The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1900-03-15
The Puerto Rican Question.

En their feverish search for issues
Democratic leaders seize upon every
3assing incident in hope that at last
something to party advantage isl
about to turn up. Yesterday it was
Macrum; today it is charge that the
Puerto Ricans are to be taxed and
ground down for the benefit of outside
ssvudicates and SPECTATORS. The Dem
ccratic party is without a single dis
einctive principle on which it can ap-
peal to the country. Free silver is
lost cause. The people have passed
Judgment and the Republican pledge
TO establish the gold standard has been
fulfilled. Opposition to monopol1es is
not confined to any one party. It was
announced m the Republican National
platform of twelve years ago and re-
affirmed later. Imperialism is a shad-
.ow- AS President Mckinley said in
his speech in New York last week:
%'There can be no Imperialism. Those
Rvao fear are against it. ~ Those who
have faith in the republic are against
at. SO that there is universal abhor-
rence for it and unanimous opposition
to it." Under existing circumstances
the Democratic party is compelled to
turn to the new possessions, especially
20 the Philippines, for political capital
5n the coming Presidential campaign.
And they are trying to establish in
Puerto Rico some precedent, no matter
what, that will enbarrass the admins
4rati6n in the far more popu1ous and
unenlightened Philippines
In the Puerto Rican debate in the
House the burden of the Democratic
argument Yves that the inhabitants of
the island, poor as they are and suffer
ing from calamity, are to be the vic
.eiu1s of a tariff on their products ex-
changed with the United States. But
the bill which passed the House pro-
vides that the money collected shall be
devoted to Puerto Rico itself and is
operative for only two years. Further
more, the house, acting upon the sug-
erestion in the Presidents message,
passed a bill setting apart for Puerto
Rican uses all the duties on it's exports
heretofore collected by the United
States, amountin g7to' over $2,O00,OO0.
One hundred Democratic members
woted against this bill, showing plain
IL that the relief of the island was not
4 +Lny@
thoughts at all. What they struggled
ae do was to put the Republicans in a
false position as to the status of the
new possessions. When it came to the
gselut the ma iority of Democrats went
on record against handing over to
Puerto Rico the money they said had
@aeea heartlessIy exacted from starv-
ing people.
As a matter of fact, the tariff is
Eaecely side issue with the Demo
cratic party in regard to the Puerto
E.icau bill which has been approved by
&lqe House and is now before the Sen
ate. The Democratic managers have
aimed at a larger and more important
mark, and that is the constitutional
bearings of newly acquired. territory.
sTais is not subject to be settled has
eiig. Democrats are more than willing
r@hat the Republicans in control should
ssa tead1ong at conclusions and then
pass through d period of repentance
And humiliation. But the Supreme
Conrt has yet to define the full extent
Of ire authority of Congress in dealing
vr5tn new possessions, or, in other
zRs-tis, the constitutional aspects of the
H1 sic case. Republicans claim that
the Hew1y acquired islands are not con
stitstional1y entitled to the business
regulations existing between the states
zaud that the laws passed for Puerto
Rico can be modified in the Phi1ippi
YES, or changed again, according t.
circumstances for hawaii. It is to til
up Republicans on this inlportan
question that Democrats are making
their Puerto Rican fight. = ST. Loui
fIz1ebe-Democrat.
n Tf11av of Ni1Vvautyae was