The Farmington times. [volume] (Farmington, Mo.) 1874-1902, 1900-08-23

I
: opinions of the president. The lass
one. as well nv the others. Involve
consequences Of very grave Import
ance TO the people. This president In
hts last annual message said. -0ur
plain duty Is 10 abolish the customs
: tariffs between the united States anil
= Porto Rico and give her products free
access 10 our markets." The secre-
: tary of war IN hiA annual report also
declared; ''1'he highest considera-
tons OF justice and good faith de-
mand that we should not diaappoint
the confident expectations OF sharing
Ia our prosperity with which the peo-
plo of Porto Rico have gladly trans
ferred their allegiance TO the United
States. We should treat the Interest
OF this people as our own. / wish
most strongly to urge that the Gus
toms duties between Porto Rico ans
the United States should be removed.
Mr.. Chairman, have quoted the Mt
ternnces OF both the chief magistrate
and his war adviser insisting upon
free trade between Porto Rico anil
the United States, the president de-
claring Il 10 be "onr plain duty" and
the secretary insisting that Justice
aud good faith demand H."
4 bin WIS introduced into the house
OF representatives by the chairman of
The committee on ways and means
tAr. Payne), and In the senate by the
senator from Ohio mir. Foraker), 10
crystalize these recommendation In.
10 law. The ink upon these bills was
scarcely dry before the most sudden
change Of views known in our adj
miniAtrative history occurred. The
reasonn for the change are so start.
ling that l will not assume 10 state
them myself lcst they be under the
suspicion of psrnicious partisnnship.
| will quote from the speech Of Sena-
tor kedheld Proctor. of Vermont (sec.
Rotary of war under President Harri-
son), made In the senate March 7Oth
OF the present year, in which be gives. |
with some degree Of Indignation, the |
reasons for Che change. After recit. /
ing the historyof the propcsedlegisla-
ton, and quoting the views Of the |
president and secretary of war, he |
says; Following these reeommendn- |
lions bin was introduced In this |
body by the senator from Ohio, the |
chairman Of the committee, giving .
Porto Rico free trade. A like meas. |
ure was introduced In another body; 4
but, presto! with little notice or an.
parent reason a bin comes TO us levy
Ing tax upon Porto Rican exports
and imports.
"Is IL strange that some OF us, In
lack OF an official statement, or an.
parent reason for this sudden shift.
should lie slow TO give up a line Of nc
ton which we believe to be based on
principle and justice, which We be-
lieSe TO be the only honest and con.
sistent oourss7 Il is charged that this
change was demanded and brought
about by the sugar and tobacco inter.
ests, and also, IL is stated, by organ
ized labor.
Il, however, have failed to see that
the representatives of this latter in.
tcreAt appeared before the commit
tee. IL is practically admitted that
free trade with Porto Rico does not
harm these interests materially. but
Mr.. Oxnard, for the Sugar Interest.
and Mr. Myrick and Mr.. Frye. presi-
dent OF the Tobacco Growers nssocia-
ton, claimed before the committee
that Il creates a precedent that will
harm them N adopted in reference 10 !
the Philippines and Cuba. Il will be
time TO cross thosp rivers when we {
come to them. and In my opinion the
crossing will not be difficult when the
proper time comes for action"
Fellow-citizcns, the Porto Rican
tarif bin was the outcome Of the
most shameless exhibition of tb, {
power of trusts and the most innoble ,
surrender 20 them made by any ad- }
in the history of our I
country. The surrender was made. as J
declared by Senator Proctor, not be- q
cause free trade with Porto Rico
would materially reduce the profits q
Of the trusts upon sugar aud tobacco. q
but it being the first outpost of fed .
nral legislation for the government of }
colonial possessions. the trusts took c
The administration by the throat. be- I
'ause their campaign contributions v
had largely contributed 90 It's eler- c
iion' and demanded that the bin be =
throttlcd because IL would estnblish a (
precedent for future legislation In re- Z
'pect to the Philippine islands and n
-ubs. Was ever the inordinate greed p
md power of trusts more dehantly q
exhibited than Is shown In the story b
IT national humiliation. by the dis. G
inguished republican senator (Mr. c.
'roctnr) in the extract from the II
peech ] have just read! This country C
las cut OF the trade Of Porto Rico q
With Spain 10y the Paris treaty, and n
hen taxed its commerce with va In y
disregard both of the Declaration of CT
Independence and the Constitution Of ri
he United States. The Constitution VI
aye that all duties, imposts and ex- 81
ises shall be uniform throughout the "
United States" To this constitution NJ
] maxim of taxation should be add. al
d, II the republican policy Is to pre- ~
the trusts consent. ~
AusEs or THE WAR WITH SPAIN nc
Feliow-citizcns, voted for the dec y
aration OF war with Spain 10 drive %
he cruel, treachsrous spaniards from oo
be western world. In discussing the
auses Of that war said In the house ~
! representatives on the cath Of 20
Iarch, 1895 that: ~
Language seems impasent 10 denIct
uch lesA To oxHKgerata, the eTueltiss per- CO
htrated by Spain ih her efforts 10 es. AZ,
I minata the Cuban population. The VI
hoieeHle carnival Of blood visited by thA pf
iriy spanfRh CanqusEtadorcn upon the I'M. ~,
'sisting anorigines OF the West Indies. ~
exlco ard Peru nt the beginning 81 In
Danish sovereignty over America, the ,,-
roclties OF tho Duks AZ Alva IN the y"
ethertanos, the massacre Of the Ar Ok
enians By the Turks, and the HcalplnR A..
heipless women and children By Ire VIC
pacheh DO not murpasa the recent crimes co
spain In Cuba. IL - estimated that | -.
ore than tfs.o9o Guiana have aiready "P
rished by Spanish cruelty. declared mn
ontha ago that tho United States shouIi -.
= LONGER hesitate to intervene in behalf az
Feilow-citixens, the views then ex- So
'essed remain unchanged up 10 this ON
,ur. The United Sfafsx nv Aha ioIns 20