The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-03-31
MR. PROJECTORS SPEECH.


Notable Argument I'm Favor of Free
Trade with Porto Rico.
In opening his speech. Mr.. Proctor ex
pressed his approval of the civil govern
rnsnt feature of the pending bill and his
regret on account OF the tariff provision
that he could not vote for It, He reviewed
briefly the history OF the proposed Porto
Rican tariff, quoting the President in his
annual message and the secretary OF war
N his annual report as favoring free
trade between the Island of Porto Rico and
the United States. Then he referred to the
sudden change that. somehow, had been
wrought and said:
us in strange that some OF us in lack
of an official statement or apparent reason
for this sudden shift should be slow 10
give up line of action which we believe
10 be based on principle and justice. which
we believe the only honest and consistent
course. IL Is Charged do not know with
what truth. IL any-that this change was
demanded and brought about BY the sugar
=,ld tobacco interests, and also. 1t Is stated.
by organized labor. /. however have
failed to see that the representatives of
this latter interest appeared before the
committee.
TT is practically admitted that free
trade with Porto Rico does not harm these
interests materially. but they claim that
IL creates precedent that may harm them
If adopted in reference to the Philippines
and Cuba IL will be time TO cross those
rivers when we come to them. and. I'm my
opinion. the crossing Will not be different
Hntn the proper lifUt tOTltS lDF
POINTS SCORED BY EDMUNDS.
Mr.. Proctor then quoted long letter
written him by former Senator George f..
Edmunds. who dealt with some of the con-
stitutionai phases Of the present question.
Here are some extracts from Mr.. Ed
munds's letter:
ANY such measure. IL enacted. believe.
will be unique I'm our whole history. IT will
initiate and parallel the acts of the British
Parliament. which forced our fathers to
Just resistance and revolution and led
them to establish "A Constitution which. in
studied and explicit terms. forbade any
such discrimination.
Congress is the creature Of the Consti-
tuition. and not the reverse. law passed
by Congress is its creation, n mere express
sion of it's will which IL may repeal or
change at pleasure. II. therefore. assum-
Ing that the Constitution does not exist I'm
Porto Rico. Congress TO erect a
statute declaring that the present Consti-
tuition shall be extended over and be i'm
force I'm that island. the Constitution gets
its only force by the virtue of the statute.
IL Is statute legislation and nothing else.
and a repeal OF the statute would extin-
guish IL. But the Constitution. such.
suppose. all will admit, Is not subject to
the control of Congress. either to enlarge
or diminish, to expand or contract. to
be applied to or withdrawn from any peo-
pie or place 1t is not a movable thing. like
the Ark of the Covenant OF the Israelites.
TO be sci up and moved here or there as
the tribes might wander. IL is the actual
event and condition. not the legislative or
executive will that must. in the nature OF
things. determine the status of man or
country under IL.
Porto Rico and its people came under
the sovereignty of the United States by
force or the treaty with Spain and I think
all will agree that IL any part OF the peo-
pie of the island levied war against the
United States or adhered to our enemies.
etc. they would be guilty of treason. But
on L. an axclnsfvaIv fftt-
tfonal crime, and IL cannot exist the
island unless the constitution that defines
II Is in force there"
Mr.. Proctor then continues: eve may
do many wrong and foolish things without
violating the Constitution. but IL does not
follow that we must do them or ought tc
do them. and | claim. Mr.. President. that
the plain people. the sensible. honest Amer
lean people. who look at this question from
no standpoint of interest. who are not
sugar nor tobacco men nor men who have
any commercial or class interests which IL
Is claimed must be placated by our action
are the best judges of what is fair and
right and honest, and that their judgmen,
In the end must and will prevail III VIC
are not bound by the letter of the Consti.
tuition are bound by justice and human
ity TO deal with these questions I'm the
spirit of American institutions and Ameri.
can civilization.
WHAT THE PEOPLE BELIEVE.
"rhe people. Mr. President, look upor
tiits 40 q tldttCt VI piiuCipit, QutSsiOH VI
good faith and common honesty, and their
moral sense has been shocked and the ma
tional heart and conscience stirred by the
fear that this measure of taxation will be
adopted by Congress. The people believe
as the President did when he wrote in hi:
annual message that our plain duty is Il
abolish the customs tariff between the
United States and Porto Rico The peopl,
know that sentence by heart, and they viii
repeat 1t millions of times within the yeal
OF Its deltverance unless perform wha
the President says Is our plain duty Tn,
people believe that this is a question, no
of mere policy, but of principle
Mr.. Proctor had read by the clerk the
proclamation of General Miles to the PEG
pie OF Porto Rico, i'm which IL was prom
Used 70 hestOw upon them 1.-The immunitie:
and blessings of the liberal institutions o
our government" and the recent letter o.
President Schurman, of the late Philippin,
commission. In which he holds that tn,
obligation TO give the Porto Ricans fires
trade Is moral, not constitutional, and tina
the American people will not tolerate an,
faltering with solemn obligations.
Continuing. Mr.. Proctor said: I'VE lev,
this tribute upon a people who are I'm tn,
direst poverty and distress. resulting i'm :
large part from very action in takin,
possession Of their island and destroyin,
the, existing markets for their products
and opening no other, and to this is adde's
BY the hand OF the Almighty the terrib
destruction of the tornado so that the,
are now i'm the extreme of poverty an'
restitution bordering on starvation. If thi
bill becomes a law Ii will stand great,
in the way of the development OF that lit
tie island. IL leaves the future in uncer
tainty. for IL we levy a tax of 10 per cent
the next Congress may levy tax of 8
per cent II we adopt free trade 1t will b
accepted by everybody as a definite polio,
toward Porto Rico. Business interests viii
know what 10 depend upon and capital an'
enterprise will go there and soon chang