The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1900-03-09
Especial Correspondence

Washington. March s. The one
thing that has absorbed public atten-
tion here in Washington. no less than
throughout the country, during the
past two weeks and continues to hold
it. is the legislation in regard 10
Porto Rico
The Ways and Means COMMITTEES
came to the conclusion that the one
thing required to restore prosperity
there was revenue. The island has
not recovered from the ravages of the
great storm that swept over the West
Indies last year, and consequently it's
inhabitants were in no condition to
pay direct taxes without great and
useless suffering The only way TO
raise revenues under the cireum-
stances, without adding to the dis
tress of the people of the island, was
by indirect means. This problem was
solved by the passage through the
House after hard fight of the bill
to collect until March /, 1902, fifteen
per cent of the duties levied by the
Dingley law upon all articles coming
into the island from the United States
and into the United States from Porto
Rico and setting aside the revenues
thus produced for the sole use and
benefit of the island, save only the
small cost of the collection of that
part paid in Porto Rico. The consider
tion of this measure in the House
brought on heated debate between
the two parties, the Democrats claim
ing the bill was unconstitutional, the
Republicans holding it to be both con-
stitutional and necessary. 1t finalay
passed by eleven majority, all the
Republicans but six voting for it and
all the Democrats but four voting
against it. That the opposition of the
Democrats was purely political and
not in the interest of the Porto Ricans
is shown by the fact when two days
after, another bill was brought in by
the Committee on Appropriation ap-
propriating all the money heretofore
collected in this country upon articles
coming into the United States for the
benefit of the Porto Ricans, to be ex-
pended under the direction of the
President, nearly every Democrat
voted against it. The Porto Ricans
can go starve so far as the Democrats
care if only they can manufacture a
little political capital. They are sad
ly in need of that article, but they
will find that the cloud they raised
as to the constitutionality of the Por-
to Rican bill is a counterfeit article.
The Senate Committee on Porto
Rico promptly included the tariff, a
feature of the House bill in their
measure to provide Porto Rico with a
civil government. There the matter
stands for the time being. In the
Senate as III the House, there are a
few Republicans who lean toward free
trade and would like to see it incor-
porated in the bill, but as they can
suggest no other way by which the
needed revenues for Porto Rico can be
raised they are not likely to defeat
the tariff clauses. 1t is probable that
flour, meat products and other food
stuffs going into Porto Rico from this
country will be put on the free list.
together with other prime necessaries
of life. But sugar, tobacco and rum
and any similar articles are apt to
have to pay duties the money SO paid
going exclusively to the benefit of the
Porto Ricans The United States
never treated any other new posses
sions with half the liberality with
which this bill proposes to treat Porto
Rico. When the provisions of this
bill come to be properly understood it
is certain to meet with the approval
of the American people,
The Senate has passed bill to
provide permanent territorial form
of government for Hawaii Il gives
that island Governor and other ter
ritorial officers to be appointed by the
President and confirmed by the Senate
courts whose judges and officers shall
be similarly appointed and confirmed,
a Legislature to be elected by the
qualified voters of the islands, and a
delegate in Congress similarly elected.
The Senate Porto Rican bill provides
for similar form of civil government
for that island, excepting that it fails
to provide for delegate, and only
one branch of the Legislature, the
more numerous. is TO be elected at
this time by the qualified voters of
the island. The other branch is com
posed of what is to be known as the
executive council which is to comprise
the executive officers other than the
Governor and five members not holding
executive offices Five at least of the
executive council must be natives of
Porto Rico This is a better form OF
government than has ever been pro-
vided for Alaska, and better than the
one proposed in a bill now before the
Senate made it. Alaska is to have
Governor and courts whose judges
and officers, as well as the governor,
are to be appointed by the President
and confirmed by the Senate. In all
three cases the Governors and other
| nfiicers includinp the iud0eS are to