The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1900-04-25
Washburn, Wis, Apr. 25, 1900.
THE PUERTO RICAN TARIFF.

many long years is this remon-
STRANGE against the tax on Puerto
Rican shipments. People seem to
be running away with the idea that
Puerto RIGA is being burdened with
taxes, when as matter of fact they
are ABOUT the smallest tax payers on
this side of the world They pay
fifteen per cent. of the Dingley law
on their exports into the United
States, which is mere pittance.
About the only thing which this
tariff hits is the Puerto Rican sugar
and tobacco. This has long since
passed out of the hands Of the native
producers and into the hands of the
trusts and spectators, who alone
would profit by the removal of the
tariff on these commodities.
The democratic contention in Con-
gress was that the constitution of
the United states followed the flag
and applied to Puerto RIGA, and
that tariff could not be levied
Senator Spooner in his great speech
in defense of the Republican posi-
tiop,. in the Senate of the United
States, compared the difference in
taxation between Puerto Rico and
our territories. He said:
see in the newspapers every day
the command, 'Treat Puerto Rico
as we treat our own Territories. "
We are treating Puerto Rico better
than we ever treat our own rerri-
tories. In our own Territories for
many years past we have put in
force our International revenue
laws; we have put in force our war
tax. What sort of kindness would
1t be to an impoverished and dis
dressed people to put in force in
Puerto Rico the internal revenue
laws now in force in New York.
AS the Senator from Ohio has
said, : when they came to investi-
gate the whole subject they found
that the people of Puerto Rico were
so impoverished that they could not
submit to a system OF direct or local
taxation which would be of any
value in raising money with which
TO support their government. Think
about it! An internal revenue tax
it Puerto Rico of 81 a gallon on
rum.
They raise about 1,50O,0 900 gallons
of rum a year. 1t is the Puerto
Rican drink. Many people think
that no one should use alcohol. Per
haps that is true, or it NAV not be.
but it is the Puerto Rican beverage,
just as beer is the beverage of the
German. It is sold over there for
30 cents, or whereabouts, gallon.
The people use it all over the island,
they have always used it.
Now, for us to step in there with
our internal-revenue law, which
the Senator's substitute provides
for, and which the free trade bill in
both Houses provided for, and levy
"a tax of 81 a gallon upon it would be
to accomplish Two purposes; first, it
would be to fail utterly in raising
revenue under it, and second, it
would be to ALLEVIATE that people at
the beginning, from US. There is no
surer way to ALLEVIATE people than
to step between them-especially if
you are a new ruler, Stranger
and the established habits aud GUS
toms of themselves and their ances-
tors. You might as well attempt to
conciliate and make friends with The
Italian peasants by depriving them
of their cHIANTI or the German by
depriving them of their national
beverage.
Habits, soft and plant at first,
are like some coral stones, which are
easily cut when first quarried, but
soon become hard as adamant."
Take the matter of tobacco. The
Spaniards are smokers. Many PEG.
pie think tobacco is poison, and
5hink so myself; but those of US who
have used it, know how strong
holt it has upon those who learn to
love it, ''Thy clouds all other
clouds dispel, and lap me in de-
light" The prisoner must have it
oftentimes to avert insanity The
soldier must have it in the loneliness
of the picket line or while waiting
for the bugle to sound the onset.
The Puerto Rican must have it.
You levy tax of So thousand up
on cigars in Puerto Rico, and you levy
almost prohibitive tax upon cigar
cites, partly imposed for revenue
and partly imposed for a better
reason than for revenue, and what
is the effect upon the people of
Puerto Rico-not upon the well-to-
do of Puerto Rico, but upon the
people of Puerto Rico? <
What is this duty? 1t was con
sidered that the best way to raise
money for Puerto Rico would be to