The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1900-03-29
M'KINLEY IN A HOLE.
PORTO RlCAN TARIFF GROWS
MORE vExATlOUS.
Breeds n Bitter Party Wraugle-Re-
pubIicans WonId Like to Drop Their
Whole Imperialistic Policy - Gold
Bills Passage Overrides Platform.
Washington correspondence:

policy and dO-nOthing. The wranglt
| over the Porto Rican tariff grows more
vexatious every day. From the Dem
ocratic point Of view the interesting
thing is that it is purely a family row
| The Republicans are so absorbed IN
| quarreling among themselves that II
really is not necessary for the Demo
Gratis to take any active part in the
proceedings.
One of the most remarkable features
OF the situation is that the Republican
| voters from all sections of the country
are coming down to Washington to
register their personal protest ut the
| Capitol. They know what they elected
their Representatives for. and they
cannot he bulldozed by the special in
| terests that seem to have SO strong n
hold on the administration and its fol
lowers. Minnesota keeps a continuous
procession of prominent Republican
citizens in Washington in order that
| Senators Davis and Nelson may not
forget that their constituents are not
| only for free trade with Porto Rico. but
| against Imperialism in every shape and
| form. Senator Beveridge has the same
| experience with his party supporters
| from Indiana. In fact, every middle
! Western State takes good care that the
letters and kilograms of protest shall
have the personal backing of disinter-
| ested Republican citizens who want
Congress to remember that it is the
| creature Of the Constitution and not
| above it.
The Republicans are m0tlrnfully con-
Guiding that about the best thing they
can do is to drop the whole question of
legislating for the new insular posses
sions. They now want TO pass the S.
OO0,O0O relief bill for Porto Rico and
leave 1t under military government un-
til after the Presidential election. This
will not satisfy Porto Rico. The peo-
pie of that island want the independ-
ence guaranteed by the Constitution to
the United States and say that they are
perfectly able to raise whatever rev.
enue is needed by direct taxation. They
very sensibly argue that the absentee
Spanish landlords are the people who
should be made to bear their proper
share of the burdens of taxation. The
plan of continuing military rule in
Porto Rico and the Philippines will by
no means placate the Republican rank
and file. They feel it most humil-
iating confession of the incOmpctcEcy
of the administration TO deal with the
;al,
sumed.
The Democrats state their position
very briefly: I'VE never thought it
wise to acquire these islands, but II we
are to keep them they must of neces-
sity be under the protection Of the
Constitution
The single gold standard measure IS
now law. The Republicans have as
sume,l responsibility for enacting into
law what has been the practice in re-
time. They will have an interesting
time of it explaining how they harmon
ize this action with the declaration in
their platform i'm 1896. OF course the
leaders regarded that as merely bit
of political shrewdness to catch the bi-
metallic vote But how about the voters
who thought the party leaders were
honest in their professions? In quiet
way the intimatiOn is being received in
Washington that thousands Of indig
nant voters propose to register their
opinion of this piece of party policy by
voting for Bryan this fall.
The bill has a number of bad fea
lures. 1t gives the national banks an
extension Of power which the Demo-
Gratis think they by no means needed.
1t permits these banks to expand and
contract their currency at will. The
farmers and small merchants Know
how numerically this power will be
used The public debt is also fastened
on the country for another thirty years
and the provision for an endless chain
of bonds makes glad the hearts of the
Wall street spectators. In one sense
the Democrats feel that the bill clears
the way for a successful campaign on
principle and equity to the people 1t is
thoroughly mischievOus in character
and will cause untold hardships.
Secretary Root is i'm Cuba, and the ma
tives have been asking him hard Ques-
tions. They want to know how long
Cuba is to remain under military rule
and when 1t is to have the opportunity
to attempt to govern itself. Secretary
Root says that 1.-The people of the
United States desire that the Cubans
should learn all they can about self
government by watching the manage
ment of the Americans there now"
Mr.. Root means the administration and
the trusts when he says people"
They are the only ones who want the
Cubans harassed and exploited under
military rule.
Gov. Steenenberg, of Idaho, is at the
Capitol daily, watching the progress
of the investigation, by the House Mill
tary Committee, of the bull-pen out
RACES in his State. Gov. Steenenberg
is a much worried man. He has dis
covered that the Democrats have en-
tirely repudiated him on account of his
lSluihCSS " GSSlSl luc
in its application of mortal law to Il
district where there was no insurrcc-
ton. 1t is admitted that he was prob
ably tool of trust interest, but he
gets no sympathy on that account.
Since coming to Washington he has
tried to explain to the eX-prisoners of
the bull-pen, who are here to testify,
that he did not realize how badly they
were treated. But the men sturdily
reply that he had every opportunity to
know and they believe that he coop
Grated with Gen. Merriam in replac-
ing civil law by condition Of martial
law that would have been Il disgrace to
Siberia.
Many of the labor organizations of
the country have representatives in at
tendance at this investigation. They
believe that If the Idaho atrocities are
permitted TO go unrebuked, that wage
workers may eyDect martial law and