The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-02-04
RULE FOR PUERTO RICO
PLAN TO BE PRESENTED TO THE
SENATE ON MONDAY.
Scheme of Government Which the
Committee Proposes to Give the
Natiyes-Free Trade.

| by the committee at its meeting last
Wednesday. The rate OF duty provided for
articles brought from Porto Rico to the
United States and for articles taken from
| the United States to Porto Rico is % per
cent. of the Dingley law rate. Senator For
aker. chairman of the committee, proposed
| a report which has been adopted by the
committee and will be submitted with the
bill to the Senate next Monday. The re-
| port states that "the purpose of the bill
| is to provide a temporary civil government
| for Porto Rico, to continue until the laws
and ordinances now in force in that island
can be revised and codifed and a more
permanent form of government be framed
| by a commission to be appointed by the
| President. The necessity for commission
| of this character is manifest when it is
| considered that the laws and judicial sys-
| TENS and codes Of procedure, well as
| the political conditions generally now ex-
| listing in Porto Rico, are so widely different
| from ours as to make it impossible to do
such work inteligently and comprehensive
| ly without that wider and more accurate
| knowledge that can be obtained only by
| visiting the island and studying the whole
situation it there exists. Because the
| legislation now under consideration Is in
| tended to stand only temporarily the COM
| mittee has sought to limit it 70 only such
changes in existing laws and conditions as
appear necessary to quickly accomplish
purposes that are thought to be essential
to the peace and prosperity of the island.
| Generally stated, the propositions are:
"First-To substitute q civil for military
government.
"Second-To accord to the native Porto
Ricans as much participation therein as it
| may be for the best interests Of all con-
cerned to give them.
''Third-To avoid as far as possible radi-
cal changes in the laws, courts and codes
of procedure and yet make such modifca-
tons and alterations as are necessary to
dispense with the most Objectionable fea-
lures of former Spanish government and
judicial administration.
''Fourth-To provide a legislature that
can deal with all domestic subjects of legis-
lation.
"Fifth-To extend the navigation laws of
the United States to the island and enact
visions as are necessary to afford reve-
nue. for the support OF the government
and to meet the expenses of such public
instruction and public improvements as
should be undertaken and in this behalf au-
thorize to limited extent the raising of
funds by issuing municipal and insular
bonds In anticipation Of revenues.
''SiXth-TO retire Porto Rican coins now
In circulation and substitute coins of the
United States therefor.
"Seventh-To authorize and regulate the
granting of public and quasi-public fran
chses."
THE questions that gave the committee
the most concern were, first, as to whether
or not the Constitution should be extended
to Porto Rico; and, in the second place.
whether provisions should be made with
respect to tariff duties and internal taxes"
Attention is called in detail to the legis-
lation relating to- territories in the past to
show that there is abundant precedent for
not extending the provisions of the Con-
stitution to territory of the United States
for WHICH Congress may be called on to
legislate. That 1t is within the consttu-
tional power of Congress to either extend
or withhold the Constitution in all such
cases, as 1t may deem advisable, will ap-
pear from the authorities hereinafter cited
in support of the proposition that Con-
gross has constitutional power to legis-
late according to the provisions of this bill
with respect to import duties, to which
provisions attention is now called.
THE bill, as introduced. provided for free
trade between the United States and Porto
Rico. This proposition was objected to on
various grounds 1t was urged that, first,
II was I'm violation of the policy OF protec-
ton; second. IL was inimical to the inter-
ests of the United States, with which Porto
Rican products would come in competition;
thru. 1t would be precedent that would
have to be fonowed in other cases that
might hereafter arise where the COMPETE
ton resulting might be still more injurious
to American interests. These WERE at
least, the principal objections urged be-
fore the committee. The committee care
fully considered all of them, with the re-
suit that they do not regard the objec-
lions well TAKEN.
After citing the productions of Porto
Rico the report says: $50 far as the OBJ
lection is concerned that what is done with
respect to Porto Rico will be a precedent
that must be followed in dealing with the
Philippines and other islands we may ac-
quire, the committee thinks it enough to
say that such a result does not necessarily
follow. In the opinion of the committee
each case stands on it's own merits, and
Congress is not bound in one by what it
may see fit to do In another It's power Is
plenary. and IT may do as 1t likes" 1t
was decided, however TO impose the duty
and provide for duty on goods entering
Porto Rico, so as to provide revenues for
the island.
Further, the report says: THE commit
tee recognizes that in not extending the
Constitution and making 1t apply to Porto
Rico, and especially by the provisions they
report in this bill with respect to tariff du-
ties, they raise important questions as TO
the constitutional power of Congress to en-
act such legislation. Notwithstanding all
that has been said to the contrary, a ma
jority of the committee are OF the opinion
that Congress has such power"
With respect to citizenship the report
states: ut Is within our discretion TO
make the inhabitants of Porto Rico citizens
of the United States or not, so it is within
the power and discretion or the Congress
to make the inhabitants of the Philippines
and other islands we may acquire citizens
or withhold that quality from them. 1t is
also within the power of Congress to reg
ulate and restrict and prohibit, If thought
advisable, the passing of inhabitants of the
Philippines or other islands from their
country into ours, or TO prevent the prod
ucts of their labor from coming into I'M
just competition with the labor of this
country With respect to this whole mat
ter Congress has now. since annexation.
and will continue to have complete and un-
questioned power TO legislate as II may see
fit. and hence continue to afford the same
protection heretofore given In all these par
ticulars. 1t will be simply q question of
policy hereafter in each case as IL may
arise as 1t is now and has been hereto
fore"
Senators Galiinger and Perkins, of the
committee. while asserting to the main
features Of the report except to some por-
tions of II, are against any proposition for
free trade with the island. They assert
that If Porto Rico was an integral part
of the United States no tariff different from
that which applies to the United States
could be maintained. They also believe
that some interests of the United States
would suffer from free trade with the
island and revert TO the cheap labor and
other conditions with which the United
States could not COmDefp