Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-09-07
WHAT REPUBLICAN, PAPERS
THOUGHT OF PORTO RICAN
LEGISLATION.

Last wintr, pending the discussion OF
the Porto Rican Tariff Bill in Congress,
and Immediately following the passage
of that act by the Republican majority
of that body, a large number of the
leading Republican and independent
papers of the country opposed and de-
nounced this measure vigorously, as
will appear from the following extracts
from a few of the many prominent
journals which expressed their views
on this important subject.
Utica Herald: Trade relations be-
tween the Uuited States and Porto
Rico should be unhampered."
Omaha Beet will be naturally
asked, If this consideration be shown
to Hawaii, why not to Porto Rico? :"
Buffalo News:-"Porto Rico is part
of the United States. There should be
no tariff walls between portions of the
Union"
Chicago Tribune:-"The inhabitants
of the island should be allowed to buy,
duty free. all the necessaries of life pro-
duced in this country"
Philadelphia: Telegraph" de-
mand that Porto Rico shall be compell-
ed to pay customs taxes on its COM
merce is puerile and discreditable.
Cincinnati CommercialTribune
Even if homo products must meet
some competition. it is. nevertheless.
our duty to act in a human manner"
Boston Transcript - Starvation in
Porto Rico means. simply that we are
willing TO profit by burdening the pro-
auctions and supplies of an island
which we control. as England discrmi-
mated against Ireland for centuries"
New York Sun:-"Porto Rico is fair
ly and nationally entitled to the status
OF an American Territory in some form.
between which and this country COM
merce should be as free as between the
states whose borders touch
Rochester Post-Express: THE fact
that they are loyal to their new flag
and that Porto Rico is a part of our ter
ritory, ought TO be sufficient to obtain
generous treatment at the hands of the
American People"
Philadelphia North American; Has
a year and a half of Empire stripped us
of all the fine feelings of humanity
with which we went into the war for
Cuban liberty? and turned us into a
race Of mercenary oppressors?'
Indianapolis Journal: -"Will ii be
wise to run the risk of destroying the
confidence and dulling the loyalty of
the people, by enacting laws that will
make them feel that, though Ameri-
cans in name. they are aliens in fact?
Buffalo Commercial: Mot only the
country, but the Republican party, will
find free admission of Porto Rican pro-
ducts dicedly more advantageous than
the imposition of any duty, however
small.
Cincinnati Illness tar:-"It is a
sorry spectacle when a nation that went
for Humanity, stops TO bully an island
whose population will never exceed one
per cent, of the mother country, into
paying tribute, for fear the ward may
become commercially the competitor of
of the guardian"
Chicago Times Herald: 90 Whether
the Porto Rican tariff is % per cent,
or per cent, indeterminate or for
two years, makes not particle of diff
ference with its justice. 1t will not be
acceptable to the American people be-
cause of the plea that it is such a lit
tie breach of our plain duty as ac-
knowledged by President Mckinley"
Baltimore American: THE recon-
mendations made several months ago
by President Mckinley, Secretary Root
and Governor General Davis, were
made after the fullest investigation and
careful thought. They were then the
wisest, considering all conditions. The
true manhood of the nation, consider
ing first the good of the people Of
Porto Rico, fails now to comprehend
how, in so short a time. those recon-
mendations can be said to have been
erroneous and opposed to the best in
terests of all concerned"
Kansas City Star:-"To treat Porto
Rico as an object of charity Is mighty
shabby return for the coniding and joy
full alacricy with which it threw itself
into the arms of the United States It
is a shameful play at philanthropy to
extort taxes from Porto Rico and then
pay them back under the pretense OF
benevolence"
Portland (Maine) Press THE best
way of the Porto Rico mess would seem
to be to retrace the steps taken and
get back to the Presidents original
platform of our plain duty 1t is far
better to correct an error, even II 1t in
wolves some humiliation to do so, than
to stick to II"
Philadelphia Public Ledger:-"Let us
give Porto Rico free trade as recon-
mended by the President, and as de-
manded by public opinion. and the re-
preventative press of the United States. -
New York Sun:-"Congress sullenly
leaving Porto Rico out In the cold. the
victims of war, is like troop of sold
iers that refuses TO bring in the wound
ed from the battle field. Porto
Rico, over which flies the same flag
that is to be seen on the Washington
Capitol, must be treated like territory
belonging to the United States. in
stead of foreign territory: the Porto
Ricans must be recognized as people
who owe allegiance to the Stars and
Stripes, instead Of being held off like
people whose allegiance belongs else
where"
Los Anglese Times Our citizens
Of Porto Rico, United States OF Amer
lea, are entitled TO the relief which the
pending measure affords, but absolute