The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-02-07
FROM THE NATIONS CAPITAL.
From Our O,cn Correspondent.

WASHINGTON, d. c., Feb. 8, 1900.
"WhOm the Gods destroy they first
make mad" It is credibly reported
that President Mckinley has chang ed
his position in regard to the Porto Ri
can tariff, and that he will henceforth
support the bill approved by the Ways
and Means Committee of the House,
prescribing differential duties of IS per
cent. Of the present ones ON all goods
shipped between the United States and
that island. In other words, he intends
boldly to assume not only thatthe Con-
stitutiOn and laws of the United States
do not extend to Porto Rico at present,
but that Congress has full powers to
legislate in regard to that island-and
all the Others-without extending the
Constitution over them. Of course,
such position is absolutely untenable.
The Supreme Court has repeatedly ne
gatived it. Beginning with Chief JUS
tice Marshall, who held nearly hun
dred years ago that the term United
States included all territory over which
the United States exercised jurisdic-
tion, there have been a score of decis-
ions reiterating this decision. All of
those quoted on the other side, when
examined, are found merely to assert
that annexed territory is not subject to
the Constitution as long as tits govern
ed under military law by the President.
Apart from the impossibility of legis-
lating for Porto Rico. and yet keeping
it outside the Union for longer time
than will be necessary for the Supreme
Court to pass on the subject, the Presi-
dent must withdraw from the position
he took in his message in favor of free
trade with that island and must de-
liberately abandon the policy which he
declared to be essential to its prospcri-
ty, and to which we were bound by
every consideration of fair dealing.
And he must do this at the behest of a
few mercenary patriots who fear the
of q maximum yearly pro-
duct of 100000 worth of tobacco and
S3,50O,000 worth of sugar. However,
the President may not have changed
his attitude after all. He may be only
indulging in his characteristic custom
of "wobbling."
The Gage scandal will not down.
The extraordinary character of some of
the letters which the Secretary sent to
Congress themselves condemn him of
having lent.his great Office to fraudu-
lent purposes. 1t is no answer to this
to say that he himself has not profited
by the fraud. Such proceedings can
not be forgiven simply because they
were taken for the benefit of the Sec
retary's party rather than for that of
the Secretary's pocket. The whole
matter has been referred to the Ways
and Means Committee of the House for
This being strong Re-
publican body will Of course minimize
the findings as much as possible, but
even 30 it will be impossible to hide
them utterly. The most ominous thing
in the entire matterfor Mr.. Gage is the
Presidents recent assertion. 81 am
responsible for the Secretary of the
Treasury" he said. "The attacks are
not primarily intended for Mr.. Gage
but for me-" No one who remembers
recent history can fail to see in this
the shadow of approaching fate for the
Secretary. Only q few months ago, the
President made half dozen exactly
similar remarks about Secretary Alger.
At the very moment when he was re-
iterating his assertion for perhaps the
tenth time, Vice-P President Hobart was
On the way, ct the Presidents request,
to ask Mr.. Alger to resign. 1t is posi-
BILE that the President, urged by Sena-
Tor Hanna, is trying tomake it easy for
Secretary Gage to leave the Treas
ury?
Strong influences are being brought
to bear on the Republican leaders and
On the Administration, to secure the
postponement of the shipping bill un-
til the next session of Congress, or at
least to insert in it an amendment pro-
viding that it shall not take effect until
January 1, 10O1-two months after the
next Presidential election. The more
the country has learned about this ini-
luit0us bill, the more decided has be-
come the opposition to it. Especially
is the West indignant at the enormous
to be paid under it to fast At
lantic passenger liners, which are too
aristocratio to carry any except the
most expensive freight. The object
Of the bill is asserted to be to secure
cheap conveyance abroad Of our grain
and heavy freights. The farmer, how
aver, is unable 10 see what benefit he
can derive from bill which will pay
like go, ,0OO. 900 year to fast |
1ne or.twO millions to the slow vessels
which must carry his goods. Mark
Hanna, who introduced the bill in the
Senate, has realized the depth OF this
opposition and for political reasons,
would, no doubt, like to amend the bill
- 40 al. Ak, o.. n