The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-03-31
AVERAGE VOTER
Is INTERESTED
in The CROPS
And Not in the Government of Porto
RtcO-washingtOn the Cen
ter Of Excitement.
THE MEASURE FAVORED
By the Republicans-United statos
Not Obliged to Keep Philippines,
But WIN Likely Retain Them.


WASHINGTON, March a.-The
"tempest IN a teapot" anent the Porto
RIcan legislation, may be said to have
materially diminished within the past
ten days. There has never been the
excitement, apparently, anywhere else
IN the country, with the exception of a
few isolated sections, that there has
been rlghs here IN Washington But
few members of either house of Con-
press have been belabored with letters
an the subject, and this is accepted as
conclusive that the average citizen is
inst now more concerned about the
coming crops and the multitude of bus
iness interests than with the problems
presented In the future government OF
Porto Rico. The people are Interested
In the subject, of course, but they are
seeminEly willing that Congress shall
decide In the matter, and equally will
Ing to abide by whatever in the wisdom
of the legislators shall be done for the
relief OF the Porto Ricans.
The dIfferences here among the mem
bers of Congress, particularly In the
upper house, have been very pro-
pounced but they are now in fair way
to be settled, and the Republican party
will line up pretty nearly If not quite
solid in favor of the measure which IS
SO soon to be voted upon. 1t may be
said of Congress without becoming liza
BILE to the charge of treason that the
members Of the lower house acted lit
tie too soon, though the right thing was
done. after all. Ergo, the right thing
was done TOO soon. The questions to be
decided were altogether appertainins
to the welfare Of Porto Rico, and at the
same time the adjustment had to be
made without violence to the principles
for which the Republican party has al
ways stood. The people of Porto Rico
had been the victims Of a visitation Of
wind and flood, and were in need OF
relief. At the same time they were and
are not paupers. But they are not used
TO paving direct taxes either upon
realty or personally. At the same time
they are rot accustomed to paying an
internal revenue tax. Even II used to
both systems mentioned, they are at this
time without the means to pay. The
duty of the American government, be-
ing responsible for their welfare, was
IN f,Ivn ,bp,n ndeuuate relief as quickly
as possible.
Freedom Of the American Market.
1t was at first believed that to give
them the freedom of the American
market would be the proper thing, but
the Congress was confronted with, first,
the Democratic threat to array the
laborihg people against free trade, with
hue and cry, and, second, the violation
of the Republican principle of protec'
ton Not that the proposed tariff
amounted to muGh-not much was
needed MS against Porto Rican competI-
tion; but whatever might be done in
the case OF that island might become
troublesome as u precedent when 1t
cume to dealing with the Philippines,
where free trade might be damSong
Therefore clearly within the constitu-
ton say Republican leaders the prinet-
pie OF protection was maintained by Inn
posing 10 per cent OF the DIngley tariff
on exports and imports, and the neces-
sarIes OF Porto Rico were met by re-
turning all collections OF tariff hereto
fore made upon Porto Rican business
to the government of the island for It's
support, and providing that the island
shall also have the benefit of future coll
lections during the life of the tariff
placed Mt two years,
Trusts Not Opposed to Free Trade.
L. is nm absolute mistake to say that
the trusts are opposed to free trade
with Porto Rico. Nearly all the sugar
and tobacco owned by the islanders has
been already bought by the corpora
tons, and large part of the tobacco
IL not OF the sugar is in warehouses in
New York awaiting the very legislation
which is under consideration. To levy
u tariff on that stock means so much
Is or 25 per cent, according to the de-
clslon-which the so-called trusts will
pay on the products already in possess
sion. To levy the tariff, as is manifest
will be no hardship on Porto Rican sub
jects, thelr products being already out
of their hands, and no crops growing
owing to the devastation caused by the
storm. on the other hand, by the ac-
ton OF Congress, every cent Of the tariff
collected and to be collected, goes into
the island treasury, to be expended In
improvements sorely needed, in the
form Of wages to labor and to pay for
such materials as Porto Rica can sup
ply for the upbuIldIug of her waste
places.
Ours by Right of Possession.
Another feature of the situation Of
which the Iemocrnts are making much
is that the United States will be obliged
to retain the Philippines, Here is also
an error The Philippines are ours by
right OF possession md purchase, bus
It has never yet been announced ns the
settled policy Of the government TO keep
them and assimIlatc their peoples. Thn
United States government may keep
them II It phases, but It Is not Obliged
to do so, and may not n other equita-
bic disposition can be made OF thcm'
Tho United States will Eee to II that the
right form OF government is establish