The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-03

possess. The last-named class will disap-
pear only by the general elevation Of the
community.
Hypocrisy Added to Dishonor.
Just before leaving the nominal for the
actual capital of the country yesterday,
President Mckinley sent a message to Con-
gress. in which he recommended that the
sum Of S2.O95. 455.SS stolen from the starv-
ing American community of Porto Rico
under cover Of the Dingley act, should be
appropriated and placed at the disposal of
the executive, to be used in Porto Rico
for conducting the government there and
for the extension Of public education"
This is Of a piece with the sapient pream-
bic to the Payne bill which based the Re-
publican determination to violate the Con-
stitution and perpetuate the Porto Rican
famine, for the benefit and profit of the
oil, sugar, tobacco, and rum trusts, upon
the fact that the people of Porto Rico
have been deprived of their markets.
are unable to pay internal reve-
nue. and indirect taxes" and that there
I fore, temporary revenue is necessary for
| their schools, their roads. and their inter-
nal improvement
Like this preamble the language of the
! Presidents message is that Of cruel and
sickening hypocrisy. He has heard the
muttering of the storm raised by the prog
ress Of the Payne outrage, and, with a
degree OF naivete which cannot be too
much admired, he seeks 10 raise the UNI
brella of a proposition to use the money
wrenched from people dying of famine, 10
bury their dead and found universities fer
those who may immigrate to the island to
take their places.
1t is next to impossible to write on the
subject Of this national disgrace within
the bounds of decorum. When, in his mes
sage, Mr.. Mckinley asserts that, as Com
mander- in Chief during military occupa-
ton Of Porto Rico, he had the right TO
modify or do away with the tariff on
goods coming into the colony from other
countries. but had no right in the least
to abate the exactions of Dingleyism on
Porto Rican productions entered at Amer
lean mainland ports, he asserts what he
knows to be contrary to law and fact. No
one is better aware than he that from the
moment the treaty Of cession went into ef-
feet every dollar Of customs duty levied
on American merchandise sent to Porto
Rico. OF on Porto Riean merchandise re
ceived at any of our ports, involved direct
and premeditsted robbery as well as cold
blooded cruelty. The crime win not be alb
solved by the use of these looted mil
lions, through the agency of political com
missions and corrupt favorites, to build
academies or postroads from the coast to
the estates Of Administration favorites. 1t
should be held as a sacred trust. TO be re-
turned TO the unfortunate individuals from
whom ii was deliberately and Intentionally
stolen. In any event like sum will have
to be appropriated to repay the duties al
ready exacted in violation of the Constitu-
ton. The miserable subterfuge OF the ar
gument, that the theft was justified by the
necessity for public revenue, is exposed in
the undeniable fact that the extension of
the American internal revenue system TO
the Island would have provided adequately
for All legitimate purposes.
Again we are impelled to ask what can
be this mysterious power behind the throne
of the Republican Administration, which is
shown to be strong enough to force
President from his position Of tardy JUS
tice and mercy to the Porto Ricans, and
compel him to an act at once of personal
humiliation and of violation of his oath to
support the Constitution of the United
States? II the magnates Of the oil, sugar.
tobacco, and rum trusts have this power
over the President and the Republican ma
jorities in the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatlves, It Is time that the American
people should awaken TO their danger
They have a remedy, and it will be easy
OF application on the 9Th day of next No |
vember On that occasion It will be posi- /
bic to save our institutions from destruc- /
ton. II the opportunity be lost it may |
never recur. -Four more years of Hanna |
McKinleyism would probably find us with |
out Monroe Doctrine, without Consti- |
tuition and without a Republic worthy OF