, 1900-05-10

An ADsoiute free TRADE Jariu with
the United states.
Mr.. C. F. Saylor, of the Department
of Agriculture, has recently been on
an official trip to Porto Rico. He
shows clearly that those who would
benefit by absolute free trade are the
Spanish, English and other European
owners of the plantations. and not the
native islanders. He says:
Let us look into the factories
themselves, and l do not fear chal-
lenge in this respect because | have
been in every factory in Porto Rico.
Whatever capital is invested in those
factories emanating at all from island
sources is purely Spanish. 1t does not
belong to Porto Rico. The peculiar
system maintained by Spain through
all of the business concerns, n so
far as their own capital was employed,
threw everything into the hands of
the Spaniards, who were simply in
Porto Rico doing business. They do
not belong to that element of Porto
Ricans that we feel so tender about,
and would not become citizens of Por-
to Rico or this country, whatever be-
comes of the constitutional question.
Other factories are owned and con-
troled by English capital; others by
German. and the entire factory sys-
tenn by Spanish, English and German.
These factories mainly through
their cheap labor. can, with absolute
free trade, put & on the market
of New York, at cost to themselves.
for 2 cents a pound. This would be
$40 for a short ton of sugar. Sugar
has been selling this year for $40 per
ton. With free trade this would be
a pro1t of $50 on an outlay of $40,
which / figure is rs per cent. Who
gets this profit? There is only n
way for handling imported uga in
this country and that is through the
two or three sugar combinations
mainly through the trust. They
agree with the planters or manufac-
turers to take this sugar, refine 1t, n
place 1t on the market. dividing the
profit on a certain basis, as is now
being done and as has been don be-
tween the Hawaiian planters and the
sugar trust for years. How will they
divide the profits? Even? Each get
ting 371k per cent? We do not know.
Only the parties interested know. This
point is clear, however. and that Is
that the Porto Ricans are not bene-
fitted. Simply the combinations
of his country and the foreign plant
ers or manufacturers of Porto Rico.
Isn't it a great e that we should
nave freed the Porto Ricans from a
condition as bad as slavery, making
what concession we of right ought to
make, in Justice to the people of this
country, assuring them that after they
had attained the standard that
ought to nave to enjoy the rights and
privileges of the constitution of the
country, that then they might be ad-
mitted with equal privileges with the
rest. Do you think this ought to be
before wages are paid in that country
somewhere near in comparison with
wages in this country, or before the
average citizen of that country shall
at least be able to understand the pri-
mary principles of our government
and institutions? We say no. We
should especially not bring in this
great horde of cheap laborers who re-
eeive less per day than n person
could live on in his country, and yet
lltg i 5uppOStu " upDOt dLllIlit9
on this. We believe the laborers of
this country will en- masse resent this
proposition.
"Of course we don't undertake to
say that Porto Rico in itself is afford
ing all this great hazard, but in the
Porto Rican bill we have the princi-
pie at stake. Only Is per cent of the
present Mckinley tariff is exacted. and
this only to maintain the principle
that we have the constitutional right
TO place a tariff against the Philip
pines and Cuba when the time arrives.
Porto Rico has been able, at her
maximum. to export abou 60 1000 tons
of sugar. She would be able II all
her resources were brought into play,
to send us about 3 per cent of our
consumption. But when the Philip
pines and Cuba ask for the same priv
ilege. then it will be an entirely diff
ferent question. And yet the same
principles are involved that l have
discussed in Porto Rico. Isn't it
enough that we nave expended so
much blood and treasure in wrestling
these islands from the condition they
were in, at the same time offering
every help in the future that is con-
sistent with fair and honest dealing
with our own interests and people?
81 am a thorough believer in eX-
pansion. | believe that expansion is
fraught with i~ncalculable benefit both
to the inhabitants of the island and to
the people of this country, when con-
gress shall have framed such fair.
honest. just and equitable regulations
as are consistent with the right of
our own labor and Industries"