The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1900-04-14
Says the BiI Is Liberal.

the tobacco trust, as | am informed, goes
back to relieve distress and help build up
that country" ~
Says the BiiI Is Liberal.
Further along Mr.. Cullom said:
"No man can truthfully say that II this
, bill shall become a law congress Is not deal
ing most literally with the people of
Porto Rico, 1t imposes no hardship upon
these people: 1t provides the least possible
rate of duty upon a few things in order
to raise a little money to run their gov
eminent. and that little only for a little
while, until they can get start in taking
care of themselves by their own system of
taxation, at which time absolute free trade
Is established between the United States
and the island.
'Let the truth be known. This whole
free trade scheme is nothing on earth but
deception. deusion and a snare to make
our people believe that we are Expressing
poor Porto Rico. Let the truth be known,
whatever may happen. Any candid man,
! think, must admit that this bill Is In the
interest of the people of Porto Rico.
81 am amazed to see the wave of misin-
formation which has swept over the coun-
try as to this question of Porto Rican
tariff. 1t Is high time to call a halt to this
wild MISREPRESENTATION, backed up as II Is
by the direct personal insstence of rep
resentatives of the monopolistc interests.
Depcw' Defends the Tarin.
Senator Depew then asserted that at the
outset there was no dispute among repub-
leans as to the constitutional right OF the
congress to legislate for Porto Rico. The
contention that no tariff duties can be inn
posed Is confined entire to the democrats,
he said. The opposition among the people
TO the imposition OF such tariff, he
claimed IS based on mistaken ideas of the
situation and n sentimental feeling that
should be treated with especial considcra-
ton.
Porto Rico had been pictured as If it
were Massachusetts or an Iowa, ready
now to assume the obligations of state
hood In fact ii Is fertile, densely popu-
! lated island with no resources except from
| agriculture, and population largely ig-
norant and extremely poor. With a popu-
lation of 100000 Of, whom 10000 are ne
groes. 2500OO of mixed blood and the re-
mander of white, 100000 can neither read
| nor write. or this 10000 of inhabitants.
100000 derive their living from agricultural
pursuits and are almost all in dire poverty
| The best wages paid are 30 cents day,
while the cost of living often is as low as
| five.
1.-The profits on agriculture, due to the
| cheapness of labor and fertility of the
soil, are great With poor machinery, and
paying the prices of the Dingley bill, the
planters made money, even when paying
from 10 to 70 per cent. interest. The average
value of the exports OF the island for the
last five years has been SIG, 900 a year,
of which sl0000,O0O was coffee. Si000,000
sugar, 100000 tobacco and the rest molas-
ses, cattle and hides Coffee is the great
staple. and under the proposed tariff law
1t con. es In free
"Than came the hurricane, which did so
much damage. Its worst effect was to de-
stroy the coffee plantations, which 1t will
| L..
bacco can be grown in the next crop The
United States government at once relieved
the distress by dividing 81, 100000 of avail
able money into a charity fund, but II was
impo to raise money for roads, courts
police, schools or other needed purposes
Out of this condition came the necessity
for some means Of revenue, and in 1t was
the reason for the pending bill.
Purposes of the Bill.
eve come naturally now to the question
OF hardships upon the Porto Rican people
and of cruelty to the inhabitants of our
new possessions by the proposed legis-
lation. We were told with wonderful elo-
quence and passionate rhetoric that II was
our plain duty to return to the people
who have paid the duties under the Ding
ley tariff act since our occupation the
money which had been collected. The whole
policy of the republican party, from the
president to congress, has been to give
back to Porto Rico all the taxes levied and
collected upon her products-to give them
back to her for the purposes of her gov
ernmont Nand for the purposes of her inn
proyement and her progress.
THESE duties had been paid by the
sugar trust, which controls the sugar prod
ucts of the island, and the tobacco trust,
which controls the tobacco product of the
island-two of the richest and greatest
moneymaking corporations In the world
They had bought the sugar and tobacco 1t
n price which included the Dngley tariff
duties, and sold them to the people of the
United States at n large profit after the
duties were paid.
"ln the bill which we have just passed.
instead of paying these duties back to these
| corporations, which have been the sub
| ject of so much abuse, and with whom
| We n. e been charged with being allied we
have given them back to the people of
| Porto Rico for their schoolhouses for their
roads for the relief of their starving and
for the employment which will come In the
proper administration of the fund"
Continuing, Senator Depew said the
men who would have to pay the tariff
| taxes would be the men who are get
poorer inhabitants would get the ben
eft of them in the way Of schools and
roads. He denied the tariff would
stife the Industries of the island, as
uider it coffee would be free and
su~ar and tobacco would have to pay
much less than the same Cuban prod.
ucts. with Cuba Porto Rico's only
competitor. Food stuffs would be
practically admitted free, so there
would be no perceptible increase in
the cost of living, and the tariff is
only to last two years and may be
repealed sooner.
Restricts the Trusts.
Continuing Senator Depew said:
I saT,lt. ,,iii % tho neople'a Ia w II resfricfa