The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-05-09

gagged mainly in the production Of SUI
gar. tobacco and coffee. and are there
fore amply able to pay the 10 per cent
customs duty on these products. It
seems to me that no one should COM
plain OF this method OF taxation. mas
much as all the money thus collected Is
turned back into Puerto Rico to be ex-
pended in its behalf by the local adj
administrative government Of the island.
Moreover this revenue provision is
temporary. and not permanent. The
law provides that whenever the lagls-
latlve assembly OF Puerto Rico shall
have enacted and put into operation a
system OF local taxation to meet the
necessities OF the government of Puer-
to Rico, by this act established, and
shall, by resolution duly passed, so no.
tify the President he shall make proc
lamation thereof. and thereupon all tar
IN duties on merchandise and articles
going into Puerto Rico from the United
States, or going into the United States
from Puerto Rico, shall cease.
II this plan had not been agreed upon,
II being absolutely necessary to raise
revenue to pay the running expenses OF
the government OF Puerto Rico. our
American system OF Internal revenue
taxation would have to be applied. or
a local tax would have to be levied upon
the personal and real property Of the
Inhabitants OF the Island. In the same
manner that our own people In this
country are taxed. The Puerto RieRRs
are unaccusutomed to such laws, and 1t
would therefore be unpopular and,
more than that It would be n bur-
den upon the poorer classes. ms 1t must
be remembered that In Puerto Rico
there are in operation a large number
of small cigar and tobacco factories and
other small Industries that would neces-
sarily have to pay no small amount Of
the Internal revenue taxes and local
taxes as we'll. Under the present law
this necessity is avoided. Under 1t the
poor people pay no part OF the tax. The
small planters pay no part Of It, The
main burden of 1t falls upon the large
planters who do the exporting, and by
those who sell their wares to Puerto
Rico and who reap the profit OF that
trade.
The Trusts Considered.
But. my fellow citizens. It Is c'aimed
by our Democratic friends that this
plan for raising revenue was dictated
by the tobacco and sugar trusts This
is not true. Common sense Itself
brands. the charge as fallacioCs ana
false. The trusts naturally wish to buy
as cheaply as they can. They buy
their raw materials In lnrge quantities,
ana no doubt plan to save. as far as
possible. all expense for middle men.
They would naturally, therefore, buy
their raw materials from the producers
themselves. 1t is probable therefore,
that most Of the raw sugar and tobacco
now in Puerto Rican warehouses belong
to thu trusts or their brokers. II they
have already bought the sugar and to-
bacco now In the warehouses at Puerto
Rico, II would be manifestly to their In
tereSt to havs these products admitted
to the United States free of duty In
no way that can see could 1t be profit
able to them to hav" n tariff on these
products. Reason dictates, therefore.
that II these trusts have any interest in
the matter at all, they would naturally
favor immediate free trade. Hence,
say It is both unreasonable and untrue
that our Democratic friends should
claim, as they nre now doing. TINT the
Puerto Rlcan tariff bill was dictated by
the trusts.
Constitutional Argument Again Res
directed.
A Democratic argument without
ringing In the constitution would be an
anomaly indeed and so they dragged 1t
into this Puerto Rico tariff question.
They have taken up the old cry Of John
C. Calhoun, when he sought to force
human slavery into the then newly nc-
uuired territory OF the United States,
way back In 1S47. when we first began
to adopt the doctrine OF national eXHan-
sion under Democratic President, ana
they tell us now, as they told us then
that the constitution extends automatic
ally over all territory belonging to the
United States, and therefore the people
of Puerto Rico have constitutional
right to free trade with our government.
That doctrine was repudlatod In lSiI,
and we repudlate It nov. AS Republi.
cans. we propose to stand with Daniel
Webster, and against John c. Calhoun.
and with Abraham Lincoln and against
Jefferson Davis. The constitution OF the
United Stntes extends only so FAR MS It
Ia carried by congressional enactment.
and not by It's inherent force. This ques-
ton, my cOuntrymen, is one OF the
many great problems that was forever
settled at AppommnttoX, and 1t cannot
be galvanized into life again by the
Democratic party In the approaching
campaign.
The more ] have examined into this
Puerto Rlcan tariff matter, the more
am satisfied that the plan adopted by
Congress was the only safe and feasible
method Of raising the necessary FUNDS
to meet the wants of the government OF
that newly acquired island by tho gov
eminent OF the United States, and am
perfectly satisfied that the intelligent
voters Of the country Will take the same
view Of this much discussed question
when they give to It their deliberate
careful thought and intelligent invesu-
CATION.
Expansion and Imperialism.
Men OF West Virginia, many Of you
Will remember that during the Civil war
the Democratic party called Abraham
Lincoln raiI.splltter and usurpcr;
they called Ulysses S. Grant tanner.
They called our soldiers Lincoln Hire
lIngs." They called the Republican
party an "AbolItiOnist Negro-LovlnG'
organization. They called II from to
81 10 '65 a "Grcenback" party. and when
we turned the greenbacks into gold they
called us Gold Bugs" And now, since
we are holding on TO the islands We won
by the war we did not seek, they are
calling us "Imperialists." God bless
theml Let them call us what they
please, because they seem to get vast
amount OF pleasure out Of 1t, They are
Ike the ole farmer who was taken TO
task by neighhor for allowing his wife
to lick him daily with n broomstlck
c,t1 ~ ,NYat0hhnr TINT IN nil right II