties on trade between Puerto
Rico and the United States be removed.
Imports from Puerto Rico into the
United States have been and are now
paying the Dingley rates. They have
no preference over goods from any for
eign country. The President felt that
Puerto Rico should be relieved Of this
burden. He urged that It should be re-
moved, not as a matter Of legal right,
but OF liberal and humane public policy.
"Hls argument indicated his reasons
and suggests his view as to the ques-
ton OF constitutional obligation. Puer-
to Rico, severed from Spain, had lost
her old market, and had gained none in
Its place. She had been devastated by
hurricane and left destitute. Humanity
dictated every efCort to Lift her up and
to give her new market. This was the
Presidents plea, and WHIST need Of such
a plea II the constitution Of itself car
ried free trade to Puerto Rico? In that
case free trade goes to her whether
right or not.
"What the President proposed was
that the United States should otfer the
largest and most generous measure of
help to the distressed and suffering Is
land, and he has never wavered a single
instant in the object he sought. Had
his suggestion been accepted and follow
ed by all In his spirit and as he meant
Il, with the limitations he intended, all
would have been well. There would
have been no harm In any direction.
But when the time came for action in
Congress two tendencies were seen. on
the one hand there were good men and
some business and agricultural inter-
ests that, while not objecting or little
objectlng to free trade with Puerto
Rico alone, feared that free trade with
Puerto Rico would be made precedent
for free trade with the Philippines.
They felt that there should be q dis
tlnct association and express power to
impose duties, however small, aS an as
surance that this power was reserved
for other cases.
"on the other hand, what the Presi-
dent proposed as worthy act of ma
tional generosity and liberal policy was
seized by political opponents and claim
ed as a necessary and Inevitable meas
ure Of inherent constitutional right.
They insisted that the constitution by
Its own force extends to Puerto Rico
and all the new island possessions, and
spreads all its provisions over them. I'm
cluding uniform taxation. They were
eager to commit Republican Congress
to the adoption Of free trade with Puer-
to Rico, not as a measure Of generous
expedlency, but because they could then
claim that It had rivited a hard and fast
principle which would tie the hands Of
the government everywhere,ln the Phil
ippInes IS well as in Puerto Rico, With
out regard to varying conditions, and