The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1900-04-13
The PUERTO RIcAN BILL
New York Tribune.

No doubt the Puerto Rican bill will
stin be denounced as taxation with
out representation" But territories
always have been taxed without rep
resentation. and the abuse for which
hat phrase somewhat inaecurately
stands as a symbol is merely the use
Of the taxing power to place heavier
burdens on the unrepresented than on
the represented The Puerto Rican
legislation is not subject to that re
proaeh- Congress taxes unrepresented
Puerto Rico just as 1t taxes the un-
represented District Of Columbia. II
is the local legislature for both. No
body else at the present time can leg
islate for Puerto Rico. and congress
levies a tax there for the uses Of local
government. just as it may levy one
for policing and paving the city Of
Washington The fact that the tax is
a customs duty makes no difference.
The octrui duties which prevail in
many cities Of Europe are nothing but
local customs duties levied on goods
passing into them for the support Of
local government There is nothing
strange in such tax 1t may be wise
or unwise to raise revenue in that par
tieulsr way instead Of from lands and
houses So. too. il may b an open
question whether direct taxes. or in
ternaI revenue taxes set apart for
Puerto Rico. or low duties set apart in
the same way. would best furnish re-
venue for the local needs Of Puerto
Rico. The lawmaking power for Puer-
to Rico. which in this case is the con-
gress Of America has thought that
the duties would Be- fairest and most
easily borne. paid. as they would be
in the first instance. by the merchants
who would get the earliest returns
from reviving trade. and who at pre-
sent are better able to pay taxes than
the impoverished landowners. That
is a question fairly within its discre-
tion.
There might be some force in the
;alk about oppression Of unrepresented
Puerto Rico if congress were to levy
special and higher taxes on it than on
the hone territories for federal pur-
poses. But it has done no such thing.
1t levies no taxes on Puerto Rico for
federal purposes, and for local pur-
poses levies a tax Of which Americans
trading with Puerto Rico must bear
a share. instead Of putting the whole
burden on the island. II that is op-
preston Of Puerto Rico. make the most
Of II. In fact. it is uncommon gzner-
osity. and nobody would dare question
II except In the confusion over the
novelty Of a customs tariff being levied
for purposes Of local taxation, a course
warranted in this case by the peculiar
conditions Of the island. and fairly en-
titlsd to trial before being denounced.
1: no more violates pledges given to
Puerto Rico than would the leyying
by congress Of a direct tax for building
a road in the island.
The substantial vote by which the
bill was passed is gratifying testimony
to the ability Of the republicans in con-
gress 10 face the problems Of expansion
and act on them as actual situations
demand, undeterred by the misrepre-
sentation Of enemies or the qualms Of
friends. They have no; been driven
into making a precedent which might
embarrass. as in the Philippines, but
have prepared the way to a needed
final settlement Of the constitutional
power Of the government in outlying