Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-04-13


performance will suffice.
THE BEGINNING, NOT THE END.
The optimistic gentlemen Of the Re-
publican persuasion, who have been
laying to their souls the JUNCTION that
the passage OF the Porto lRican Colonial
Government bill would mark the climax
OF the public execration of that in
human and revolutionary measure, are
doomed to disappointment. Detestable
in its provisions, imperialistic in it's
tendencies. the product of base sur
render to licensed plunderers, it was
gagged through Congress against the
protests of the INDEPENDENT and more
courageous members Of all parties In
that body. 1t becomes a law in the
teeth of the opposition of the whole re-
spectacle press Of the country. and is
a shock to the public conscience, and
a humiliation to the civic pride OF the
American people,
The American people are easy going.
They forget much; they forgive much.
But they will neither forget nor forgive
this breach of faith this effront of their
honorable, generous and kindly i'm
pulses toward a straving people. They
cannot be blinded to the dangerous and
insidious attack upon popular govern
ment contained in this measure. Dem
agogy cannot cajole. nor partisanship
whip them into the support of a policy
that Is at once weak. infamous. con-
trary to the spirit of our institutions.
and a tawdry imitation of the methods
of a despot. There are some pretty
black pages in the history of Congress
sional legislation; some that the pa
triotic and self-respecting citizen can
not recall without shame; but there is
not one but will yield to this inexcusa-
BILE and ineffaceable smirch.
Let it not be supposed that the i'm
position of n tariff duty In defiance Of
the Constitution Gas hitherto univer-
sally understood and interpreted, and
contrary to the pledges made to the
people of the island by the American
commander). Is the only outrageous
provision of this measure. The system
of government which it provides for the
island Is more arbitrary and despotlc
than any ever imposed by Spain. Under
1t Porto Rico Is not entitled to a rep
resentatve at Washington, though
Spain allowed 1t a delegate to the
Cortes. The bill provides for puppet
nsular Legislature, and then vests all
real power in an executive counsel to
be named by the President. This coun-
,,t1 ~ 81.
ure passed by the insular legislature
and as 1t is TO be constituted OF men
appointed payment OF Mr.. McKlnley's
political obliga tons, only the imagina-
ton can go the stretch of jobbery that
will attend it's administration of insular
affairs. unless n parallel is to be found
in the experience of the Southern State
when they were governed by men of
like principles and by similar methods.
The people OF these United States
went to war to give the Cubans and
Porto Ricans liberty. They will not be
a party to fastening upon theone or the
other an absolutism more grinding than
that OF Spain. Tyranny is tyranny
whether its source be a Republic or q
Kingdom. The scheme of government
for Porto Rico Is tyranny pure and
simple-tyranny with scarcely a pre-
tense at concealment under the forms
of n representative government. 1t
needs but to be understood to be re-
pudiated by the American people, And
they understand 1t. They know what
the outrage Is. and why it was per-
petrated. THE trusts have gone to
Washington and have grasped the Re-
publican party by the throat" said
President Schurman, Of the Philippine
Commission. 1T is a deal for cam
paign funds and it will go through"
said a member Of Congress-
The tools of the trusts may cry peace
but there will be no peace until this
wrong has been righted. The passage
OF this bill marks but the beginning of
the popular protest against such in
Go.