Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-03-08

n LHttNtbn ttct VI
All the subservient organs of the Mo
Kinley administration are III great glee |
over the Presidents proposition to take |
about $1,000, 600 from the tariff rev.
enues and give it to the people of Porto |
Rico. They chuckle with delight at
what they tenn the "stunning sur
prisen to the Democratic members Of
the House OF Representatives occasioned
by the Presidents special message
upon the question.
No doubt the Democratic members
of the House, and Democrats through
out the country were surprised at the
Presidents recommendation, but they
were amazed at its audacity. Nor do
they fail to recognize that so far as the
President is concerned, his act was an
effect upon the Republican party in the
pending campaign of the scheme to
uniustly and oppressiyely tax the people
of Porto Rico, at the command OF the
beneficiaries of tho protective policy.
1t is a reasonable presumption that
II the equitable features of the rropo-
sition to take the tariff taxes paid on
articles imported from Porto Rico and
present them to the people of that
island could be brought before the Su-
preme Court OF the United States, it
would be declared an illegal act. If
the money thus received into the
Treasury from these tariff impositions
were uniustly collected, it belongs to
the people who owned the goods upon
which the taxes were Paid, and should
be returned to them. In it's present
form, the Presidents great scheme is
simply stealing from one party for the
purpose of giving to another. The
fact that it is proposed in the guise Of
charity does not impair this plain
proposition.
To take the taxes imposed upon mer-
cbandise imported from Porto Rice and
turn them over to the people of that
island would not be taxation for public
purposes, and taxation for other than
public purposes is clearly illegal. This
is the situation, therefore, that Presi-
dent Mckinley must face after his
smart trick of attempting to discount
the large public protest against q
scheme of unjust taxation for the
people of Porto Rico.
There are ample indications, however,
that the Presidents trick will avail
nothing, and that the protests against
the proposed tariff en- Porto Rico's
trade will be mole numerous and NOR,
potent than before. Many rrominen
Republicans are opposed to the meas
ure, and their protests are voiced in nj
uncertain tones. Among them is Gen
Lew Wallace who is outspoken in hi
denunciation Of the Porto Rican Tart
hill. ''The people of the Unitet
States; he said, cannot be hood
winlSed into believing that when tn
nation acquires territory the Constitu
tion does not at once extend to it.
have viewed this Porto Rican measur
with profound astonishment and sorrow
and have no hesitancy in denouncing
as high handed outrage in the in
terest of the Trusts and against tn
interest of the people of this country
II this bill passes to enactment, it wi
cost the Republican party many thous
ands of votes. and should the Democrat
discard Bryan and nominate such
man as Olney on good platform, the
would sweep the country. The Port
Rican bill is neither law, Justice, ne
common humanity, and no good citize
will countenance it,
Gen. Wallace is astonished that II
President should have withdrawn fro
his original stand for free trade wit
Porto Rico. He states that while /
can never bring himself to support IL
Democratic party, he will BIO great
embarrassed in supporting Preside
Mckinley for reelection should Il
Porto Rican bill become a law.
And SO it goes. The opposition
firm and determined, and no scheme
thieyery and lawlessness in the gui
of charity viii serve to hoodwink d
people. or blind them to the enormi
of the original proposition.