Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-03
STATUS OF PORTO RICANS
Recent House Discussion to Be Repeated in
the Senate.
Mr.. Teller Proposed Home Rule for
Tariff IL Needed for Revenue.

Stars report, of the proceedings was closed.
Scarcely had the reading of the bill been
concluded when Mr.. Teller (Col) proposed
an amendment providing. In brief. that the
purpose of the pending bill is simply to es-
tablish a temporary government in Porto
Rico for the purpose of enabling the people
of the island later to establish a permanent
republican government, in which there shall
be accorded the people the right of self
government. the adoption of a constitution
and the establishment of a permanent form
of government not interfering with the
sovereignty of the United States over the
island or its Inhabitants.
This amendment was followed by another
by Mr.. Stewart (NevD striking out. the pro-
vision levying duty on Porto Rican goods
and providing that they should be admitted
free into the United States.
A spirited debate was participated in by
Mr.. Foraker. Mr.. Teller, Mr. Stewart and
others. Mr.. Foraker contended that the
duties levied on Porto Rican products were
necessary. because the island was in need
of revenues. Every dollar levied as duties
would be turned into the treasury of the
island. and the committee held that this
was the only practicable means of securing
the needed funds.
Mr.. Stewart strongly upheld the policy of
the President. as announced in his last an
nual message, of giving free trade to the
Porto RicanS.
Home Rule in Porto Rico.
At the conclusion of the reading of the
bill Mr. Teller (Coll declared it was a re-
markabe measure. 1t seemed to him that
the committee had employed a. deal of in
dustry and care to make the Island Of
Porto Rico part of the United States.
The people are citizens of the United
states, the committee has established
United States courts, the ports are United
States ports and in every way the commit
tee has determined that the island shall be
a part of the United States. And then the
committee inserts the remarkable provision
that we shall levy a duty upon Porto Rican
products brought into the United States
Il am not disturbed" continued Mr.. Tel
ler about the talk of our holding PROV
ince or holding colonies. / see no rea son
why We should not have provinces or col
onies. A free government like ours would
carry freedom and light to them.
Il see no reason why we should not main
tain sovereignty over the Island of Porto
Rico. But the party in power has reached
the point where 1t must determine upon
and enunciate policy with regard to our
insular possessions. want the party in
power to say whether it may be the pur-
pose ultimately to take in this island as
a state. I know the people there are tit
for self-governrneut and they ought, in my
opinion, to have it as soon as it may be
given them.
Further along. Mr.. Teller said: Il would
not be alarmed If we should speak Of the
province of Porto Rico. But l say that
L III going 10 vote lOF any Dill tndl does
lot give the people absolute central of their
own affairs"
Mr.. Teller then sent to the desk ar.
amendment in the form of additional
section. which, he sad, if adopted would
settle what the policy of the government
would be. He thought something of the
kind ought to be adopted because Congress
was now brought squarely to the issue as to
what il to do with the island possess
SONS. The amendment offered was as fol-
lows:
Mr.. Teller Pleads for Porto Rico.
1T is hereby declared that it is the in
tcction by this act to establish tempo
rary government in Porto Rico for the pur-
pose of enabling the people thereof to
tablish permanent government. republic
can in form, In which there shall be &C
corded to the people the right of self
government; and to that end they are au
thorZed to adopt constitution consistent
with the principles of free government and
tl:at they shall recognize the sovereignty
OF the United States over Porto Rico and
the inhabitants thereof as recognized by
treaty between Spain and the United States.
The legislative assembly provided for in
this act shall. at its first or second ses-
sion. provide for a constitutional conven-
ton to prepare and submit to the people
for their approval or disapproval a con-
stitution in accordance with the principles
herein declared, and the constitutional con-
vention shall provide the necessary rules
and regulations to submit the constitution
to the people e and if it shall be approved
by them to submit the same to the Pres-
dent of the United States for his approval.
The inhabitants of Porto Rico are hereby
declared TO be citizens thereof and their
rights as citizens shall not be denied
abridged except by conviction in court
of justice.
Whenever the people of Porto Rico shall
submit to the President Of the United
States a constitution, republican in form.
and consistent with the provisions hereof
he shall approve of the and such
constitution shall thereof be the constitu-
ton of Porto Rico.
The adoption by the people and the ap-
prevail by the President of the United
States of such constitution shall secure to
the people of Porto Rico the benefits of
all those provisions of the Constitution of
the United States for the protection and
maintenance of civil and religious liberty
and the protection of the person and prop
erty rights of the people.
The adoption of the constitution by the
inha btants of Porto Rico and the approval
thereof by the President of the United
States as herein provided shall not make
the inhabitants citizens of the United
States, nor shall it create any obligation
on the United states to admit Porto Rico
a state; shall the establishment
and maintenance Of a government under
such constitution interfere with the SOW
ereignty of the United States over Porto
Rico and the inhabitants thereof"
Mr.. Foraker Replied.
In making what he announced would be
a brief reply to the statement of Mr.. Teller
MIR. Foraker became involved in q general
discussion with other senators on some of
the constitutional questions raised by the
bill.
He said there was nothing remarkable
about the bill, as Mr.. Teller saw it. ex-
cept that the Inhabitants of the island
were treated in the bill citizens of the
United States.
The committee" said Mr.. Foraker "con-
sidered the status of the people carefully
and concluded that the inhabitants of the
island of Porto Rico must be citizens sub
jects or aliens. We did not want to treat
our own as aliens; We should not hold
them subjects; and we, therefore
adopted the term citizen 1t was the de-
sire of the committee to give the inhabi-
tants of Porto Rico all the rights the peo-
pie of this country thought they ought to
have"
Mr.. Foraker discussed at length the term
citizen, quoting from authorities upon the
point He concluded that the word .'citi-
zen not only did not imply the right of
vote, but that in its bald. sense implied
nothing more than tAat citizen owed
allegiance to the government and that the
government, in turn, owed the Citizen