The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-04-17
REAL PURPOSE OF ann
PUERTO RICAN BILL
PREVENTION is CONSIDERED
BETTER THAN CURE. ,fH
The Right to Levy Tariff on Out
lying Territory IL Events Shall
Prove That One Is Needed Is Sc
cured by the Measure Recently
Adopted-To Guard Against Future
Contingencies.

Special Correspondence OF The Tribune.
Washington, April 16.--The Puerto
Rican tariff bill is a law despite every
obstacle that the free trade Demo-
cracy could throw in it's way Could
they have compelled the enactment of
"a measure establishing immediate and
absolute free trade with Puerto Rico
they would have had opportunity to
assert that the precedent thus es-
tabished must be applied to the
Philippines, to Hawaii. and to any
other non-contiguous territory which
might subsequently como into similar
relations with the United States, aild
that by the act of the Republican party
the cheap labor of the Orient and the
tropics was thus to be brought into
direct competition with the working
men and agricultursts of the United
States. That was the political oppor-
tunity for which the Democrats were
fighting, but they failed to accomplish
it. '....
BILL AS 1T STANDS.
The bill as it stands proposes to
temporarily collect on goods passing
from Porto Rico into the United States
and from the United States into Porto
Rico Is per cent. of the regular Dingley
tariff and pay into the empty treas
ury of the island every dollar so col
lected, this plan to continue only until
the legislature of Porto Rico shall
have provided local taxation sufficient
to meet the necessities of the island
and in no event to continue beyond
March 1, 1902. after which date there
is to be absolute free trade between
the island and the United States.
One of the objects of a tariff upon
Puerto Rico's products imported here
is to establish a right to impose such
a tariff in later years, should 1t be
found necessary. This will be a pre-
cedent in our legislation for our new
possessions, the Philippines. The pro-
posed import duty-15 per cent. of the
Dingley rates-is merely nominal,
within per cent. of free trade. Back
of 1t is an established power and rec
ognized authority to deal with these
questions as shall seem wisest and
best when we know more about the
whole matter, and shall better under
stand the true situation with which
we have to deal.
THE FUTURE SAFEGUARDED.
what it may become ten or twenty
years from now, under the influence
OF American capital and enterprise,
we can only conjecture. Cotton may
be grown there, and cotton manufac-
turing might become a large indus
try. With cheap island labor the pro-
duct of our own northern and south
ern mills could thus be undersold.
Would it be right to expose the agri
cultural and Industrial interests of
these United States to such competi-
ton? If the principle of a tariff be
not now maintained, it might be diff
cult If not impossible, to impose one
hereafter, if it should thus become
necessary. Then the Republican party
| would be blamed, and justly so, for its
neglect to protect the interests of
American citizens on the mainland,
| and for its lack of forethought.
1t may be that the sugar yield there
may grow to such an extent as to cur
tail the available market area for our
growing beet industry. The same may
be true of tobacco, of vegetables, OF
oranges, of rice, of hides, of hemp.
and other products. 1t is not claimed
that there is danger today. But that
there is strong probability of dan
ger to American industries through
| the establishment of free trade rela-
tions with Porto Rico, as precedent
! for our policy in dealing with all our
| outlying possessions, no one can deny.
after having given the subject careful
| investigation. What applies to Porto
| Rico might be held to apply equally to
other possessions, and who can say
| what may develop in that much larger
and equally fertile area in the east,
with it's abundance of cheap labor,
| COMMON SENSE VS.. SENTIMENT
That is what we must guard against.
Without a precedent, and the estd5-
| lished right to impose a tariff upon
any of the products of our island pos
| sessions. the United States may in
years to come feel the effect of sucn
| lack of legislation to a very serious
| degree.
BY the adoption of this legislation,
| future protection will be possible 20
| American interests in case it be need
! ed against that source, or against the
| Philippines, or against the Danish
| West Indies, should We acquire them,
or any outlying possessions.
An ounce of prevention is worth
pound of cure, and IT is best not to
| fix a precedent that will abolish a
right which maintains our national
policy.