The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-12-29
He Defends the Action Of Congress I'm
Providing a Separate Tariff
Law for Porto Rico.
SAYS IT WAS A WISE MOVE
AND HAS GIVEN MUCH SATISFACTION
TO THE NATIVES,
Who Had No other Means of Raising
Correct Principles" He Asserts.

CINCINNATI o., Dec. Ex-senator j. b.
Foraker has made a reply TO the recent
speech, at Ann Arbor, Mich, of ex-Presi-
dent Benjamin Harrison, in which Mr.. Har-
rison criticised the Porto Rican policy Of
the government, characteriZing il as de-
parture from correct principles. In a speech
before the Manufacturers Club of this city.
last night, Senator Foraker said. on this
point:
'All the questions arising on the Porto
Rcan legislation are soon to be passed on
by the Supreme Court. For that reason
do not care to discuss them at this time,
but IL is in order to say that the view taken
by Congress, reflected by that legisla-
ton, was creditable TO the generosity, the
patriotism and the industrial spirit of the
American people. We found Porto Rico as
poor a poverty could make her. She had
no money, no credit, no system OF taxation
of any kind. She wanted a civil govern
ment and revenue to support 1t. We gave
her a far more liberal government than
was ever given to any Territory prior to
the civil war, so far as participation In II
by her people is concerned, and we dealt
by her more generously in providing sup
port for that government than we have
ever yet dealt with any Territory.
I'm requiring her to pay tariff duties on
imports from foreign countries, we did only
what we did with Louisiana, Florida. Cali
fornia and all our other Territories; but in
allowing her to put those duties, when col
lected, into her own treasury for the sup
port of her local government we did what
was never done before for anybody else:
for, in all other cases, we have not only
required the payment of these same duties,
but we have also required them. when they
were collected, to be paid into the national
treasury at Washington for the common
benefit of the whole country: and. as to
duties on commerce between Porto Rico
and the United States. we did not levy Is
per cent, but RENTED IS per cent. of
the existing rates on a number of articles,
and the whole duty on all the rest, and
provided that the Is per cent. should be re-
mitted on and after the 1st of March, 1902,
or sooner, if the Legislature of Porto Rico
shall so provide and that, in the mean
while, all collections of this Is per cent,
both there and in the United States, shall
be paid over to Porto Rico for her own
support. We made this provision because IL
was the easiest and least burdensome way
possible to raise Indispensable revenue for
their government, and not because IL was
IN any sense OF any benefit to either our
government or our people.
'The Porto Rican Legislature is now in
session, but neither that body, nor any
member of il, nor anybody else, has taken
any step to repeal or alter the tax system
so imposed by Congress. On the contrary,
all concerned. alike testify TO the highest
satisfaction with what Congress has DONE
and the request will be almost unanimous
ly made that the provisions enacted may be
continued If not indefinitely, at least until
some satisfactory system of proper taxa
ton may be substituted. In addition, IL
should be stated that Congress. i'm the same
generous spirit, exempted Porto Rico from
all internal revenue taxation. another favor
never before extended to any part of our
people, anywhere.
Yes, il is true that the legislation for
Porto Rico was departure, but 1t is not
true that it was departure from correct
principles ~