The Princeton union., 1900-04-05


the editors Of the great journals throughout the
land, In many cities-yes, there Is not o city
which does not possess more than one--do not
understand the subject just as well as we. It
is futile to pretend that the mass OF people
throughout the country do not understand o
subject so simple as this. They understand
perfectly well the difference between building
up wall which bars commercial intercourse
between this country and one of it's dependen-
cies, and system Of taxation such as shall
propose which, with no difference except in de-
gree, imposes on Porto the same SYSTEM the
same principle, as that imposed in the United
States. -" - Il TO- ar I =
Mr.. President, in my opinion there is one
thing which has contributed and will contrib
ute more than anything else to the strength
and earnestness Of these admonitions that We
have been receiving from q people who do un-
derstand this subject and understand it we'll.
There are two subjects of scientific action out
of which all nations derive the most OF their
revenue to-day, the United States included.
Those articles are distilled spirits and to-
bacco. In this house bill there Is not the i'm
position of tithe of mill upon either OF those
articles while they remain in Porto Rico. To-
bacco and rum the greatest and most fruitful
subject OF taxation, while they remain in Porto
Rico, are absolutely untaxed. The subjects Of
taxation which bear the heaviest burdens Of
our United States and the municipal govern
ments there, of all places in this broad land,
go absolutely scot free OF any taxation what
ever. What is the exchange for it? Fifteen
per cent. taxation on everything else that goes
to Porto Rico from the United States or comes
to the United States from Porto Rico. It is so
simple and easy to reverse the entire policy
and way of doing things, and make rum and
tobacco in Porto Rico bear the weight OF taxa
tion, as they do here and elsewhere throughout
the civilized world, and make communication
between Porto Rico and the United States, as
to all goods exported or imported, free as il is
so easy to do it, it would relieve the situation
so much in every way, that am surprised, and
shall be surprised, if the suggestion does not
commend itself to the calm and deliberate re-
Election OF everybody
Mr.. President, what will the good people of
this country say, and what are they Saying and
what have they right to say, under the bill of
the house as it is presented in the body of the
bill for the civil government OF Porto Rico?
AS to Porto Rico they say, 'Free rum, but
tax the flour out of which is made the bread
that people eat
They say free rum but tax their clothing.
They say free rum but tax their boots and
shoes.
They say free rum. but tax the medicines
which minister to the sick
When you consider that, drawing the con-
trast between these systems sharply as do,
that one is system bitterly contested in this
particular instance, and upon ground on which
all parties profess to have the greatest conf
dence: and the other established upon prin-
clple at least which no one seems inclined to
dispute; that one subject is a difficult method
of taxation, and one the simplest known to all
civilized fiscal processes; that the moral sense
of the American people will be satisfied by
placing the traffic on rum upon the same
ground in Porto Rico as elsewhere in the
United States, and that it will not be satisfied
if it is not done; that the yield Of revenue from
the taxation of rum alone, upon the rates of
our inGernal revenue taxation, that island pro-
duclng 100000 gallons year. would be overa
million, five hundred thousand dollars annu-
ally, while no living man can tell how much or
how little this tariff imposition will yield;
when it is a matter of more than doubt whether
States is not an export duty and therefore for
hidden by the constitution; when, with these
contrasts, it would seem perfectly certain that
the American people would approve the inter
nal revenue system instead of the other it
does seem to me, MI. President, that as mat
ter of considerate judgment, they will not, and
that we ought not. to hesitate moment which
way to elect.
Mr.. President, I have said about all want to
on this bill. 1t has been imperfectly said in
adequately said, but it has been said with the
most thorough and unalterable conviction that
what 1 have said is right, absolutely right;
right, not in party sense. but politically and
economically right.
In my judgment. the only course that can be
logically or wisely pursued under present con-
ditions is to abandon this pernicious mockery
of q tariff between Porto Rico and the United
States and return to the path of plain duty and
pursue it to it's logical and beneficial conse-
quences.