New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-10-10

delegated, and when it was necessary to give
relief TO the trade OF the island and at the same
time keep it solvent.
The Is per cent of the Dingley tariff has
been conceded by even those who talk about
the Outrage Porto Rico" a mere trlfe'
which has not been the slightest actual hard
ship to Porto Rican trade. For all practical
purposes it is free trade. The slight impost
however. furnishes revenue which 1t would be
hard on the island to raise otherwise. The
ready wealth of Porto Rico is largely in the
hands of the mercantile class, and it of course
reaps the most direct benefit from access to
our markets. Money for local government
schools, etc, could be more equitably raised by
this trifling tax on the Porto RicaL and Ameri-
can trader, each making a contribution to the
welfare Of the island which was enrichinS him,
than it could be from the small farmers and
planters whose crops had been ruined by the
hurricane. Yet these latter would have borne
the burden of the substitution for the tariff of
any such system of land or other direct taxes
as exists in our States and Territories. 1t is to
be remembered that the Porto Rlcan tariff is
the sole tax on the island, taking the place of
both State and Federal taxes and as the
proceeds of that all go to the island it is not
taxed at all for Federal purposes. as Is Arizona
The failure to bring the island within the
(
the Constitution there. as it has been extended
by law to Arizona, is represented as hard
ship. but in fact it is a grace. Such extern
sion would 1t is true have abolished the frac
tional tariff but at the same time it would
have extended there our internal revenue laws
and taken from the people, not for their own
treasury but for the United States, much more
money than would have been saved TO them.
And at the same time 1t would have left the
inhabitants under the necessity of paying direct
taxes for their local expenses. This complica-
ton was not generally understood when the
Porto Rican question first came up. Carried
away by sentiment of liberality, the Secre-
tary of War recommended absolute free trade
without perceiving that the apparent liberal
ity was deceptive. This unfortunate failure to
consider carefully the actual conditions gave
the critics of the Administration an opportunity
to make severe reflections on its consistency
They have not failed to make the most of the
chance. but that does not alter the fact that
the course taken has been the more liberal and
Just TO all classes of the island, even if a few
of its traders hoped to load all the burdens of
government off on their poorer neighbors and
a few of our politicians make phrases about
giving the Porto RicanS $50 per cent of their
rights No other Territory Of the United
States was ever treated so literally in the mat
ter of taxation.
Equally liberal has been the United States
in the establishment of a government for Porto
Rico. The models set by Jefferson and Madison
in forming a government for Louisiana, and
by Monroe and John Quincy Adams in ruling
Florida, have been followed, but improved upon
in the direction Of giving the inhabitants of
Porto Rico more of self-gOvernment at once
than those of the earlier acquisitions enjoyed.
No doubt when the governmental machinery
is once we'll established larger powers of self
government can be delegated just they were
in Louisiana and Florida The Administration
has been entirely true to the traditions of Amer
lean freedom, and at the same time adapted
its measures to the practical needs of its new
acquisition 1t no more taxes Porto Rico with
out representation than it taxed the Northwest
Territory. Louisiana. Florida and California and
now taxes Alaska. On the contrary. it turns
some of the receipts of the Federal custom
house right here at home over to the island and
| frees it absolutely from all taxation for Fed
eral purposes, such as it has levied on all other
| territory. Congress has merely used its au-
thority in the absence of any other taxing
power to provide revenue for internal purposes,
! Just as it levies direct tax on real estate for
/ the local expenses of the District OF Columbia
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