The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-02-28
A REMARKABLE REQUEST.


AS Mr.. Richardson, the leader of the
minority. said. the request of the ma
jority on Monday for more time on the
Porto Rican tariff bill was a remarkable
one Requests for time, a 8 a rule, come
from the minority. The Republicans how
ever, found that they could not pass the
bill unless it We're greatly changed They
could not get all of their side to support
it.. BY asking for more time they prac-
tically admitted that they had brought
before the House bill which was so bad
that enough Republicans refused to vote
for it to defeat it.
The principle of the amended bill is the
same as that of the original bill The
Democrats take the ground that Porto
Rico is a part of the territory of the
United States. and its exports to their
markets cannot be taxed. The original bill
provided that a tariff tax of % per cent
of the Dingley tariff should be levied on
products imported from Porto Rico In
the amended bill it is proposed that the
tax shall be 10 per cent of the Dingley
tariff
An effort is made to .meet the objections
~ lily ACSAAONA ats Wy pl OFluluB tudI the
bill shall remain in force for only two
years. 1t is also set forth that the pur-
pose of this slight tariff tax is to provide
for the expenses of carrying on govern
ment in Porto Rico and for necessary
public Improvements there. 1t is argued
that it will be much lighter on the Porto
Ricans to pay a tariff tax for government
al expenses than any other kind of a
tax
These arguments show the straits 10
which the Republicans have been reduc-
ed. 1t would be a severe blow to their
party to have this bill defeated It's de-
feat would injure it's chances for winning
the presidential election. 1t is well I'M
derstood that the tariff tax was proposed
for the purpose of satisfying the protec-
tionists in the Republican party, and not
for the purpose of making it easier for
the Porto Ricans to get money with which
to pay expenses of governing their is
land. The protectionists were afraid that
if there were free trade with Porto Nco
the principle of protection would receive
blow from which it would not recover.
They therefore made a demand on the
majority of the House to put something
in the Porto Riean tariff bill that would
show that there was no intention to aban-
don that principle The President and the
House majority weakly yielded, and in
yielding they made the greatest kind of
a blunder-a blunder from which their
party will suffer throughout the presiden-
tial campaign.
The bill may get through in its present
shape. If it does it will be with the help
of a few Democrats whose constituents
do not want Porto Rican products to come
into competition with similar products of
| this country. Calling the amended bill an
emergency measure does not help the Re
pubicans in the least. The whole country
| understands that the President and the
| majority of Congress are willing to give
| the constitution an Interpretation it will
not bear in order to placate the extreme
protection element of their party If the
President, following the advice of his
| Secretary of War, had held firmly to the
position he first took, namely, free trade
with Porto Rico, his party would now be
in far better position than it is.