The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1900-04-07
A STONE FOR BREAD.

The press OF the country, lndepen'
dent and Republican as well as DEM
ocratic, unreseryedly denounee the
Administration policy in placing a
tariff upon the Porto Ricsp exports,
AS an illustration the Chicago Times
Herald, a strong Mckinley paper,
says:
with one heart. one mind one voice,
she people Of the United States, as rep
resented by the press. have protested
against the outrage against Porto Rico
the violation Of American honor con-
tanned in this tariff bill. Their pro-
tests have been received with con-
tempt"
The Washington Post, the leading
independent paper of America, says
Never before in the legislative his
tory Of this country has any Congress
furnished parallel to the chapter that
will be finished II this bill becomes a
law. Never before has there been so
sudden, so unexpected, so deeply resent
ed, and so iuexplioable departure by
the majority in Congress from the party
behind it. "
The Minneapolis Times, another
leading independent paper, says:
Again the Republican drivers crack
ed the fealty whip. this time over the
slow coach Senate, and again 3 ma
jority, like the driven cattle they az
frightedly obeyed their masters and,
hoping the vast majority Of voters could
be convinced before election that they
do not understand. voted TO break the
nations pledges. "
: Senator Redfeld Proctor, one OF
the safest counselors of the Republi-
can party, said in his speech on the
bill:
1.-THE people believe, as the President
did when he wrote in his annual message,
that our plain duty is to abolish the
customs tariff between the United States
and Porto Rico. The people know that
sentence by heart and they will repeat
it millions Of times within the year
from its deliverauce, unless we perform
what the President says is our plain
duty. "
But, to what purpose ? The de-
nunciations Of the people and the
persuasions Of his party have fallen
upon the stopped ears Of President
Mckinley. We have always deemed
Mr.. Mckinley a man OF good heart
and pure purposes. He has merited
these attributes in the past and
, would continue to do so but
for following the advice-nsy,
the commanded his masters.
To-day we believe he is heart sore for
the evil that he has been forced into.
Out Of the abundance of that heart
his mouth spake for Porto Rico, and
his people praised, while that un-
fortunate island gave thanks. But
the hand of oppression Ind greed
pulled him by the coat, and he has
kept his seat, giving orders, at an
others dictstion, to the contrary OF
what he knew to be right.
For less than this did the American
colonies revolt. Porto Rico came to
us with outstretched arms, while we
rubbed our eyes to see if We
saw Alright. To-day her starving
people are denied the right of trade
with us, who will neither make her
one of US or let her 60 free-tsxation
Of the direst sort without shadow
of representation. Pltiable indeed
il the condition in which our Execu-
tive finds himself, for he is neither
king nor the shadow of one. Another
fills that place, and, maybe the one
who should really rule will yet find
the anguish Of soul so great that he
will cry with Wolsey-"Had | but
serv'd my God (the people, with half
the zeal | serv'd my king Hanna
and the trusts)-W