The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-02-26

The subject of the discourse at the
Church of the Epiphany last night was
Justice to Porto Rico" Rev. Randolph
II. McKim. the rector found the text for
his sermon in Amos Va: ''Ye trample upon
the poor and We take from him exactions
of wheat"
Dr. McKim took up the Porto Rican
Tariff bill now pending in Congress, and
declared it TO be great legislative wrong.
Injustice and inhumanity, he said, were
incorporated in the bill. The rector said
| in part:
There is an important public question
| before the American people at this mo-
| ment upon which. as a preacher of right
eousness. | feel constrained to say few
| words. | refer to the Porto Rico Tariff
| bill This bill involves a great moral
| issue which affects the character and the
good name of the whole American people
| with the political and the constitutional
| issues presented by it. the pulpit has moth
| ing to do. 1t were an impertinenCe and
| an improperly to speak of them here
| But with its moral aspect the Church of
| God has right. and it is its bounden
duty, TO deal. High above the petty in
trigues of party politics or the large de-
bate upon constitutional Interpretation
rises the inevitable moral issue which is
hanging in the balance with the passage
or the defeat of this bill. If it passes,
then. in my judgment. the Congress of
the United States will have committed
itself TO a policy Of injustice and inhu-
manity; injustice. because it involves
violation of the plighted faith of the ma
ton. and inhumarity because it involves
violation of the plainest dictates of
charity and pity.
IF the Hebrew prophets felt within
them the inspiration OF the Almighty to
rebuke in his name those who oppressed
the poor and turned them aside from
their right. taking from them 'exactions
of wheat surely the ministers of Jesus
Christ need not incur the charge of fanat
icism if they feel deeply moved by the
spirit of God to rebuke in the name of
the God of righteousness. who is the
friend of the poor and the oppressed. such
legislation as this. which proposes to lay
heavy burdens upon an impoverished and
half-starving people, who only eighteen
months ago welcomed us with acclama-
ton as deliverers from the yoke of Span
ish oppression. and to whom the Com
mander-in- Chief of our armies issued a
proclamation, saying: We have come TO
bestow npon you the blessings and i'm
munities of the liberal institutions of our
Government
1T is under that conviction that | speak
tonight. | cannot keep silence while a
great legislative wrong is being perpe-
trated. The pulpit is not too sacred a
place to preach Righteousness and justice.
And it IS not enough to proclaim these
great principles in the abstract. The min
iSfa cd ba Of
righteousness to the living issues of his
time. Here is definite concrete wrong
on the eve of being committed. Shall the
pulpit, then, be silent? God Forbid
Referring to the appeal of the people OF
Porto Rico DR.. sMcKim said: rs it posi-
BILE that such an appeal as this can 90 IN
needed? 1t comes from that suffering.
half-starved little island. over which we
have so lately placed our flag as the SYM
Dol of liberty, justice, and humanity. Since
then it has been swept by destroying
tornado. which carried ruin and desolaton
and death in its wake. And now these
people in their poverty and distress, look
ing across the sea to this mighty Republic
in place Of the rainbow of prosperity and
freedom which they confidently expected
to see spanning their horizon under our
beneficent rule. behold a dark storm cloud
gathering in the west. having it's genesis
in the legislative halls of Congress.
charged not with blessing but with blight
and ruin.
In their extremity they call to the
American people TO come to their help
They implore us not to treat them as
slaves as foreigners. vassals as a mere
appanage of our Republic. having neither
political nor commercial freedom. They
point to the wretchedness and poverty and
suffering of their people and beseech us to
.In fatt sbafs-
their only salvation from utter ruin.
My friends and brethren, il this cry for
Justice and humanity awakes no response
il the American people do not heed it: il
this cruel Legislation shall indeed be con
summated-then, / ask. will the Stars and
Stripes be to the people of Porto Rice any
longer the symbol of justice and liberty and
humanity? I go further and ask il the en-
actment of this bill takes place. viii it not
be a stain upon our escutcheon, a blot upon
our flag, as long as it stands upon the
statute book?
This is. I verify believe, critical mo-
ment in our history. Right upcu the
threshold of a new career Of expansion we
are ON trial before the conscience of the
world whether We will exercise our
power rghteously and in harmony with
the spirit OF our Constitution. lt is
not enough to assent that the advocates OF
this bill do not intend 10 commit an in
justice or an act of inhumanity. Let that
be granted. Indeed | would disclaim the
imputation of any intentional wrong-of
any conscious injustice or inhumanity. But,
all the same the injustice and inhumanity
remain. They are incorporated in the
bill. they are inseparablc from it, however
far they may be from the thought or in
tention of its authors.
THE world will recognize them. and we
shall be open to the just reproach of
having gone to war with Spain in
1898 to rescue The starving inhab
tants of Cuba, and then. in 1900 of having
turned deaf ear to the cry of another
starving peoDle-starving under our oSn
flag and by reason of our unrighteous legis-
lation. To this reproach, my brethren We
should have no reply. We should be
obliged to hang our heads in shame.
lone of the worlds greatest champions
of freedom. standing alone against a vast
array of power and prestige gave utter
ance on a famous occasion to these words,
II is not WISE it is not safe, for a man
TO do anything against his conscience.
Upon the same principle we say to the adj
vocates of this bill. 1t Is not wise. it is
not safe for a political party to do any
thing against the conscience of the people.
More and more it becomes apparent
that the provisions of this bill are repug-
, nant to The conscience OF the-plain people