St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1900-04-04
Senator Proctor on Porto Rlcan Affairs.

1890
embodied the provision for tempo
rary, an emergency, tax of fifteen pei
cent of the Dingley duties on Porte
Rican commerce, the revenue to bt
devoted to public purposes in Porto
Rico. Senator Proctor is so siren
uously opposed to the proposition to
impose a tariff on Porto Rican com
merce. in any form or for any pur-
pose, that he would be compelled to
vote against the bill containing the
provision in question. Referring to
the attitude of the administration on
the question OF the trade relations
between the island and the United
States the Senator said:
us it strange that some Of us, in lack
OF an official statement or apparent
reason for this sudden shift, should be
slow to give up line OF action which we
believe to be based on principle and
justice, which we believe to be the only
honest and consistent course 1t is
charged-I do not know with what
truth, il any--that this change was
demanded and brought about by the
sugar and tobacco interests, and also, 1t
is stated, by organized labor.
II, however, have failed to see that the
representatives of this latter interest
appeared before the committee. 1t is
practically admitted that tree trade with
Porto Rico does not harm these interests
materially, but they claim that it creates
a precedent that may harm them II
adopted in reference to the Philippines
and Cuba. 1t will be time to cross these
rivers when we come to them, and in my
opinion the crossing will not be difficult
when the proper time comes tor actor"
Mr.. Proctor read letter from ex-
Senator Edmunds, who dealt with
some of the constitutional phases of
the pending question. Mr.. Edmunds
said:
"Any such measure, if enacted, will, ]
believe, be unique in our whole history.
1t 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 for.
bade any such discrimination. Porto
Rico and it's people came under the
sovereignty OF the United States by force
of the treaty with Spain, and | think
all will agree that if any part of the
people of the island levied war against
the United States or adhered to our
enemies, ETC., they would be guilty oil
treason. But treason is an exclusively
defined constitutional crime and it can
not exist on the island unless the consti.
tuition that defines it is in force there"
Continuing Senator Procror said:
"We may do many wrong and foolish
things without violating the constitution
but it does not follow that we must dc
them, or ought to do them, and claim
Mr.. President, that the plain people, the
sensible, honest American people, who
look at this question from no standpoint
of interest, who are not sugar men MOI
tobacco men, nor men who have any
commercial or class interests, which, it j:
elaine d, must be placated by our action
are the best judges of what is fair anc
right and honest, and that their judg
ment in the end must and will prevail
Ii we are not bound by the letter of the
constitution, we are bound by justice
and humanity to deal with these ques
tions in the spirit of American institution:
and American civilization.
"The people, Mr.. President. look upor
this as matter Of principle, question
of good faith and common honesty, anC
their moral sense has been shocked anC
the national heart and conscience stirred
by the fear that this measure Of taxation
will be adopted by Congress.
"The people believe, as the Presiden
did when be wrote in his annual messag
that our plain duty is to abolish thu
customs tariff between the United State
and Porto Rico
THE people know that sentence by
heart and they will repeat it millions o
times within the year from its deliver
ance unless we perform what the Presi
dent says is our plain duty The peopl,
believe that this is question, not o
mere policy, but of principle.
"We levy this tribute upon a peopl
who are in the direst poverty and dis
tress. resulting in large part from GU
very action in taking possession of thei
island and destroying the existing mar
kets OF their products and opening nj
other, and to this is added, by tn
hand of the Almighty, the terrible de
struction oil the tornado, so that the
are now in the extreme of poverty am
destitution, bordering on starvation.
1T this bill becomes a law, it wi
stand greatly in the way of the develop
ment OF that little island. 1t leaves tn
Iuture in uncertainty; tor if we levy ta
OF Is per cent. the next Congress ma
levy a tax OF so per cent. If we adop
free trade it will be accepted by every
body as definite policy toward Port
Rico. Business interests will know wha
TO depend upon, and capital and enter
prise will go here, and soon change til
deplorable conditions now existing. Ur
certainty will paralyze industry.
1.-THE constitution may or may no
follow the flag, but the good faith of tn
American people must stand unauestione
wherever the stars and stripes are seer
There is no way to successfully govern O
deal with people who are in our power
or are interior to us in advantages an
opportunity, except to be strictly jus
and to keep perfect good faith with then
THE plea oil harmony in the party al
peals to me strongly. But this is que
tion other than party and policy. 1t
aquestion OF principle, and it is bett,
that even small minority Of the part