The Portland daily press., 1900-04-27

His speech proved the fsaturs OF the
evening and while gisen hesitaunsV
ives neyerthsless almost perfeotiy under.
stood, while his enunoiAtion was well
nigh faulties.
In IN Producing secretsry Of the Urea
sury Gage, tbs presiding officer said that
that official held position In the cabi-
net second only TO that Of sscretary Of
State. He regretted that the President
himssif migst not have. been present,
but he expressed greet satisfaction on
,hs part of himself and those present
that MIR. Gage ives able TO attend and
speak In behalf OF the financial interests
Of the country. Eeoretary Gage spoke as
fellows:
SECRETARY CAGES SPEECH.
desire to say = few words whioh II
possible may carry aoousats and clear
infor nation % to the support Of our new
1 shall speak especially Of the arrange
meut for It's revenues, ana only inoiden-
tally OF its other features. am quite
aware that Congregational action 20
which refer has teen made the theme
OF the most amin sted discussion In the
press and elswehsre. The bill as 10
finally passad the Senate and Bouss has
bean quite widely published. but 1
doutt II many have taken the pains to
study &c and to gain clear conception OF
the matter. my salt woui1 have been
among that number had the act not
thrown upon me certain Official duties
which mads necessary . careful and re-
peated study of the subject.
As commercial mon you are Interested
In . proper understanding OF this, ~ you
must be In all the other great questions,
questions which sffsot our commercial or
Industrial relationship. What then has
teen done for Porto Ricof What are
Island and the United Statseg From
what sources ere the revenues OF the
island TO DO derivedg Does the imposition
CT tsrin equal to 10 psr cent OF the
Dinglsy tariff. upon goods subject TO
duty, coming from Porto Hoo vioiats
the spirit OF mutually which ought to
our relation with the new
The last question, as you all know, has
been widely discussed with considerable
heat, not to say with bitterness. In fact
that particular item Of so-callsd duty
upon imports between Porto Rioo and
the United States has excited intense
hostility. It has been denounced as IN
kind, ungenerous. unconstitutional.
There ere many respectabls people, both
In mum bsrs and In character, who believe
and contend that the Consultation carried
by Its own foros to all acquired possss-
sions OF the United States the right Of
free trade with 10. Snoh evidently Is not
the theory Of the dominant party by
whBse vote the legislation In question has
bsen enacted.
l shall not venture upcn that ground.
There is q competent authority which
will sometime pass upon 1t, and when II
Is thus determined, n Hulding light will
be furnished which will serve to illumine
the trying path, full Of new duties and
upon which our national
life IL advancing. In the meantime,
while conflicting theories obscure the WY
q course OF wise exDadisncy must be fol-
lowed. Does the Porto Rioan legislation
Follow such a roadI IL 1t just and fair to
TIE people OF that lsla nds Towards
peoLls so weak and helpless rs are they
pothing Will be just and fair unless
Hinged and enriched by the higher quail
ties Of sympathy and generosity. The
island has been storm swept, and broken
by oppression. Niusty-tive per cent OF its
people are In abjsot poverty. IL has no
established civil government. Every
thing is to be done with no resources
Avails BILE.
The new act provides for OWL gov
In all Its branches, adminjsbrs-
tive, judicial, Legislative. The admins
trstive and judicial branches are to be
established through appoint
ments to be made by she President. oon-
drmsd by the Senate. In this way have
hesn provided these branches Of govern
ment In ali our territories, New Mexico.
Oklahoma and the rest.
In Porto Rico the Legislative functions
must await action ~ the people, for In
q bread ssnse the law-makiDg power Is Go
be representative OF and created by the
Dandtn0 nFaaftnn OF this
body, the great Interests OF schools, hos
pitals, roads, sanitation. the prsferyation
Of order, and other public needs will be
directed and controlled Dy the adminiE-
trativs and judicial branches, In con-
formity with the laws inherited from
Spanish rule, and under the warrant OF
military order In forns, already.
To make law the administrative body
has no power. Revenue through taxa
lion they have no power 60 provide. 30
10 revenue TO tie stats
that someone has declared that the reve-
nue. of the state IL the state. How Ia 1t
for in Porto Ricoi
/ have said that ninety live ger cent OF
her psople are in great poverty, but there
are perhaps i've per cent-the percentage
ls az bitrAry-who own valuable produc-
live land, worth under depressed Oondt-
tons from one hundred to two hundred
dollars psr acres. The duty laid upon
Vi bukdE anu teOoSeS Wv
iuced from these lands 10 equal to 10 per
rent of the duty lsid upon similar pro-
ducts coming from Cuba or other COM
peting producers. This duty Is about
equal to seven DER cent Of the market
value Of the goods affected and IL substan-
TALLY an Indirect tax upon the productive
lands Of Porto Rico, tax which tbs land
owners oan we'll afford to pay. Upl4ss
all taxation Is robbery there appears no
Z God reason In ths nature CT things why
he Porto Rican pcssessors OF wealth
should not make this contribution for
the protection OF their property and the
general support Of the civil stats. The
amount thus collected without coat either
10 the island or to us-s ince all the ma-
,binery 10 la exiitence-is all turned back
into Porto Rico to DO expended In It's
behalf by THE administrative govern
Inent.
In like manner there is to be levied
and collected In Porto Rico customs
duty on articles not now placed ON the
[ co list equal TO IS per cant of the Ding
Icy tariff when such goods come from this
. nited States, and the full Dingley rates
when such goods come from otber than
meFican ports are imposed. All monies
80 collected are likewls, to be held and
nEed for the governments and benefit OF