The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-03-20

Puerto Rican tariff bill, and since 1t is
put up in the senate for passage and is
being discussed there, the people of the
home town of the president have been
looking into the matter somewhat
They applauded him last December
when he said that it was the plain duty
of this country to abolish custom tariffs
with the little island that now has, OF
ought to have, the same rights as any
state in the Union. Some of the most
prominent Republicans in this city are
not in accord with the action of the
president, recently, in insisting that
congress tax the people of the island IL
per cent. There is terrible suffering
there now. Industries are paralized and
many people are starving. But a few
days ago there left the docks at New
York a vessel loaded with supplies for
islanders, who are in destitute circum-
stances. The Dingley law still prevails
against the products of these people and
that calls for a tax on q tariff basis,
of about 45 per cent. It has simply
paralyzed the trade of that state, for
it is now state as much as Ohio is a
state, and it was for that reason that
the president, last December, sugges ted
to congress in a message, that all tariff
taxes be abolished, so far as they af-
fected Puerto Rico. Now the tobacco
trust and the sugar trust have foreclos-
ed on the president for the loan they
made him in 1896, and he has had con-
gress put a tax of Is per cent on the
products of the island, simply chang
ing the crime from grand to petit lar
ceny and still practically excluding the
products of that little state and keep
ing it's people in a state of Industrial
paralysis.
That is the situation that is presented
to the fellow townsmen of President
Mckinley, and there has been no at
tempt from Washington to evade re-
sponsibility. Numerous congressman
voted for the petit larceny measure
against their better judgment and some
of them openly declared that they were
voting that way simply because Presi-
dent Mckinley asked them to do so.
' News-Democrat reporters have inter
viewed a number of prominent citizens
with reference to this crime against the
people of Porto Rico. Interviews with
a number of Republicans brought vari-
ed results. Some were outspoken in
their statements and others had not
given the matter consideration" 1t is
hardly necessary to state that all those
eyiNy
sideration," were Republicans, and
most of them gentlemen who keep we'll
posted on current events and who have
heretofore been glad to be quoted as be-
ing unqualifiedly with the president in
everything and to hold up his hands,"
1t is fair to assume therefore, that those
who decline interviews were not pre-
pared to endorse the president, if they
were not prepared to condemn him.
So far as the Democrats were concern
ed every one of them who was seen
knew all about the question. Not a
Democrat who was found by reporters
had overlooked this important ques-
tion, and not one said he had not given
the matter consideration"
OF the Republicans seen, Judge
Joseph Frease and Mayor ]. H. Robert
son were the most outspoken in their
belief in free trade for the island of
Porto Rico, so far as the United States
is concerned. One or two others also
said they favored free trade, and one
willy gentleman, who is, he frequently
Of
leave it to the judgment of congress,
knowing that congress had orders to
pirouette every time the president turn
ed fiip-fiop, which is not infrequent.
Judge Joseph Frease, one of the old
time Republicans, a leader at the Stark
county bar, and one of it's oldest mem
bers, the father of Postmaster George
B. Frease, editor of the Mckinley home
organ, came out squarely against the
whole imperialistic and tobacco and
sugar trust business. The question
propounded was as, follows: 1.-THE
president, in his message to congress in
December said: 1T is our plain duty to
abolish all customs tariffs between the
United States and Porto Rico, and give
HEIR products free access to our mar
kets.' He now favors a Is per cent
tariff for Porto Rico. Do you approve
the recommendation of President Nc
Kinley in December Of last year or his
position now?" Judge Frease said:
"If this country is to have
Porto Rico believe we should have free
trade with her. but am opposed to
possessing the island at ali. am op-
posed TO taking Porto Rico and especi-
ally TO going around the world and
seeking TO enforce our Ideas of govern