The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-12-28
REPLIES TO HARRISON.
Senator Foraker Takes Up De-
tense of the Administration.

Cincinnati. O., Dec. Ex-senator J. b
Foraker has made a reply to the recent
speech at Ann Arbor. Mich. of former
President Benjamin Harrison. in which
Mr.. Harrison criticised the Porto Rican
policy Of the government, characterizing
it as a departure from correct principles.
In a speech before the Manufacturers
club of this city, last night Senator For
aker said on this point:
AN the questions arising upon the
Porto Rican legislation are soon to be
passed upon by the supreme court. For
that reason do not care to discuss them
at this time, but it is in order to say
that the view taken by congress, as re-
Elected by that legislation, was credita-
BILE to the generosity, the patriotism and
the industrial spirit of the American
people. We found Porto Rico as poor
a. poverty could make her She had no
money, no credit, no system Of taxation
OF any kind. She wanted a civil govern
ment and a revenue to support it, We
gave her a far better civil governme ut
than was ever given to any territory pri-
: or TO the civil war; SO Tar as participa-
ton in it by her people is concerned ard
we dealt by her more generously than
we have ever dealt with any territory
In requiring her to pay tariff duties
on imports from foreign countries we
did only what we did with Louisiana,
Florida California and all other terri
tories; but in allowing her to put these
treasury for the support of her local
government we did what was never done
before for any body else; for in all other
cases we have not only required the pay
ment of these same duties but we have
also required them when they were coll
lected to be paid into the national treas
ury at Washington for the common ben
EFT Of the whole country; and as to du-
ties on commerce between Porto Rico
and the United States we did not levy Is
per cent, but we RENTED 50 per cent of
the existing rates on number of artic-
les. and the whole duty on all the rest
and provided that the 10 per cent should
be RENTED on and after March 1. 1902,
or sooner if the legislature of Porto Rico
shall SO provide and that in the mean
while all collections of this IS per cent
both there and in the United States shall
be paid over to Porto Rico for her own
support.
I'VE made this provision because it
was the easiest and least burdensome
way possible to raise indispensable rev.
enue for their government and not be-
cause it was not in any sense of any
benefit to either our government or our
people.
THE Porto Rican legislature is now in
session, but neither that body nor any
member of it, nor anybody else has ia
ken any step to repeal or alter the tax
system SO imposed by congress. On the
the highest satisfaction with what con-
gress has done and the request will be
almost unanimously made that the pro-
visions enacted may be continued if not
indefinitely, at least until some satisfac-
tory system of proper taxation may be
substituted.
In addition it should be stated that
congress. also in the same generous
spirit, exempted Porto Rico from all in
ternal revenue taxation-another favor
never before extended to any part of our
people anywhere.
yes, it is true that the legislation for
Porto Rico was a departure but it is
not true that it was a departure from
correct principles -