, 1900-04-05
RICO TARIFF.
VIEWED IN THE LIGHT OF CON-
MON SENSE.
Tho People of the Island would Not
Suffer Through the Temporar I'M
position of Low Tariff Duties-A Con-
vIncing Statement.

The Journal has seer no reason for
emitting shrill cries of anguish over
this matter. We have not expected
that the world would fold together as
a scroll if the Puerto Ricans did not
have free trade with the United
States. We cannot go so far as to say,
with yet another contemporary, that a
low tariff against Puerto Rico means
that we might as well turn our sol
diers loose in the island to butcher the
inhabitants" Even a high tarin would
perhaps be more humane than that.
What the journal believes is that
Puerto Rico is part of the United
States, and that a tariff should no
more be imposed against imports from
there than on Michigan butter sold
in New York city. But we are prepared
70 wait without showing signs OF hys-
terra till the Supreme court of the
United States makes a decision tnat
confirms our belief.
In the meantime If the Puerto
Ricans are compelled by congress to
charge a low tariff against us at their
custom houses and we against them
for the sake of enough revenue to sup
port the government of the island,
what of it? A raving contemporary
says that a duty of 2 cents the pound
on rice will compel the Puerto Ricans
to pay $3.50, 900 annually. That is a
little over 40 cents for each Puerto
Rican, and there are five other arti-
cles on which the increase may be as
much-about 81 the year per capita.
We regret that it is anything, but until
the Supreme court says this is illegal,
abuse of congress for what we regard
as a mistake will effect nothing.
Now as to exports from Puerto RICO
on which it is proposed to charge a
duty here. The current understanding
has been chat Puerto Rico was not
selling a dollars worth of its products
elsewhere thar in the United States,
and not much here; hat it once had
free trade with Spain, and lost that
market when the island was coded to
us. But the fact is that Puerto Rico
did not have free trade with Spain.
Coffee shipped from Puerto Rico to
Spain paid a duty of $50 the hundred
pounds. and as to her other products
the Spanish tariff was relatively as
| Eh. or more han twice what is sug-
gested to be imposed in the United
States on imports from the island.
Puerto Rican coffee, in fact, is in n
event to be admitted free into our mar
kets. Moreover, of the duties collected
I'm p1prtn Pioa usbau ~ waG q Snanizh
province about 40 per cent wen for
the support of the government OF
Spain; under the United States both
the revenue from duties on exports
from Puerto Rico, collected in our Gus
ton houses, and the revenue from
duties collected at the island will be
expended in the island.
Nor is 1t true that the markets of
Spain have been closed to Puerto Rico
since the cession. The figures fur
nished by our government to cover the
first thirteen months of our occupancy
show that Puerto Rican exports to
Spain (S969, 729 WORTH, Italy, France,
the United States, Germany and to
other countries amounted in value to
over six millions of dollars yearly,
above the average of the period from
1887 to 1891, thought somewhat less
than the total for the one other year
for which the figures are available.
Besides, general exports to the United
States from the island are rapidly in
creasing.
1t Is not accurate therefore to state
hat the Puerto Ricans are standing
starving in the midst of a mass OF
u"neXportable and unstable products
because we do not give them free trade
with this country. We ought to give
them free trade if the island is decid-
ed to be an integral part of this coun-
try, and we ought to give them some
form of government at once, for uncer-
tainty tends to prevent the highest
prosperity and development, and be-
aust the people deserve at least that
much at our hands of right. But it is
unnecessary that our local free trade
contemporary should beat its breast
and mix ashes in its flowing locks as
might become a sincere mourner. 1t is
not sincere. and there is no funeral
Detroit Journal.