The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-03-24
The Porto Rican Deadlock.

The Porto Rican Deadlock
Famine and despair are the portion OF
Porto Rico and only because the Senate
refuses to do what President Mckinley de-
olared to be our plain duty" what Secre-
tary Root said the country was bound TO
do by every consideration OF justice. and
good faith" and what the Constitution Of
the United States. requires TO be done.
Day by day the staenehest Republican
States are rising In revolt against the par
ty combination Washington in coRtrol
Of the Administration and Congress. which
has shown itself capable OF breaking the
national word plighted to Porto Rico. Tsere
is not respectable newspaper in all In-
diana willing to defend or apologize for the
proposed crime or It's promoters We have
already seen how Iowa stands The wave
OF popular u.dignatIoa is rising steadily
and rapidly. Even now the heads OF
a great many members Of Congress are
marked for destruction. They all know IT,
but for the greater part are helpless in the
hands of the trusts and corruptionists who
hold them by the deadly strength Of evil
dence OF their past deeds, and the, direct
orders Of Hanna.
One thing in connection with the nation
al uprising against this Payne Foraker in
fanny does not seem to impress the trust
managers in the two Houses with the
force its political Importance justiaes: It
Is. that much of the Republican insuI-
rection, especially In the West and Ncrth-
west arises from a sense Of outrage upon
the people involved in the open and note
rious deal with the trusts. b. which the
Administra ton has boldly abandoned its
original attitude Of good faith and respect
for rights guaranteed by the Constitution.
in relation to Porto Rico. and has come
out squarely FOR the cruel and Illegal
persecution of that American territory. in
return for the promise Of an enormous
trust contribution to the Republican cam
paign fund. This agreement which is not
denied. but. on the contrary. is freely ad-
mitted by Administration men in private.
is Of a character so obnoxious to all Ameri-
can conceptions Of honesty. decency. and
public morals as TO appear disgraceful aud
intolerabie to the public Of the country
without regard TO politics. II is evidence
va IVY -''A's- = --AieA b4slNSS SUN a9 inc
people bitterly resent and will punish
when they get a chance.
Because Of the revolt. and because there
are still a few Republican Senator's with
consciences. the course Of Jhe Administr1-
ton trust scheme to break faith with and
20 Cypress Porto Rico is not altogether a
path of roses. Indeed the road is barri-
caded by the determination OF Senators
who. while advocates OF Dingleyism as ap-
piled to trade with foreign countries. viii
not allow that the proposition to apply the
system TO trade between States or Terri
tories of the United States can or shall be
made a party question as far as they are
. concerned. They may be willing 10 let the
trusts thrive on prOhibitive tariffs against
Europe. but they viii have free domestic
commerce or refuse 10 follow the machine.
! The result is a Senatorial deadlock. The
/ free trade Republican Senators have served
notice on those who represent The deal
with the trusts. that the former will not
permit the Payne Foraker bill to come to
a vote. Their position Is a strong one. for
| "a very important reason. The Administra-
tiun managers. by greatly amending and
! sugaring the House measure. might secure
enough doubtful votes TO slip il through.
. But they dare not change a line. a word.
or punctuation mark an H. a horde OF
Republican Representatives are sitting
around and licking their chops like hun
cry wolves watching and painting for
/ chance to get that bill back insii their
own den thaJ they may sweep down upon
/ il and tear It limb from limb. II the
Payne iniquiy were again in the House for
/ twenty minutes with the slightest change
/ in its text, the plot TO tax trade with Porto
/ Rico would explode like soap bubble. and
Hanna's campaign box would be short
: three or sour million dollars.
/ The parts lash continues to crack over
+ the heads o. the few Republican Senators
/ who are afraid to violate their oaths TO
support the Constitution. But il dos not
/ warn them of Administration ostracism
/ half as vigorously as the whip Of the
/ trusts is lashing the White House and the
/ Hanna headquarters. II the whole coun-
! try were to rise as a single man in denun-
! citation Of the Porto Rican infamv. the
trusts would still insist upon their pound
Of flesh, and, il it could, the Administer
ton would lOp it OF OF Porto Rico and
hand it over.
The theory is that the trusts are more
useful in the present emergency than the
votes Of the people. The latter if left to
| themselves would be certain to turn the
party Of Rockefeller Hayemeyer, Oxnard
Morgan. and Hanna out OF Office in NOven-
Der next. Nothing can be done to avoid
| that result, hat provide a corruption
| fund large enough to buy or steal the cleo
/ tion. By defying the people and sticking
/ 70 the trusts il is believed that thirty
million dollars can be raised among the
| protected monopOlies. The benefciaries
| Of Treasury free loans. and of the proposed
/ ship subsidy, and the oil. steel sugar. to-
baccO, beef. pork. and rum monopoIies. can
easily afford to subscribe such a sum for
| four more years of Dingleyism. II is
| therefore, certain that, no matter how
! loud or ominous the popular cutlery against
| the Payne-FOraker bill may be or become
the Administration will still work vicious
| ly and desperately to secure its passage.
| The American community of Porto Rico
may starye to death, but the trusts must
| still be fattened.
Although very little evidence Of sensa-
tional interest has been given as vet in
the examination OF the persons accused of
Governor Goebels murder there are