The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-22

where small cigarette factories and rum
shops were everywhere It would be I'M
practicable TO maintain cur internal reye-
nue. system.
To recapitulate this MAS the situation:
A civil government was necessity. II
must have $4,000 oG0 q ysaF.. - There vas no
system OF direct taxation on property, ana
there was NO time to establish one TO
impose per cent. or even per cent,
direct tax on Porto Rico would have meant
only disaster failure, bsnkruptcL- ana
despair
therefore we decided to fad some way
OF avoiding direct taxation We also de-
cidei that for the present we would notea'-
tempt to maintain our internal revenue
measures on The island. Thirdly. we de-
cided to protect the Psrto- Rcans couee.
which represents their chief industry anu
amounts to more than two-thirds OF their
exports. by levying a duty Of 3 cents per
pound on all coffee imported INTO foTto
Rico and. finally that there should oe
collected on impOrtatious into Porto hiSo
from other countries, tariff duties as pro-
yided by the tariff laws OF the Onlteu
4 Large DcfcicncY.
This money. instead Of being turned
into the National Treasury. should be used
for the benefit and the support Of the PORTO
Rican government. still we found that
there would be a deficiency Of from one
million to a million and hall OF dollars
annually in the required revenue. 10 MAKE
nm this deficiency without directly taxing
the island. we agreed to put a lishL tarli
dfrv on commerce between the IulJeu
States and Porto Rico, and 50 we hhalIy
concluded and provided the bill which. IN
stead of absolute free trade. reduces tHe
tariff on dutiable goods coming into the
United States from Porto Rico 10 To- PEI
cent At the same time all tood pfouu,1s
,rd necpssaries of life. farm implements
machinery. and the like should enter Forlo
Rico free You hear constantly about our
uniting a tariff on the commerce OF forto
rico As q matter of fact, we did not add
or Increase the tariff. but reduced ana re-
nitted Il by So per cent ,,
aE7,irtherunore we expressly PROVIDED lndt
there shall be absolute free traue oe1"tsn
Porto Rico and the United States ~
March l. 1902, or as much sooheI q
year six months ninety days-"heneNeI
nc local government shall have proYldtd
for tho necessary revenue. MeanWhlle. al
collections Of tari1, both in Porto RICO
and in the United States shall be paiu
over to the Porto Ricans for the support
of their Government No such hpelaI
and generous legislation as to revenue was
ever before given by this nation or any
other to any territory or colony. lhe LAX
thus imposed VIII be borne al1iOs' eA
rlusively BY the sugar and tobacco ~
forests more able than any other to pear
/ it without feeling the expense. =.
"O,1- Democratic friends say Jhat lne
! Constitution follows theflag and that we are
violating that instrument. which requires
mat injposts. customs, and duties be uLl-
fern throughout the United stat - zorro
Rico they say. being part OF the Ohlted
& States. We could no more collect internal
{ 80 bare and not there than We could
distinguish in the same manner between
New York and Pennsylvania. ] think lhey
are wrong. lust as they were wrong our
ing 1S6l-5 when they contended that luele
was no constitutional power 10 preserve
/ the Constitution
They are as wrong now as they we're
wear ago when they Contended that We
could not acquire territory even DS us
covery or conquest. except with the pres
ent intention OF ultimately admitting IL
to statehood. We replied that IN our
opi7fou Congress had power TO govern
these new acquisitions, and if so II must
have a power to govern them according
TO the varying conditions OF each' ana
If the best interests Of Porto Rico re-
uuired a duty on coffee. we ought TO oe
able 10 give it, OF surrender the island, ana
we contend that not only in the nature OF
things We should have the power. but thaJ
we do possess IT, and that our position ls
fortified not only by reason but by au-
status of Porto Rico.
The radical basic difference Of the
whole lhiug lies at the very beginning
whether or not Porto Rico is part Of the
United States. I have observed that not
only the Democrats but many Republicans
have affirmed this proposition 70 be true.
such is not the case Porto Rico belongs
10 the United States. but II is not the
United States and not part Of the United
States
The acts annexing Florida, Louisiana,
New Mexico and Hawaii expressly provide
that the territory 50 annexed should be-
come and be a part Of the United States
But no such provision was made as 10
Porto Rico or the Philippine Islands. Ihe
Treaty of Paris provides that the civil
, rights and political status OF the native
/, inhabitants Of the territories hereby cedel
to the United States shall be determined
, ly the Congress. The Constitution pro
: yides that a treaty shall become part OF
the supreme law Of the land. This pro
F., vision in the treaty. therefore. gives tC
: Congress the undeubted right to incor-
porate these islanders into the union ol
, 10 leave them outside. BY the same au
thoritv the imposition of the same OF vary
, ing tariH duties the granting or the re
striction Of free trade, and all other suci
Z matters. rest with Congress. -...
S In other words. Congress has plenarl
q mower over the whole subject by The term
Of the treaty itself but it also had th'