Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1900-03-29

turns to its mother. l view with concern
the prospect of this nation forever taxing
the people Of that island. We impose by
this bill certain l,er cent Of duties upon
goods passing to and fro between that
island and this country. How long will
It be before some powerful interest will
demand that it be recognized? The rep
resentatives Of these interests vote and
elect members Of congress The Puerto
Ricans do not vote; they are merely our
subjects. Can there be any doubt that
the taxes will be levied more and more
for the benefit Of great interests in this
country and that l,apless people, who
were told by our generals that they were
to receive the glorious blessings Of Ameri-
can liberty, who crowned our soldiers
with wreaths, will become the victims OF
oar extortion rather than the sharers in
our freedom?
GLOW was Spain treating them? At
the time of their deliverance they had
twelve representatives and four senators
the laws TO, the whole Spanish empire.
They had a 10 per cent duty upon goods
passing between the two countries, and
at the end of the year 1898 that duty was
to disappear. They had almost complete
autonomy for their own local affairs and
Il million and half in the treasury.
''Look ut the practical application of
orr proposed tariff. Upon territory but
little larger than Rhode Island there are
crowded a million people. The great
question with them is the food question.
Upon many articles Of food our duties are
high, but as we are large exporters the
price is not increased to our people, but,
for every bag OF flour and every barrel OF
pork that goes to Puerto Rico, rs per
cent Of these high duties must be paid.
Upon the importation of rice alone am
told the duties will amount TO nearly
100000 Il year. Is this the feast Of lib
erty to which we have invited those
people? There is no safety in departing
from the constitutional rule.
Remember that il the race from which
our institutions comes has great virtues it
has great faults as we'll. 1t NAV not be
cruel, like the Spanish race, but is it free
from cupidity? DO you want an instance
from its history which may show you the
way you are drifting? To the west OF
England there rises from the sea an
island larger, but not more bea ,tiful than
Puerto Rico-Ireland. English states
men taxed and legislated the linen and
other great industries Of Ireland almost
out OF existence and her people were
beggared. DO You want to make Puerto
Rico our Ireland?
~ say far wiser will it be If, instead OF
entering upon policy which will make
her happy, sunny.hearted children the
mere chattels of this government, we
follow the humane recommendation Of
orr president and ray the foundations of
o.. empire deep in the hearts OF those
people. g,
the principles Of liberty at home and
tyranny abroad. brand with all my
energy this hateful notion, bred some
whore in the heathenish recesses of Asia,
that one man may exercise absolute do
minion over another man or one nation
over another nation. That notion COM
ports very little with my idea of American
liberty. 1t was resisted to the last ex-
tremity by the heroes who fought at
Bunker Hill and starved at Valley Forge.
It fell before the cleaning sabres OF our
troopers at Winchester. 1t was shot to
death by our guns at Gettysburg and
Appomattox. A half million men gave
up their lives that their country might
stand clothed III the Respondent robes OF
constitutions. liberty and that we might
have government OF laws and not Of
men for every man, beneath the shining
folds of the flag. All the sweet voices of
our history plead with US for that great
cause today and do not believe that this
nation will tolerate any abandonment Of
that principle which has made her NOR
ally as she is physically without a peer
among the nations"