The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-03-16
OUR DUTY TOWARD PORTO RICO.
MT. Schurman Says Genera Miles's
Promise Should He Fulhlled.

Mr. S~churmnn Says General Mfles's
Promise Should BE FulAlled.
NEW YORK March 1.-THE following
letter from President Jacob G. Schurman,
of Cornell University, president of the old
Philippines commission, to a personal
friend is published here to-day:
Ithaca, March 12.-Dear Sir-I agree
with you that the United States is under
obligation to extend its tariff laws to the
Island Of Porto Rico. But / 0Nnnot accept
your contention that this obligation is de-
rived from the Constitution, which, in my
judgment, does not of its own force apply
to annexed territories. The obligation is
moral. not constitutional. AS the Presi-
dent said, with equal truth and
I Wa ARE It hounds ID to our this plain Course DUTY yv
solemn promises. The supreme and ire
sistible reason for removing all Customs
barriers between the United States and
Miles, who, on landing American forces
on the island. announced that Porto Ricans
should enjoy the same rights, privileges
and immunities as the people of the United
Ricans accepted American sovereignty,
not only without opposition, but with joy
full trust and confidence. The present issue
is simply this: Shall we repudiate. or
shall we fulfill the national engagements?
Shall this great Republic break faith with
the little Island of Porto Rico? Having
secured the fruits of General MileS'S prom
Use, shall we now renounce the promise?"
The American people will not tolerate
any paltering with solemn obligations. Rec
ognizing the maintenance OF national good
faith as the Nations chief aim. they will
condemn any violation of 1t as the blacklist
crime. All over the country this Porto Ri
can question has stirred to the deepest the
national heart and conscience. Legislation
inspired by a breach of good faith will
bring a terrible Nemesis. 1t is said that
a tariff is needed between Porto Rico and
the United States to provide a case for the
courts to determine the extent of our juris-
diction over the new dependencies, espe-
cially the Philippines. 1 answer that no
convenience, no expediency, no other obi
cation ever j~ustifies a breach of the ma
tional good faith.
Let me add, too, that this Porto Rican
legislation is testing US before the eyes of
the Fflipinos, who keep we'll informed of
all our doings. They will judge by this
legislation of the value of American prom
Uses. When the ablest and most states
manlike of Aguinaldo's emissaries to the
Philippine Commission once expressed the
fear that the American government might
not keep the promises il was making, for
Spain, said he. made promises and broke
them. 1 silenced him with the reply: Sig
nor. the United States is not Spain Is he
l now to learn, are all the Filipinos now to
learn, that In the first legislation for our
new dependencies we prove faithless to
our pledges and recreant to our obliga-
tons? Such an exhibition OF ourselves will
strengthen the hands of Aguinaldo and the
insurgents, because unhappily IL can be
used to support their persistent statement
that the Americans are no more trust
worthy than the Spaniards. At the very
moment when We need to inspire conf
dence in the minds of the conquered Fill
pinos shall We commit an act which will
&C nfirm their distrust of us, quicken their
suspicious, and breed new and. perhaus
ireradicable antipathies? God forbid"