The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-02-26
The Republican Porto Rico Revolt.

The principal result of the Republican
House caucus Saturday night appears to be
the conviction on everybody's part that the
Payne Porto Rican tariff infamy cannot he
put through in its present shape, no mat
ter how ugly the trusts and the Admins
tration may cut up about the matter. The
caucus which was called conference" in
order to attract the presence of weak sis-
tiers who might be afraid TO attend under
the other term, developed the fact that at
least thirty Republicans are determined
not to vote for the Payne bill. Probably
some of these recalcitrants might be pla-
Gated by material changes in the measure,
hut most of them. as far as can be learned,
stand with Mr. Littlefeld of Maine, and
therefore cannot be induced to outrage
their consciences By supporting measure
CT any kind enacting a foreign tariff against
domestic territory. in clear violation of the
Constitution of the United States.
One of the subterfuges suggested to whip
the stray animals back into camp is in
tensely amusing single objector is re-
ported as declaring that while he could not
vote Tor the bill in its present shape, if it
thought he could overcome his scrupies
and accept it. The idea appears to have
been seized upon with -vidity by the man.
ayers who, however, cannot have a very
high conception of the standard OF party
intelligence in Congress. Because they
know, and everybody who has gl"en the
matter the most cursory study knows that
neither the Payne bill, if enacted, nor any
ether unconstitutional act for the oDpres-
sion of American Territories and people,
would be allowed to deface the statute
books for one. much less Two years.
The Republican leaders are in serious
dilemma; but they walked into il with open
eyes. When President Mckinley DELHI
erately adopted Jeffersonian Democratic
expansion as the policy of Republican
Administration, he must have known that
a free trade corollary went with the gos-
pei, and that short of an amendment 20 the
Constitution the open door would have to
be maintained between the mainland and
Porto Rico and the Philippines. as much
as between New York and Boston. We
have always assumed his thorough appre-
! citation of the interesting proposition to
which we refer, ana have accorded him
much admiration and respect f0f the states
snanship and good common sense displayed
in thus becoming the Moses OF his fol-
lowers. to lead them out of the Egyptian
darkness of an exploded provincial fiscal
system into the bright light of modern
and civilized organization Tor unrestricted
American intercourse with the powers and
peoples OF the world.
1t is TO be feared that in recognizing as
mandatory the equities and duties incident
TO the situation, Mr.. Mckinley did not
himself realize how helplessly his party is
in the iron clutches Of the trusts and
monopoiies which have been able to accu-
mulate countless millions at the expense
of the American people through their en-
joyment Of prohibitiye tariff protection.
Perhaps he may even now be surprised to
see that his Administration is expected at
the stern deI.and OF the trust magnates. TO
treat the Constitution of the United States
as obsolete, null, and void. if it happens
10 stand in the way of their sordid inter
ests- The President is not a free agent in
such circumstances. For practical pur-
poses lac must bow to the party oligarchy,
whose throne and council board are in the
Standard Oil Bank, in New York. and
whose political prophet is hanna. This
power is the only real and final enc in an
organization which once marched TO VIC
tory under the command of men like Lin
coin, Seward Chase, Greeley, and Sumner.
and which swore by the tcnets OF the sim
Ia In. f.if Of h.,