The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-03-04
A prsenAcrruL SURRENDER.


Mr. William Mckinley. president OF the
United States, through the management OF
Marx Hanna, minister plenlpotentlarv and
envoy extraordinary Of the trusts, and by
The grace OF his dcluded countrymen. has
demonstrated that either he has CON
science or that he Is the most conscience
less politician OF all the tribe.
In his message in which he outlined ad-
minlstration policy and gave cue to his
partisans in congress, as all the country
knows. Puerto Rico was to be accorded tho
sovereignty OF Territory in full compan-
ionship with the States and other Terri
tories. so far as It's trade was concerned
that there should be no restrictive leg
islatlon laid upon the products and trade Of
the island that did not fall within the aa-
thority OF the constitution and the power
OF The National legislature. as deaned
thereundeT, II was imperative that the
products OF Puerto Rico be at once relieved
OF restrictions imposed by the Dinglcy
tariff, then in force. The people OF the
island were starving Their trade with
Spain had been destroyed as the results of
n war that had merely wrought for them
a change of masters. which they were
promised should not exist In good con-
science, in humanity. in National honor
1t was necessary to lift the tariff off Puer-
to Rico. Mr. Mckinley to the gratihca-
tion OF cleanly public sentiment through
out the country said; "our plain duty Is
TO abolish all customs tariffs between the
United States and Puerto Rico. and give
her products free access to our markets"
Secretary Root declared that the presl-
dents definition OF National duty should
be observed because II carried alona with
1t the highest considerations OF Justice
and good faith" and Governor General
Davis. who is on the ground and sees the
conditions. said: Free trade with the
home government regard as necessity
for Puerto Rico" But Henry o. Have
meyer, president OF the sugar trust, and
James D, Duke, president OF the tobacco
trust, had not been heard from When
they were, It was seen that the presidents
party In the house was lined up, with
few honorable exceptions, against the
president against his secretary OF war.
against his commander general of Puerto
Rico and hast. In their estimation, against
the constitution OF the United States. 1ney
had signed allegiance 10 greed and stood
IN battle array under the standard OF the
trus<A Friends OF the administration mol.
Icy developed enough strength to cut down
turln q
the infamy, Now comes the extraordinary
proposition from the president sanctioned
by republican congress, to return 10 tho
relief OF the island oil customs levied ana
collected on Us lmportations 10 the United
states since the evacuation OF the Island
by the Spanish forces or that shall here.
after be collected under existing law
within the discretion OF the president aud
until such time as II shalt be otherwise
provided by law. Is this conscience or
politicsg The latter, by all the record
submitted by the president and his marty
colleagues since the Canton man WA
rammed into the chief magistracy Of the
United States by the Doodle hand Of the
great Cleveland Warwick. But who bs-
comes the beneficiary Of this bogus con
science fund ana from whom is il nlchee
that smother may be saved from starva-
ton' Puerto Ricans are first robbed ana
tnes' IN sense, reimbursed The citizens
o. the United States, consumers are robbed
ana never reimbursed After all the
sugar trust and the tobacco trust are the
iniermsdiate bensnciares which, alone o,
~ parties affected, yield up nothing while