Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1900-03-15
AN EXPLANATION.
A Cabinet Officer Discusses the
Porto Rican Bill.
He Says that Congress and the Presi-
dent Alike Seek to Better the Com
dition of the People of the
Island, but the Public
Has Been MisIed.

Washington, March "a member of
| the cabinet hast night gave out the
| following statement:
There has been u wide misappre-
| hension of the Porto Rican tariff bill,
of the attitude of the president, of the
action of congress and of their rela-
| tions to each other. The criticism and
the concern which have come from
some well-meaning quarters are due
| almost entirely to u misunderstand
| ing of the real facts. When the coun-
try correctly understands the truth,
1T will approve what has been done.
THE attempt to represent that there
has been disagreement between the
| president and congress is unfounded.
| There has been no essential difference
between them. Both have sought the
same object. The recommendation of
the president and the house bill in
their purpose and their effect, come to
the same thing.
What the president proposed was
that the United States should offer the
largest measure of help to the dis
| tressed island, and he has never waver-
| ed a single instant in the object he
sought. Had his suggestion been ac-
cepted and followed by all in his spirit
and as he meant it, with the limita-
| tions he intended, all would have been
| well. But when the time came for ac
tion in congress two tendencies were
| seen. On the one hand there were
| good men and some business and ag-
ricultural interests that, while not OBJ
| jecting to free trade with Porto Rico
alone, feared that free trade with
Porto Rico would be made precedent
for free trade with the Philippines.
| "On the other hand what the presi-
| dent proposed as a worthy act of ma
tional generosity was seized by politi-
| cal opponents and claimed as a neces-
sary measure of inherent constitution
al right. They insisted that the con-
stituton by its own force extends to
Porto Rico and all the new island pos
sessions and spreads all its provisions
over them, including uniform taxation.
They were eager to commit republi-
can congress to the adoption of free
trade with Porto Rico, not as a meas
ure of generous expediency, but be-
| cause they could then claim that it
had riveted a hard and fast principle
which would tie the hands of the gov
ernment everywhere, in the Philippines
as well as in Porto Rico, without re-
gard to varying conditions, and which
would expose the administration and
its party to all the attacks that would
be made ON such Il position.
"It was a cunning game, but it did
not succeed. The apprehension of
the honest DIRECTORS who feared that
the concession of full free trade to
Porto Rico would lead to misconstruc-
tion, and the designs of the crafty
partisans who meant that it should,
were both met and frustrated by the
bill which passed t. house and which
lcYies Is per cent, or less than one
sixth of the Dingley rates. That low
rate involves no possible hardship. II
has the advantage of producing need
ed revenue, which until civil govern
ment and law are fully organized i'll
Porto Rico cannot be raised as we'll
from any other source.
There was another point which
was not generally understood. The
| bill provides that the whole amount
of duties on goods coming from Porto
| Rico shall be paid back to Porto Rico
| for the benefit of the island. Thus it
| fully harmonizes with the object at
which the president aimed, of reliev-
| ing the trade of Porto Rico from bur-
| densome restrictions and of extending
the largest degree of help; and when
| it was crowned by the presidents spe-
cial message, promptly carried out by
the house, providing not only that the
duties hereafter collected, but that
| those heretofore collected to the
amount of So, 100000 should be appro-
priated to be expended wholly in Porto
Rico for her development, no ground
was left for any pretense that the pol
icy of the president and congress Uas
| oppressive.
Nobody can understanding object
to the Is per cent. duty al paid back
to Porto Rico ON the ground that it is
unfair towards Porto Rico. He can
Understandings object, only on the
claim that there is no power to levy
any duty at all, and such Il claml
would leave the president and congress
powerless and helpless in the Philip
pines as we'll as in Porto Rico.
Between Il IS per cent. duty as pro
vided by the congressional bill, every
cent of which is to be returned to Per |
to Rico. that island also getting ali |
collected at the other end, and the re-
moval of customs duties as suggested |
by the president for humanity's sake |
there is no difference wheatever in |
practical results.
THE partisans who sought to put |
the president and congress in a hole
have. perhaps unconsoiously, dug pit |
for themselves. They will find that |
they have taken a position which |
would stop them from carrying out |
the policy they have prepared for the
disposition of the Philippines
Famous Theater Burned.