The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-10-07
Cherish Hope Of Citizcpsnip.

$500 -AAAA NAAfs
ought TO have it.
Cherish Hope of citizenship.
II is pathetic to observe with what eager
ness they cherish the hope Of citizenship in
the United States. They realize that they
are not American, Spanish. nor Porto
Eican. they have a government which is an
uEblended mixture OF Old Spanish law, mill
tary orders ana Foraker bill. The ATTEST
legal mind ~ unable IL formulate an op.r-
Ion amid tins confusion. Every man there
knows his wrongs. but 10 man knows his
rights.
Mr.. Lincoln once said: The Unitel
states cannot exist half slave ana half
free IL i5 equally trUo that Porto Rico
can have no weli-being one-third Spanish
tradition. one-third military despotism and
Orc-third Foraker compromise.
Whatever relief is to be given this islard
congress should give at once. The Prssi-
dent in his proclamation raised the hopes Of
these people by declaring: Our PLAIN duf =
i to abolish all customs tariffs be;;xeea
the United States and Porto Rico anf give
her products free access to our markets"
These hopes were answered 10y the enact
mcnt Of the Foraker Bill. with It's 10 per cent
tarif-a uakeshift measure. dependent Oh
future congressional action and therefore
unstable. UNCERTAIN and hardly less ruinous
TRAN either the peninsliar tyranny or the
exiSent military measures that preceded the
new law. This bill. among other iniqUltoUs
features. provides for the collection of the
revenues Of the island, including tariff du-
ties. and for the manner of their disaurse-
msnt. An attempt IS made TO still the In
Gignant claTOr over this by representing
that il Is Tor the Islands bensft-rhat the
money collected by the United States from
them viii be spent by the United States on
them.
The revolutionary patriot. stephen Hop
kim. IN an address delivered in 1864 in the
early agitation for American liberty, made
this deductions:
But it will be said that tho moneys
drawn from the colonies by duties and BY
taxes will be laid up and set apart TO he
used for their future defense. This will not
at all alleviate the hardshirs, but serve only
the more strongly 10 mark the servile state
Of the people. Free PEOPLE have ever
thought and win think that the money nee
eSsTry for their defense lies safest Ia their
own hands until 1t be wanted Immediately
for this purpose
Why should not Porto Rico be permitted
to raise and disbursc her own revenues In
the manner that seems to her best? She
would not engage d Government more ex-
pensive than that of an American State
% corresponding population as she has
now. and she could be bound TO raise rev
enue enough to pay her expenses without
recourse to a tariff. which Is against the
Constitution and every precedent in the his
tory Of the United States.
On this very point a merchant OF San
Juan said to me:
Under Spanish rule. though we had To
pay army and navy expenses ard the huge
annual pensions to the descendants Of
Christopher Columbus. our budget always
showed q surplus. where, under the Ameri-
can system. We have already sl.VD.0o
deficit"
Without the consent Of the people this
bill has imposed excessive burdens. Here
are just a few OF them provided for by the
Foraker bill:
The salaries of all officers and all ex-
penscs OF the officers Of the various Of
fc.als of Porto Rico. appointed as herein
provided by the President. including depu-
ties. assistants and other help. shall be
paid out OF the revenues OF Porto Rico.
Great burden of Salaries.
The annual salaries Of the officials ap-
pointed by the President and so to be paid
SHALL he as follows:
The Governor. $500: in addition thereto.
he shall he entitled to the occupancy of
The buildings heretofore used by the Chief
Executive 81 Porto Rico. with the furni-
ture and effects therein, free of rental.
The Secretary. 5000; the Attorney General.
$4,000: the Treasurer. 5000; the Auditor. ST.
600; the Commissioner of the Interior. 81