St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1900-04-04

constitution carries free trade to
Porto Rico, it carries it to the Phil
ippines also and Spain is to enjoy
trade privileges for ten years the
same as the United States. And un.
der their doctrines all countries with
treaties are entitled to free trade
with the Philippines and logically
the whole protective tariff is under
mined; a Barmecide feast! "Who
amongst US will accept that feast ?"
Representative Grosvenor of Ohio
brought out the interests of the
laboring classes in a speech. The
question involved is of the right and
power of Congress to legislate in
reference to internal affairs; is it
bound by the limitations of the con-
stitution? This doctrine started 35
years prior to 1856 and the repub-
lican party in it's platform June II,
1856, resolved that the constitution
conferred sovereign power over the
territories of the United States, etc.,
and again, after the contest of 1860
the dogma that the constitution
carried slavery into any and all of the
territories of the United States was
called dangerous political beresy,
as revolutionary and subversive of
peace in the country. That settled
the question that Calhoun had tried
for 35 years to educate the South in.
The bloody war settled the question.
Nobody would have hesitated to
have given free trade to Porto Rico,
it this doctrine that "the constitu-
ton follows the flag" had not come
up, for it changes the whole matter.
The democrats purpose to clothe
naked people with the constitution
and it gets colder, they will add
the Declaration of Independence, and
if it gets little colder still, they will
add Washington's farewell address.
The republicans purpose to tax the
sugar trusts who have bought CO.
600 tons OF sugar and paid a small
sum to the natives and stored it and
are waiting for free trade to ship it
to the United States. The whole
controversy is a contest of the great
sugar and tobacco trusts, trying to
get rid of the tariff. Representative
Grosvenor had 9 900 coal miners in
one Of his districts, whose wages had
advanced from 45 to 80 cents per
ton under Mckinley government and
"if all the enormous horde of foreign.
erS in Asia" shall come to the United
States how degraded and cheap
labor will become! But how will
you keep them out, if they are citi.
zens! If 1.-THE constitution follows
the flag" it makes the issue again
for 1900, the greatest issue since
1860. If this tariff bill is defeated,
the rates of labor are gone. No it is
simply to destroy the republicans at
the polls, that there is so much sickly
sentimentality about charity to
neighbors, and to make split in the
republican ranks.
These extracts may give a little
idea of the great diversity of opinion
amongst men who are studying the
great and important questions of the
day before congress.
The grip prevails here to some ex-
tent and the newspapers call it cpl
demic, crocuses are coming out but
March winds still prevail. There
seem to be many strangers in the
city. The Library Associations of
New Jersey, Pennsylvania and of
Washington have been holding SEES
sions here this week. They visited
the Congressional library yesterday.
There were about ITS men and wo-
men and they were delighted with
the building. The new long reading
room was opened to the public in
January. 1t is about 200 feet long
and well lighted by the many win
dows. You are brought in touch
with the outside world through the
500 newspapers and about 1000 |
magazines and periodicals OF all
kinds and descriptions and relating
to all subjects. You feel what a
small world it iswhen you can glance
from papers in one country to an.
olher SO rapluiY, London, Paris, |
Germany, Italy, China, Siam, or con-
suit the newspapers from so many
states in the union, if you only had |
the time. Or go into the room to
consult the maps, the largest collec-
ton in the United States. Mr.. Phil.
lips does not like the rolling method |
and only few of the 10000 have
rollers. We have not time to refer
to them today nor to the price
less manuscripts under the charge of
DR.. Freidenwald, who has restored |
so many that were ready to fall to
pieces. Their restoration reflects |
much credit upon the superintendent.
A. M c
Washington D c., March 81, 1900.
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