The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-03-08
Slandering the Administration.

CHdHse Ill DOilcy tOWdTu
Il Puerto Rico was due to
trust" influences naturally
appeals to Democratic organs like the
Scranton Times which delight in
ascribing unworthy motives to political
opponents. 1t is futile to pay attention
to such innuendo. The charge Is un-
supported by proof; is clearly partisan
in motive. and can safely be left to the
sober judgment of the people. Those
who are anxious to believe III of the
president of the United States and his
advisers will believe it regardless of
what may be said to the contrary; and
those who are unwilling to accept such
assertions without proof will await the
proof or, failing it's production, visit
upon the vilifiers the contempt they de-
serve.
AS Senator Lodge has made plain,
the pending bill gives to the inhabit.
ants of Puerto Rico privileges in ex-
cess Of those enjoyed by the inhabit-
ants of our domestic territories. They
are to have every legal privilege en-
joyed by American citizens anywhere:
but unlike the citizens Of Arizona or
New Mexico they are not to pay one
tax on articles covered by a revenue
tariff and another for territorial pur-
poses. The only tax put upon them is
one amounting to Is per cent. of the
duties provided in the Dingley tariff
law; if this should be removed. its
equivalent would have to be paid by
them in the form of a direct tax, which
is the hardest kind of tax burden to
bear. On this subject Congressman
Dalzell well says:
1T is absolutely necessary that money
be raised to run the government of
Puerto Rico. Money is necessary for
schools. internal improvements. and for
the administration of the government.
There are three ways In which that
money can be raised--by direct appropri-
alton from the Federal treasury. which
makes Puerto Rico charity patient. and
against which the Puerto Ricans them
selves protest; by putting mortgage on
the island. borrowing money at a high
rate of interest, and turning Puerto Rico
over to the bond-hoders. The commit
tee on ways and means did not believe
that the American people would approve
of starting Puerto Rico upon her new
career saddled with debt. The only
method left, therefore to raise money Is
by taxation. To extend the United States
revenue system to Puerto Rico would be
to ruin the island. The people are not
in IA situation to respond to revenue tax
alton. 1t was therefore determined to
impose taxation of the least obnoxious
kind namely: indirect taxation. This
is the least felt and imposes the burden
where 1t can he most easily borne. Puerto
Rico's exports are principally of three
kinds, coffee. which comes in free. tobac-
60 and sugar. The tobacco and sugar of
Puerto Rico in the warehouses are owned
by the tobacco trust and the sugar trust.
The committee thought 1t would be
heneficent act to the island to make
those two trusts contribute by way of
duties to the help of the poor Puerto
Ricans. The claim that this bill Is ad-
Nocated by the tobacco trust and the su-
gar trust is too ridiculous to merit con-
sideration, Everybody with any sense
knows that II II in the interest of the Sc
trusts to have their raw aterials come
into the United States free of duty. '
The cry that the bill is robbery IF
the Puerto Rlcans is ridiculous. rnder
Spanish rule they paid all sorts of taxes.
tariff on their products going to Spain
ana Cuba. export taxes. licenses. trans
portation taxes and perhaps others. Some
IL
distinguished Puerto Ricans was formed
to devise a scheme of tariff reform for
the island. Their report asked but two
things. protective tariff to build up
their industries beirg the first. This bill
gives them the protective rates of the
Dingley bill. They asked. secondly for
a treaty with the United States, which
should reduce our duties 90 per cent. This
bill reduces our duties s5 per cent, so
that In point of fact the Puerto Ricans
are today getting much more than what
they themselves asked for two years
ago"
We do not again allude to the con-
stitutional reasons which prompted the
administration to await a decision
from the Supreme court on the power
of congress to legislate for the terri
tories before making permanent laws
for Puerto Rico; these, we imagine,
are by this time we'll understood. The
point now in need of emphasis is that
the Republican leaders have been mis-
represented that the outcry against
them rests on misconception of the
facts; and that the duty Of all patri-
otfc citizens, regardless Of party, is to
shut their ears to mistaken clamor
and take steps to inform themselves as
to those facts. The Republican party
can well afford to trust it's case to an
intelligent investigation.