Graham guardian., 1900-08-10
ARIZONA.
Successor to DR.. CasscIs.

OF tariff tax greater both ways
than the Spanish government levi
ed upon them only one way.
The bill to tax the Puerto Ricans
was dictated by the trusts. Itwas
la grand stroke Of imperialist q
piracy on the part of leading Re
Ipublicans, under the guise of false
pretense and hypocracy, to exploit
Puerto Rico on their unconstitu-
tional march to empire. 1t was to
fasten yoke upon the people
land establish precedent which
should permanently exist hereafter
as to the island possessions. The
blI was championed by Represen-
tatiye Payne, of New York, who
said in his remarks upon the same:
II waD1 to furnish school houses
for every part of this island; /
want tie American flag to float
over every one of them and to
teach patriotism as well as the
iIh3iic iohS udS6.
One would naturally ask what
kind of school books should he
recommended for use in atisland
for the purpose of teaching patriot
ism to its people. IF they are to
be governed as vassels it would be.
come necessary to use the pencil
OF the censor in preparing books
in the English language for their
use. The Declaration of Indepen-
dance should be torn from them
for that sets forth the great prin.
ciples of the equality of man be-
fore the law, the principles of self
government and no taxation with
orc representation. The words of
Patrick Henry that, s'give me lib
erty or give me DEATH" should be
eliminated as well rs every dec
laration uttered in behalf of human
liberty by American patriots, for
such literature will be as "sound-
ing brass" or "tinkling symbol"
to the ears Of Il people who are
deprived of the rights guaranteed
by the constitution. Neither will
the American flag floating over
every school house in the island,
which has been so glibly talked OF
by the imperialists, mean the same
kind of liberty for which our fore
fathers taught. The flag floating
over the school houses of people
who are not to be citizens of the
republic will mean nothing to
them except mokery and fraud.
But the bill passed by Congress
at the dictation of trusts and COM
btnes is a patent instrument to en-
gender hatred of our flag and a
general distrust of our honesty
and integrity. The thoughts of
these people can be imagined when
they contemplate the generous
craftsmanship that taxes them
heavily upon every sack of -four
or meal, every pound of meat,
every mouthful Of, provisions, and
every article of clothing they are
compelled to buy of us, and how
elated. they must necessarily be-
come when the thought recurs to
them that such an outrage was
perpetrated upon them in the
name of charity, in the name of
education, and in the name ofI
Christianity. 1t is true that the
Pureto Ricans needed food and
clothing, but tariff law that taxes
imports and exports will keep
them hungry. naked and out ofI
school. The Puerto Ricans did
not ask or expect to be robbed. |
They asked to share with us our
rights, our liberties and our priv.
ileges as American citizens, and
that is just what we promised
hem; but the very first fruit that
was handed them after they well
our flag was an iniauitous
ariff tax after the fashion of an
'ncient British parliament and the
control of their island by imperial
and we should not be
if people so treated come
0 the conclusion that our great
lome of liberty has become the
abitation of the orioles of des-
otism.