The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-01
FOR AND AGAINST A TARIFF.
Governor Dyer md iieprcSentHtiN =
Gapron TnIL of Porto Rico.


PROVIDENCE, R L. March SI-At the
snre-eiection dinner Of the representaives
of the Republican party held-here today
the speeches Of Gov. Elisha Dyer and Rep
rssentatjse Adm B Capron pertaining to
Porto Rcan questions were enthusias-
tically received by the large gathering
present which represented every city and
town In the State, Governor Dyer in part
said.
To treat the Porto Ricans as if they
We're aliens; as if they had no rights at
all, to have taken possession of their ISL
and. to set up our own government and
then to impose duties upon them just as
we would upon the people OF Haiti or San
Domingo. is one Of the most OUTRAGEOUS
transactions that could be thought Of,
1t is most encouraging that so many
OF the men who mold public opinion have
taken the stand they have. It is not
question of constitutional right: it is
question Of simple Justice Nations have
moral obligations resting upon them as
well as individuals. God forbid that any
people should have to say that they pre-
ferred Spanish rule, and that they trusted
more in Spanish honor than in the honor
OF the United States. The Republican
party has always been loyal to the prin-
ciples it has enunciated l believe there
is today sufficient manhood in the party
to stand up and not only protest against,
but refuse support to any men or any
measure not absolutely committed TO the
principles Of national justice ana national
honor. What a spectacle il will be to
European nations that this people, having
been conquered by US and brought into
the fold, should be- treated as strangers
and taxed without reason for bringing
theif products into our ports,. We might
just as well tax the people Of Block Island
for thA fish and farm products they send
to the mainland as to tax these people of
Porto Rico for what they bring to us. l
believe that before the time comes for
the meeting of the National Convention in
Philadelphia this question will be settled
and settlea with justice and honor not
only to ourselves but TO the people who
by every moral right should be a part of
our nation.%
Representative CaprOn said.
up to the time the Presidents mes
sage was promulgated at the beginning of
December last there was no question that
We would do what was right in regard to
Porto Rico. The people of the United
States have solemn duty to perform to-
ward the people of Porto Rico and l do
not think Congress had any desire to
shirk it. During the autumn the terrible
tornado swept over the island and de-
strOyed crops and large amount OF prop
erty and the people were left in a hope
less condition. The conditions came to
the knowledge Of the members of Congress
little by little and so the President in his
message said: 1t is our plain duty to give
the blessing Of free trade to the island OF
Porto Rico
Then we began to find out that the
people We're in a deplorable condition
more so than We had imagined The mill
tary commander Of the island came to
Washington and said that the island need
ed the advantages of free trade with the
United States. Everybody agreed with
him and everybody agrees with him now.
but General Davis held up to the Congress
sional committee picture OF the starving
condition Of the people, and it was very
plain that the first thing to be done was to
save the people from their present con-
dition The blessings of free trade would
not help the graveyards of Porto RiCo very /
much. To extend free trade to the people
Of Porto Rico would be like setting the
tables in this hall and then providing
nothing to eat. They have coffee sugar {
and tobacco. Free trade would not affect
coffee, because It is already On the free /
list, 80 there is only the sugar ana to- /
bacco left. The sugar and tobacco crops
had been gathered and sold by the pro- 1
ducers, and were in the warehouses OF
the ports waiting shipment to America.
The sugar was held by the Sugar Trust
and the tobacco by the Tobacco Trust so |
thar free trade would not help the people /
al this time. Now. We said there are three i
things We can do for Porto Rico. Yes
three things We can do for Porto Rico one
Is 10 help the people in their starving con
1ition until this state Of affairs IS amel;- I
GRATED by future crops We can take
1880 600 a year our Of the United States
Treasury and pass ir over to Porto Rico as
a bounty. Then we thought there was q
better way 10 overcome the consequences
Of the tornado. Instead Of giving free trade.
which would benefit only the trusts. iL
would be wiser 10 put on a > per cent
ariff on all goods which came into this
and every dollar derived from the
lax upon goods from Porto Rico should be
made Immediately available for The beue-
DO OF the people Of the island That there /
might be no misunderstanding about this
10 was limited 10 Two years"
Mr. Cspron said such a course would reud
o Immediately relieve The condition Of the
sl8nd