Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-03-09
FROM A NATIONAL STANDPOINT.

New York Tribune: The agreeable assurance is given that the buf for tn
commercial, industrial and financial relief Of Porto Rico will be adopted by thu
house If representatives by a practically unanimous republican VOTE. reinforced
by the voteso of some democrats whose craftsmanship and humanity are u
table eature Of the cas- is the fact tina there is in thu house n considerable
number Of en willing to g o. recorda a opposed to so benefcent an act
FOR what is their attitude in 80 opposing f: They are all agreed th the
island needs relief and that this country Is under he most imperative moral
obligation to gran it att h earliest possible moment But, say ome the island
must have relief as a member of this union Confronted with thu reminder and
the proof that unde the constitution. under the treaty of cession, unde the
statutes of the United States, ubher th decisions of the supreme court and
under the century- long policy of this nation. Porte Rico is lot a member Of the
unions n is not under the constitution they suck to their place., like the dol
in thu Manager n substantially say that policy presidents must all De re-
verseda and a lew departure bel made aud Porto Rice be taken intoth he union
and under the constitution before relief shall be granted to its distressed people.
In other words, Porto Rico shall not be mad prosperous until it is nnexed to
the union.a n this nation shall lot fulfil it's moral dutyt to a dependent people
eighty! t-e.T>
So much Tor some of them. The others insist that PortoR Rico must have re-
through free trade. Confronted with the answer sustained by convincing
factsa n arguments, that free trade would nt give relief in the most efficient
manner they doggedly rtort that thai does not matter the island us have
free trad whether it is good for it or nt. Even if free trade were certain TO
adoption o imposition, for it is the true cobdenites belief that it is better to
be in distress under free trad thar prosperous und protection. So just as he
former class insist that relief must come If at all, through incorporation into
tn union, these latter insist that it must come, if att all, through free traoe
The former carer not 10 much fol relieving Porto icand distress n for inc
eating the honor n goo fahh of the United States as they 10 fr dragging
so per IN of iiterates into American citizenship and forg giving an outlying
island of the sea a voice in thu government of this continental union. he lat
ter care lot sc much forr relief and honor an humanity as they 10 for the re-
alvanizaton into hmitude of life of their iscredHed n epudiated fad.
1t will be a prophou hur for national honor and righteousness in human
government when such selfish n narrow plotters ared defeated. Ther de-
feat in the pamage of the pending bill win mean that this nationr egards un"nt-
parchment and sealed with the great SEAL 1t will mean. too. that the United
States is to remain the United States of America, a continental union Of sover-
Gig states n not a polyglot n poychrome omnium gatherum Of scattered
1siands and fragments of forgotten peoples" 4 %& @