New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-02-26
THE REAL PUERTO RICAN ISSUE.

The cuttlefish trick is being resorted to by the
free NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. COM
binaton that is trying TO extend the United
States tariff 10 Puerto Rico and thuss set a
precedent for taking that island into the Union
and letting its so per cent of lliterates help us
TO make laws for the government Of this CONT
nent. The attempt is made TO obscure the real
issue. and TO conceal the African in the wood
pile" by raving incoherently against every one
who ventures to differ from them. There is no
hesitation at even the most fragrant perversion
of facts. A favorite cry is that the advocates Of
a tariff between this country and Puerto Rico
do so upon the ground that all the United States
is bound 10 do is to be n little less cruel than
Spain was in its treatment of the island. Upon
that the changes rung with "damnable
iteration" with iteration that would be
damnable Were it not so shallow and contempt
ible
For as everybody knows. that is an utter and
wanton falsehood. The advocates of a tariff
have not based their argument upon any Span
fish precedent whatever. They have. on the con-
trary. ignored the Spanish system, and sought
TO establish a new one based upon no consdera-
tons but the needs and the welfare of those
concerned. The question is not what Spain did
or did not do, but what the island needs and
what is just and right and honorable. Such are
the only considerations worthy of thought. AS
a matter of fact, it Is the free traders who have
dragged the Spanish precedent into the case
and have been harping upon it a rule and
basis for our action. IT was they who concocted
the fimsy and transparent falsehoOd that there
was free trade between Puerto Rico and Spain
Therefore. they say, there must be free trade
between that island and the United States. 1t did
not take long TO expose the falsity of that pre-
tence. But the free traders are so angry at
being found out that they haye become quite
incoherent in their rage. They seem TO have
forgotten all about Puerto Rico and the needs
of its people. All they care for think about
is the hideous turpitude of those who let the
truth be known.
The real Issue is not as we have all along
contended, whether there shall be free trade or
a tariff, per Sc Either would be lawful and
either could be established without setting any
embarrassing precedent-if the Job were gone
about rightly. The issue is. Which will be better
for Puerto Rico, and. incidentally for the
United States Puerto Rico needs, of course,
market in which 10 buy and to sell. But that is
not her only need. She needs a revenue for pay
ment of the expenses OF her local government,
for schools, for roads, and for other public
works Of prime necessity. Such a revenue can
be secured from direct taxation from Gus
toms. The former method would be particu-
larly burdensome and Objectionable TO the peO-
pie. The latter, there is good reason to believe.
would be effective, and would not be burden
some, nor interfere with the prosperity of the
island. At any rate, that Is a question suscept-
ible of deliberate and rational consideration.
Men ought to be able to determine by investiga-
ton and calculation pretty nearly what would
be the effect of the proposed tariff upon the
island. An attempt to do that would be vastly
more credtable than this agile jumping up and
down and shrill screaming for free trade or
nothing"