Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-12-28
Senator Foraker Discusses Subject
Before Manufacturers Club.
DIFFERS WITH GENERAL HARRISON
Tariff Legislation No Departure
From Correct Principles.
SIP EECH IN CINC1NNA Att

CINCINNATI Ohio, December 2S.-Sen-
ator ]. b. Foraker. In a speech before the
Manufacturers Club of this city last night,
replied to the speech of former President
Harrison at Ann Arbor recently, in part, as
follows:
"All the questions arising upon the Porto
Rican legislation are soon, to be passed
upon by the Supreme Court. For that rea-
son / do not care to discuss them at this
time, but it is in order to say that the view
taken by Congress, as reflected by that
legislation, was creditable to the gener-
osity, the patriotism and the industrial
spirit of the American people. We found
Porto Rico az poor as poverty could make
her. She had no money. no credit no sys-
tenn of taxation of any kind. She wanted
civil government and a revenue to sup
port It. We gave her far more liberal
civil government than was ever given to
any territory prior to the civil war, so far
participation i'll 1t by her people is con-
cerned, and we dealt by her more gener-
ousiy. in providing support for that gov
eminent. than We have ever yet dealt with
any territory.
Unexamplcd Generosity.
'In requiring her to pay tariff duties on
imports from foreign countries we did only
what we did with Louisiana. Florida Cali
allowing her to put those duties. when col
lected. into her own treasury for the sup
port of her local government, We did what
was never done before for anybody else;
for in all other cases we have not only re-
quired the payment of these same duties
hut we have also required them, when
they were collected. to be paid into the
national treasury at Washington for the
common benefit of the whole country: and
as to duties commerce between Porto
Il
levy u per cent, but we RENTED 81 per
cent of the existing rates on number OF
articles and the whole duty on all the rest
ard provided that the II per cent should be
RENTED on and after the 1st of March,
1902. or sooner If the legislature of Porto
Rico shall so provide. and that, meanwhile.
all collections of this II per cent, both
there and in the United States. shall be
paid over to Porto Rico for her own sup
port We made this provision because IL
was the easiest and least hurdensome way
possible to raise Indispensable revenue Tor
the government and Lot because 1t was IN
any sense of any benefit to either our gov
ernment or our people.
No Change Wanted in Porto Rico.
The Porto Rican Legislature is now in
session, but neither that body nor any
member of it, nor anybody else, has taken
any step to repeal or alter the tax system
imposed by Congress On the contrary,
all concerned alike testify to the highest
satisfaction with what Congress has done,
aud the request Will be almost unanimously
made that the provisions enacted may be
continued. if not indefinitely. at least until
some satisfactory system Of proper taxa
ton may he substituted.
In addition, it should he stated that
Congress. also. in the same generous spirit,
exempted Porto Rico from all internal rev.
enue taXation-another favor never before
extended to any part OF people any
where.
1T is true that the legislation for Porto
Rico was DEPARTURE but it is not true
that it was a departure from correct prin-
ciples.'