Gloucester County Democrat., 1900-03-08
Especial Washington letter.


Especial Washington Letter.J
Amazing things are happening in this
Capital City. In his December mes
sage to congress President Mckinley
used this emphatic language, declaring
unequiyocally in favor of free trade
with Porto Rico:
''The markets of the United States
should be opened up to her products.
Our plain duty is to abolish all customs
tariffs between the United States and
Porto Rico and give her products free
access to our markets"
Now, it must be taken for granted
that that was a well considered opin-
ion, and that it was a proposition on
which he proposed that the Republican
party should stand and on which he
himself would stand
Nevertheless it is an open secret that
1t was MIR. McKinley's personal and Of
fetal influence which caused the pas
sage of the amended Payne Porto Rican
tariff bill by the closest squeeze. The
president changed his base, but for
some unaccountable reason did not
communicate his reasons for the
change in the constitutional manner,
but by buttonholing and importuning
members in private. People will want
to know why he changed. Don't you
know?
A MaIign Influence.
The Washington Post, independent,
in commenting on the above paragraph
by the president says:
IF it was our plain duty three
months ago to give to the products Of
Porto Rico free access to our mar
kets, it is our plain duty today. The
president summarized the ethics of the
situation. Our obligation has been in
nowise lessened since the message
was written.
what malign influence has inter-
vened to battle the presidents right
eous and original intent we do not
care to conjecture. OF course, it is
notorious that certain domestic indus
tries supposed to be OF greater or less
political Importance have through
their various organizations, impor-
tuned congress to withhold altogether
or at least to modify Mr. McKinley's
solemnly announced programme. Those
organizations are afraid, or pretend to
be afraid, of the sugar, tobacco and
fruit products of the little island.
Everybody knows that, We're Porto
Rico cultivated to its utmost capacity,
and were its entire harvest shipped to
New York. duty free, within two
months the result would be absorbed
without the smallest perceptible dis
turbance of our domestic equilibrium
or the most infinitesimal effect upon
the markets. 1t is a little island, an
island of great fertility, to be sure; but
its aggregate output would not agi-
tate Philadelphia and Chicago alone, to
say nothing of the rest of this vast
country. And Porto Rico might easily
thrive and prosper and develop with
out harming the very greediest and
most selfish of our organized CONNER
cial interests.
President Mckinley, in his mes
sage, spoke for the honor, the loyalty
and the righteousness of the American
people, and the members of the ma
jority In congress who, in spite of the
party whip, are supporting the presi-
dents position have exhibited cour-
ageous altruism and noble Christian
ity which entitle them to the reyer-
ence of the American people. They
have stood for the right, for justice and
fair dealing, and have thrown all
thought of selfish advantage to the
winds. Braver men never stood in the
pass of Thermopyle. Truer patriots
never invited martyrdom."
If anything more eaustic than that
has been written since the days
of Junius, have failed to see it. | ad-
wise stump speakers who read these
letters to cut it out and paste it in their
hats for future reference and use. 1t
is good ammunition, sure as you live.
Powers of Congress.
The debate on the Porto Rican bill
ought to open the eyes of all lovers of
liberty in America without regard TO
political affiliations as to the settled
purpose of the Republican leadeAs to
set at naught and disregard the CON
stitution of the United States.
Over and over again Republican con
gressmen asserted that congress pos
sesses all the powers Of the British
parliament Lets see If that is true.
What power has congress? Just what
the constitution gives it and not one
whit more What Is congress? The
creature of the constitution. Is the
creature greater than the creator? Who
viii have the gall to affirm propo-
sition so utterly preposterous? Yet in
effect that is what they do assert when
they declare that the American con
gress possesses all the powers of the
British parliament What power does
parliament possess? Supreme power.
No British monarch has dared to veto
a bill passed by parliament since the
days of William III. usually called the
Prince of Orange. The British constt-
tuition is myth. There is no such
thing. There never was. Parliament
has as much right to abolish the mon
AICHy tOHaO1LOn tto IL Ado " pass -
revenue bill Has congress the au-
thority to abolish the republic? Who
viii SO assert in so many words? Yet
Messrs. Hopkins ct al, Republican
congressman, leaders in congress, bold
" assert that congress is endowed
with the same powers as the British
parliament possesses. Ii that he true,
what the deuce did we have the Revo-
lutionary war for? Were we simply
swoppIng masters? Exchanging par
lament for congress? Trading devil
for a witch? Congress has the same
powers as the British parliament, has
1T? How does it happen then that
courts in this country declare acts of
congress unconstitutional sometimes
especially in the income tax casesl
Where Is the court to declare an act
of parliament unconstitutional No.
where. It can't be done. It is impos-
sible, for there is no British constitu-
ton to be violated. But the iteration