The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1900-03-22
CONGRESSMAN afD1sss1s' slPEE,cH.

Essss - sA1-A
CONGREssM.AN afOR1sIs' sPEEcH.
In his speech at; the Garfield club
banquet in Duluth last Friday evening
ECopgressman Morris announced his
willingness TO answer any questions
that might be propounded to him. We
wonder Why some one present did not
ask him to explain what p President
Mckinley meant when, in his message
to congress, he said
Since the cession Puerto Rico has been de-
MED the principal markets she had long en-
joyed, and our tariffs have been continued
against her products as when She was under
Spanish sovereignty. The markets. of Spain
are closed to her products except upon terms
to which the commerce of all nations is sub
jected The island of Cuba, which used to buy
her cnttle and tobacco without customs duties,
now imposes the same duties upon these prod
ucts as from any other country entering her
ports. She has, therefore, lost her free inter-
course with Spain and Cuba, without any COM
pensating benefits in this market. Her coffee
was little known and not in use by our people,
and, therefore, there was no demand here for
this one of her chief products. The markets Of
the United States should be opened up to her
products, Our plain duty is ! to abolish all GUS
toms tariffs between the United States and
Puerto Rico and give her products free access
to our markets.
Was the president insincere in his
recommendations And what did Sec
rotary Root mean when, in his annual
report, he made use of these words:
The highest considerations Of justice and
good faith demand that we should not disap-
point the confident, expectation Of sharing in
our prosperity with which the people of Puerto
Rico so gladly transferred their allegiance to
the United States, and we should treat the in
terests of this people as our own, and 1 wish
most strongly to urge that the customs duties
between Puerto Rico and the United States be
removed.
These recommendation were not
made without due consideration and
mature deliberation. The president
and the secretary had the reports of
the military governor and of other
army officers and officials of the island
before them. The ways and means
committee of the house introduced a
bin in conformity with the presidents
recommendations, and, later on, the
same ways and means committee intro
duced another bill which provides for
a tariff on Puerto Rican products.
Congressman Morris did not tell his
hearers why the ways and means COM
mittee changed front so suddenly.
What caused the wondrous change?
Did the people of Puerto Rico request
congress to impose tariff? Did the
press sor people of the" United States
object to free trade with the little.
island? Or did the tobacco and
cordage trusts bring pressure to bear?
Mr.. Morris does not seem to possess
a high opinion of his Republican COL
leagues in the house who voted for free
trade with Puerto Rico. He gave his
audience to understand that they we're
no-account. Democrats masquerading
as Republicans. We presume he in
cludes Senators Davis and Nelson, ex-
Senator Washburn and ex-President
Harrison in that category?
j, We have read Mr.. Morris; speech
carefully and have been unable to dis
cover anything new in it, 1t is nothing
but a rehash Of. the stereotyped ex-
plantations offered by Messrs: Tawney
and Eddy and other "explainers.: ,