The evening times., 1900-04-02


disastrous Gamage upon the sugar and to-
bacco plantations. So within twenty four
hours 500 900 people were left without any
occupation or means Of support and the
prOprieJors without any credit or money
with which to clear their farms and en-
ploy the labcrers who were clamoring for
work and starving all about them ! have
no hesitation in saying that If the island
had not in this distress been under the
United States, but had remained under the
old Spanish regime. the amount Of suffer
ing and starvation would have appalled,
the world. With the island In this strick-
en- condition. and the people in this depiO-
rable situation. il was impossible 10 raise
revenues for schools for roads. fOr courts.
FOR police. OF for any purpose Of govern
ment by direct taxation. The Porto Rican
Government must be supported and the
means found for the recupeFatiOn 90 Porto
Rican industries and the resurrection OF
Porto RicaD farms and the salvation Of
the Porto Rican people either by taxing
the people OF the United States, by taking
money bodily out Of the United States
Treasury and pauperizing the island, or by
finding a method By which the island it.
self can secure income and credit. It was
when these conditions had become familiar
60 our committee that We changed our bill
from free trade 10 the tariff measure
which IS now before the Senate.
The Presidents recommendation Of free
trade ~ss made in order that Porto Ric-
ans might have the use Of these duties in
Porto Rico by not having 20 pay them
that is. by keeping the money for public
purposes in the island The proposition
Of the House Of Representative and OF
this committee is tkat those duties shall
be collected and returned 10 the people Of
Porto Rico. because 10 is the only way by
which the people Of the island Will get q
dollar Of benefit from them. Vow. from
whom Will they be collected
The TariG.
Who pays this tariff and who gets the
benefit? For the first time in the history
Of Porto Rico il is paid by those who make
money cut Of her. by those who are en-
Tiched by her toll; by those who are far
removed from the ignorance and the suf-
fering and the squalOr Of her population.
The tariff money taken from them goes
really 10 the people Of Porto Rico who
never before received any ben6t il viii
20 for sChOOlhOuscs and school teachers
Now, as TO the charge that it viii stine
the indstries Of Porto Rico Porto Rican
coffee, representing fye-eighths Of her
product and Of her labor. viii come in free,
Porto Rican sugar and tobacco viii come
into our ports in competition with the su-
gar and tobacco OF Cuba Porto RiCau
sugar and tobacco when the Dingley tariff
applied equally TO both Of them found a
ready and remuneratiyc market in this
country. Under the operations Of this
bill by which fun tariG duties are paid
by all others and only j. per cent Of them
by Porto Ricaus, the Cuban sugar man
will pay iU Diugley tariff duties 81 80 for
every 100 pounds. while the Porto Rican
sugar man viii pay "a cents. There can
be but one result Of this concession Of So
per cent 20 Porto Rico as against Cuba,
and that IS au enormous stimulus. on ac-
count Of the enormous profit 10 both su-
gar and tobacco areas and productions in
the island Of Porto Rico
Porto Bicau industrial conditions. be-
cause OF surplus population lack cf remu-
neratiye employment and Taralyzi1gs3og-
erty. have thrown the transact ions OF the
Island into a few hands 4 startling in
stance is given Of this by cable. which
Informs us 0i ne else ia - price 90 food
during the las. few days Under the ex-
ecutiye orders Of the President. ali brad
stuGs now enter Porto Rican territory
free OF duty and yet the few men who
control the supplies which feed he Porto
Ricau people and import them from the
United States, though they 90 in abso-
lutely free, have raised the price 100 per
cent 20 these poor. starving people who
are unable 20 ger any relief The tariff
Of = per cent if imposed would NOT raise
This price. il would be paid by these deal
ers.
Under this bin this taria lasts only
TWO years. and may be ended by the Porto
Rican Legislature any time. Il Is a tenta-
tive measure. 30 is wholly for the benefit
OF the people Of Porto Rico, its proceeds
are used for no other purpose than 90 i'm
prove their conditions and enlarge their
opportunities
This bill is the peoples law. To re-
stTiCta as far as can be done. the power
CT trusts or combinations or concentration
OF Industries. It puts upon the free list
these roducts going from the United
States into Porto RicO-the food products
from the American farmer-So that the
American farmer has this market free as
against the agriculture of other countries
whose imports must pay Dngley tlrin
rates It gives To the Porto Ricaus The
fullest opportunity Tor cheap food tn
word, every product Of the farm o. factory
in tho United States which will help Porto
Rico. enable her TO rise triumphant from
her ruins. and give UemuneratiVe use for
capital and employment and wa yes 90 her
people. are on the free list The luxuries
consumed by the prosperous are. as they
ought to be. taxed for the support OF the
Government
4 ROSeate Future.
But this is not all The whole question
of taxation is remitted by this bin to the
people and government of Porto Rico
Here is the character Of Porto Rican self
government. II is the spear which pune
lures the huge and swaying balloon Of ty-
fanny oppression and -iolations OF the
Constitution and Declaration of lndepend-
ence so laboriously blown out and expand
ed in the past few weeks.
Under this power We can and viii pro-
vide both for the development Of our new
possessions and the protection Of indus
tries and employment within the United
States. As time and experience demon
strate the necessity for new laws aud
changes Of existing laws. they viii be en-
acted. but always with intent TO maintain
the high standard OF American citizenship
and the scale of American wages. Prefer
enJial tariffs will promote trade between
the United States and all these islands.
Porto Rico. Hawaii. Guam. Tutuila. and
the Philippines are to be held and govern
ed by the United States with an impera-
tive duty on our part to their inhabitants
for their civilization the encouragement
of enterprises which will utilize their re-
sources. and for their constantly increasing
participation in their local and general
governments, and also for their and our
commercial progress and growth. ! do not
believe that we will incorporate the alien
races. and civilized. semi-civiliZed. barbar-
Gus, and savage peoples OF these islands
into our body polite as States OF our
Union.
Order law. justice. and liberty viii
stimulate and develop our new posses
sions Their inhabitants will grow with
responsibilities Of governing themselves,