The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1900-04-20

14HNAN~AAAA2 teNNN@ ~~-AA - 101 ~ ~
plicatlon to the business manager.
When the Puerto Rican tariff comes
60 be discussed and understood by the
people. which 1t win be before the cam
paIgn Is over. the exposure OF the ut
ter insincerity at the bottom OF the at
tacks upon the republican party for
the enactment Of that measure Will
viii exceed any political fiasco In the
history OF the country with which the
democratic party has been connected.
Instead OF denial OF justice and SYM
pathy to the Puerto Ricans. 1t viii be
found that no other way could have
been devised 70 save them from tenn
porary III effects which might have re-
suited from their connection with the
American Union. If 1t be true that the
constitution extends over the island
OF Puerto Rico by virtue OF its an
nexation to the Union. then the rights
Of government must also be held
70 extend over Alaska. the District Of
Columbia and the territories Of Ari-
Eona. the Indian Nation and other
sections Of American soil. independent
of the thirteen original states, which
have been governed by special acts OF
congress for a Quarter-century or more
without the slightest protest or OBJ
lection from the democrats or any 9TH
er political organization. The simple
truth about the Puerto Rican business
is that the democrats hope to make
that question a ralfying Issue for the
free trade elements Of the party which
have been shattered and scattered over
the free silver and populist heresies Of
the party. Independent OF the import
ant precedent which would have been
established in dealing with the Phil
ippInes and other semi-barbarous pos
sessions Of the country. the extension
of the constitution and the laws put
ting in force its provisions over the
island Of Puerto Rico, in the present
condition of its people, would have been
the most cruel and unrighteous thing
that could have happened to them. The
people Of Puerto Rico are poverty
stri, ken; their industries have never
been properly developed and what lit
tie progress they had made under
Spanish rule was halted by the dem9r-
alizing influence of the war between
this country and Spain. To have
brought chem into the Union as full
hedged citizens would have subjected
them to obligations which they are
entirely unable to sustain. The ad-
was confronted with the
necessity Of providing some form Of
income for the support of the tempo
rary government 1t was proposed to es-
tablish in the island. How best to
raise that revenue was problem 1t was
difficult to solve. 1t would not do to |
levy an internal revenue tax upon the |
few household goods and animals the |
people possessed, besides their destitu-
tlon was so great a sufficient income
could not be produced in that way
short of absolute confiscation or
course, II the constitution were held |
to extend by its own operation over the
island. every method in vogue here for |
raising revenue-the stamp act, the |
Dlngley customs rates, the liquor and |
tobacco licenses and tax would have
applied just the same as in Kentucky |
or Oregon. The only way out Of the |
and at the same time to avoid |
the precedent which might be urged in
favor Of the rights Of the half-civiliz-
ed Tagaloes and Sandwich island ma
tIyes, was to devise some system of
Indirect taxation which would produce
the required revenue. This was done
by imposing small tariff on the Gus
tom house entries-the smallest uni
form tariff ever collected in any coun-
try--not for protection. but purely for
revenue" such as the democrats used
TO howl for in this country. It has
been proved by ali history from the
period when organised
governments were frst established !