The Globe-republican., 1900-05-10
PAYNE ON TARIFF.
LEGISLATION NEEDED FOR IN
SULAR POSSESSIONS
wisconsin Republican Talks of the Ire
mendOus and Lasting Consequence of
tie constitutional Question InvoIved-
Follows Lincoln and Webs ter.

Hon Henry c. Payne of Ohio, the
Wisconsin member of the Republican
national committee, has been in Los
Angeles where he was interviewed by
the Los Angeles Times, of which Gen.
Harrison Gray Otis is president and
general manager Speaking of the
Puerto RIcan question. MI Payne
said:
1T is momentous question, but the
great body of the people has conf
dence, l find, in the ability and good
faith of the administration and is
resting confident in the belief that the
president and the Republican majority
in congress will do what is right by
Puerto Rico. President McKinley's
declaration in his message that it was
our plain duty to have free and un-
limited trade with Puerto Rico was u
attractive program and met with
sympathetic response But it is the
presidents duty to change his mind,
Just as 1t is any other mans, when he
sees, after a careful study of a Ques-
ton, that another policy is demanded
0y wisdom and justice The fact is
that the president and nearly all his
advisers in Washington, a great ma
5or1ty of the Republican senators and
representatives, arrived at the con-
cIus1on that the first legislation with
regard to our insu1ar possessions, If
We may call them such, should be in
the line of setting forth a principle,
and that principle should be that these
new possessions shall not hold the
same relations to the country do
the territories that have become in
corporated and are incipient states
I think the more thoughtful people of
the country are opposed to any plan
to bring these islands in as integral
parts of the nation. Call it what you
please, we must come down to colonial
policy of some form There is great
anxiety on the part of the administra-
ton to get started right in this mat
ter. Certain newspapers declared that
the presidents change of front was
due to the pressure of the tobacco and
sugar interests. That charge seems to
me ridiculous in view of the fact that
these interests want absolute free
trade with Puerto Rico. 1 was born
and brought up in Massachusetts, and
l always believed in Daniel Webster's
Interpretation Of the constitution in
stead of that of Mr.. Calhoun. Some
Republican newspapers seem inclined
to line up with Mr.. Calhoun and the
bred Scot decision, in considering this
Puerto Rican matter, shouting that
the constitution follows the flag; but
1 believe the country can more safely
| follow the teachings of Abraham Lin
| coin and Daniel Webster Underneath
| the trifing tariff charges proposed.
| there lies this old constitutional ques-
| ing consequence. You remember that
| John c. Calhoun and the champions
| of slavery maintained that the cOnsti-
| tuition went with the flag into all ter
ritory acquired by the United States,
| and therefore the STAKEHOLDER had the
right to carry his slaves and keep
| them in any territory This view was
| maintained by the Infamous bred
| Scot decision of the United States
Supreme court, to the effect that the
| United States acquire territory
| only for the purpose of forming states,
| and that all acquisitions must be treat
| ed as integral parts of the union.
| Webster and Lincoln took the opposite
| view that new territory, acquired in
| one way another, is not an inte-
| grail part of the union till it has been
! duly incorporated, and until then the
! government has constitutional power
to regulate it's affairs. Here is the real
issue involved in all this Puerto Rican
! discussion, and 1 firmly believe the
/ thinking people of this country, after
/ careful consideration, will prefer to
| follow Lincoln and Webster, whom
| history has vindicated, rather than
| Douglas and Calhoun. This little
| furry about Puerto Rico will soon be
| over. 1t will not affect the result of
] the presidential election The admin
| istration stands we'll with the people.
| It has fulfilled its pledges to them, and
| more, too. On the money question it
| has done better than it promised II
| has bui1ded better than the Republican
| platform It has restored confidence
| and has revived business to the ex-
| tent that have more prosperity
| even than had in 1892, which was
| high tide I cannot doubt that such