, 1900-05-03
PAYNE ON TARIFF.
LEGISLATION NEEDED ron IN
SULAR PoSSESSiON9
wisconsin Republican Talks of the Ire
mendous and Lasting Consequence of
the C~ons.Itutionai Question Involved
FoIIoxar+Lincoin and Webster.

Hon. Henry c. Payne of Ohio, the
Wisconsin member of the Republican
national committee, has been in Los
Angeles where he was interviewed by
the Los Angeles Times, of which Gen.
Harrison Gray Otis is president and
general manager. Speaking of the
Puerto Rican question, Mr.. Payne
said:
1t is a momentous question, but the
great body of the people has conf
dence. l find, in the ability and good
faith of the administration and is
resting confident in the belief thai the
president and the Republican majority
in congress will do what is right by
Puerto Rico. President McKinley's
declaration in his message that 1t was
our plain duty to have free and I'M
limited trade with Puerto Rico was an
attractive program and met with a
sympathetic response. But 1t is the
presidents duty to change his mind,
just as 1t is any other mans, when he
sees, after a careful study of a uues-
ton, that another policy is demanded
by wisdom and justice. The fact is
that the president and nearly all his
advisers in Washington, a great ma
1ority of the Republican senator's and
representatives, arrived at the con-
clusion that the first legislation with
regard to our insIlar possessions, if
we may call them such, should be in
the line of setting forth a principle,
and that principle should be that these
new possessions shall not hold the
Rama ralnfinng tn the ,D,,n.,. l.
the territories that have become in
corporated n are incipient states.
1 think the more thoughtful people of
the country are opposed to any plan
to bring these islands in as integral
parts of the nation. Call it what you
please, we must come down to colonial
policy of some form. There is great
anxiety on the part of the administra-
ton to get started right in this mat
ter. Certain newspapers declared that
the presidents change of front was
due to the pressure of the tobacco and
sugar interests. That charge seems to
me ridiculous in view of the fact that
these interests want absolute free
trade with Puerto Rico. l was born
and brought up in Massachusetts, and
l always believed in Daniel Webster's
Interpretation of the constitution, in
stead of that Of Mr.. Calhoun. Some
Republican newspapers seem inclined
to line up with Mr.. Calhoun and the
bred Scot decision, in considering this
Puerto Rican matter, shouting that
the constitution follows the flag; but
i believe the country can more safely
follow the teachings of Abraham Lin
nnln "a n-.tr
the trifing tariff charges proposed.
there lies this old constitutional ques-
ton. which is of tremendous and last
ing consequence. You remember that
John c. Calhoun and the champions
of slavery maintained tina the consti-
tuition went with the flag into all ter
ritory acquired by the United States,
and therefore the stakeholder a the
right to carry his slaves and keep
them in any territory. This view was
maintained by the infamous bred
Scot decision of the United States
Supreme court, to the effect that the
United States can acquire territory
only for the purpose of forming states,
and that all acquisitions must be treat
ed as integral parts of the union.
Webster and Lincoln took the opposite
view that new territory. acquired in
n way or another, is not an inte-
grail part of the union till 1t has been
duly incorporated. and until then the
government has constitutional power
to regulate its affairs. Here is the real
Issue involved in all this Puerto Rican
discussion. IL | firmly believe the
thinking people of this country. after
careful consideration. will prefer to
follow Lincoln and Webster, whom
history has indicated. rather than
Douglas and Calhoun. This little
furry about Puerto Rico will soon be
over. 1t will not affect the result of
the presidential election. The admin
istration stands well with the people.
1t has fulfilled its pledges TO them. INT
more, too. On the money question 1t
has done better thar it promised. 1t
has builded better han the Republican
platform. 1t has restored confidence
and has revived business to the ex-
tent that we have more prosperity
eel than we had in 1892. which was
high tide. / cannot doubt that such
an administration will be sustained
TRADE EXPANSION TO CHINA.