The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-03-29
of the United Sta~~s and those Of Porto
Rico than the proposed tariff and would be
just, equitable and constitutional.
MIR DAXIS'S SPEECH

Il am so desirous of an early vote upon
this bill" said Mr.. Davis. that l have
thought II better to address the Senate this
afternoon much more briefly than other
wise would have done. This will cause me
TO omit some discussion of constitutional
questions and many other matters auxil-
iary and collateral to the main subject
After the elaborate argument of Mr. Lind
say. Mr.. Davis said. he did not think IL
was necessary for him to enter upon
constitutional discussion of the subject.
While he deemed the question very impor-
tant he regarded it as entirely nonpartisan,
and felt that IT ought to be considered.
His remarks. he said, would be directed TO
the House bill, which had become part of
the Senate measure. He said that 1t could
not be denied that from the time the meas
ure was reported to the House until to-day
there had been a rising tide of protest
against il, and that protest had eliminated
In righteous indignation. 1t had come from
every part of the country and from people
in every walk of life. and 1t was based
upon the principle that Porto Rico. in all
the circumstances, should have free trade
with the United States. Upon the question
variety of opinion. After explaining brief
ly an amendment he had offered earlier in
the day Mr.. Davis maintained that a tariff
could not be levied as between Porto Rico
and the United States. although Ii was per-
fectly competent for Congress to provide
for the collection of internal revenue taxes
on the island.
why do some insist that there is no
other way of solving the question present
ed, when way is pre- 5ented that is in
dubitably CONSTITUTIONAL" inquired Mr.
Davis. why insist upon tariff upon the
products of the island by bill which is so
ephemeral as to expire in a year and
day? Why. indeed. insist upon the provi-
sions of this measure when it would be far
better to let existing conditions continue?'
Mr.. Davis contended that the amendment
he had proposed would go far to appease
the storm of protest and indignation which
had arisen. and would satisfy the people
of this country and the Porto Ricans them
selves.
SIGNS OF THE TINES.
IF interpret the signs of the times i'm
this country right" he said. ''there is in
tense opposition TO the bill among our
people. This will be al!ayed by the adop-
tion of the proposition In my amendment.
And to the Porto Ricans they would
be quite satisfied by the levying and col
lecting of internal revenue taxes on rum
and tobacco" The whole project of levy
ing a tariff on Porto Rican products, he
said, was self-generative of objections
objections which spring from every pos
sible source. All sorts of arguments had
been urged in support of the tariff First
IL was charity, but that had been swept
away by the passage of the two-milion-
dollar appropriation bill. Then IL was that
beyond Porto Rico lie the Philippines
'As to that" said he. 81 believe that suf-
ficient unto the day thereof is the evil.
and the good thereof. The Philippines will
present their problem i'm time. / would not
work an injustice against the people of
Porto Rico to meet an uncertain question
as to something else"
The next argument advanced to support
| the tariff, he said, was the protection the
| Is per cent. would afford to our products
| and labor. He ridfculed such proposition,
| as no protectionist would contend that Is
| per cent. of the Dingley rates would afford
adequate protection for anything. Advert
| ing again to the Philippines a factor in
| the Porto Rican problem, Mr.. Davis said:
| when we come to deal with the Philippine
| question we will take care of that. Porto
| Rico is little more than seven hundred
miles from our coast; the Philippines arc
! eight thousand. The Island of Porto Rico
| is naturally part of the North Amer
lean Jurisdiction; the Philippines part
of the domain of Asia. Against the prod
| uct and people of the Philippines, when
| bor will be protected by any party that
may be i'm power
| Mr.. Davis said IL was inconsistent to ex-
tend our laws relating to the coastwise
trade to the island and not extend our
| tariff laws. AS to the feeling i'm the coun-
| try upon the question he said: II think 1
would be as firm as anybody under a sud-
| den. transitory public manifestation of feel
| ing but when that sentiment speaks to us
| week after week i'm constantly swelling vol
| ume we must take heed of IL. This ques-
| ton is we'll understood by the people. Sup
| porters OF this bill cannot lay the flatter-
| ing unction to their souls that the editors
| of the great newspa pers do not understand
| Ii quite as well as We do. The people un-
| derstand it, too. and understand 1T well.
| They understand well, too. that upon dis
| titled spirits and tobacco there is not an
| imposition of mill of taxation by this
bill. The subjects of taxation upon which
| We place heavy burdens go scot free on the
| Island OF Porto Rico. And what do they
| propose as an exchange for that kind of
| taxation? Why the imposition of a tariff
1t is so easy TO place a tax on these ar
ticles that shall be surprised If the propo-
| sition to do SO does not meet the approval
| OF Congress and the people. What are the
| people going to say if this bill passes
They will say: Free rum and a tax on
| the flour the people eat"
| Mr.. Davis said that no man could tell
how much the tariff would YIELD and as no
| man could say that the export tax was
| constitutional IL seemed to him that there
| ought TO be no hesitation as to the course
| to be pursued.
| In conclusion he said: what say I say
with the unalterabe conviction that 1 am
| right-right politically and right econom-
ically. In my Judgment. the only course
| for us is TO abandon this pernicious mock
/ cry of a tariff between Porto Rico and the
United States and return TO the pathway of
! plain duty"
| The free-silver-coinage amendment of
fered by Mr.. Morgan was defeated-l5 to 80.