The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1900-04-25
REPUBLICANS WILL
ALL BE READY.
Members of the Union League Of
Philadelphia Are Look.
ing Ahead
PRESIDENTIAL CANVASS BEGUN,

Policy Of the Republican National
Administration as Regards Puerto
Rico, In Anticipation of the Conn
ing Campaign.
Especial Correspondence)
Philadelphia. April 24,-In prepara-
tion for the coming presidential cam
paign the Union League, OF this city,
Is holding a series Of lectures and dis
cussions upon issues which are likely
to be to the front in the fall canvass.
Leading Republicans from different
parts Of the country are invited to ad-
dress the league and their speeches
are distributed with view to educat-
ing the people. Republicans through
out the country are following these
discussions with keen interest and
the indications are that the party men
will be equipped to meet every issue
that may be raised in the approaching
contest. The orator at the last weeks
meeting at the league was United
States Senator J. B. Foraker. ,of Ohio.
He devoted himself to the question Of
the attitude of the United States to-
ward Porto Rico and gave complete
review of the policy Of the Republican
administration on that subject. He
showed that when congress met Puerto
Rico was ruined. The markets OF the
island were lost. Its coffee plantations
were destroyed by the hurricane, and
in most cases five years must elapse
before they can bear again. The ca
pacity Of the island for yielding reve-
rue was destroyed. Where before con-
gress, In dealing with the territories,
had legislated for lands empty of peo-
pie, It had now to deal with thronged
island smaller in area than Connecti-
cut and larger in population by 300,-
900 souls
II this population was to be provided
with education. roads and an ade-
Quate government II needed an ex-
penditure OF $3,000,000 on island and
81 ,000,0 on municipal administration.
The island had but 500, 900, 900 of tax
able property, carrying mortgages and
interest arrears to more than half its
value. President Mckinley proposed
as the first remedy a remission OF all
duties between Puerto Rico and the
United States. Inquiry showed this
was not enough. More must be done
and more has been done. An income
could not be raised by our Internal rev.
enue taxation because this would be
burdensome beyond reason on a popu-
lation simple in habits and crude In
industry. Direct taxation was impos-
sible. A land and property tax could
cnly be established in one or two years.
The previous reliance of the island for
revenue was on duties.
GEN. FORAKER'S REVIEW.
Among other things General Foraker
said:
"A civil government was a necessity
II must have three millions of dollars
for its support, and the municipalities
must have at least one million more.
There was no system of direct tax
alton of property in operation. There
was no time to establish one. More
over. II there had been time such a
system would have entailed upon that
people an impossible burden.
-Four per cent, or even three pei
cent, is too burdensome tax to impose
on the property of even the most pros
porous state in the Union. To impose
II on Puerto Rico would mean only
disaster, failure, bankruptcy and de.
S. air.
I'm view of these considerations, we
decided, first, that we would find some
way to exempt the people of that island
| from the direct taxation of their prop.
| erty, such as every other state or ter
| ritory OF the Union has always beer
subjected to. The generosity OF this
| proposition was far greater and more
helpful than that recommended by the
| president No such favor has evel
been shown to any other people fol
| whom we have leglslated.
| I'VE next decided, for the reasons al
ready given, that we would not, for thu
time being, undertake to apply and en-
force our internal revenue laws In th'
island, but, except on merchandise i'm
ported into the United States, we woult
exempt the people Of Puerto Rico there
from-another unprecedented favor
never before shown to anybody-and
in the third place, we decided that W
would protect their coIfee, which con
stitutes their chief industry an
amounts to more than two-thirds o
their exports, from injurious competi
tion, by levying a duty Of cents
pound on all coffee imported int
Puerto Rico; and then, finally. we dc
termined that there should be collecte
on all goods imported into Puerto Ric
from foreign countries tariff duties a
provided by the tariff laws of the Unit
ed States; but that, instead Of turnin
| L. ,nNn
treasury for the benefit of the Unite
States, as we have always heretofoI
done TO every other territory, we woul
turn II over to Puerto Rico for the ber
eft and support Of its government.
, 1--WE then found, according to the be-
estimates we could make, that when
this had been done there would renal
a large deficiency, amounting to fro
$1,000 900 to 81, 5000
TAX REDUCED, NOT PUT ON.
"The question then was how furth
we could raise revenue without direc
ly taxing the property Of the island
meet this deficiency; and we four
that we could, in our opinion, best
|, complish this by leaving light tar
duty upon the commerce between q
:. United States and Puerto Rico; and
we finally concluded. and provided
n the bill, that, instead Of absolute IT
y trade, which all desired, as well as I
president, we would, for short tin
until the local government could be
in operation and devise a system
taxation for its support, reduce the ia
S IN and dutiable goods coming frc
Puerto Rico into the United States or
IS per cent, instead Of entirely rem
e ting II, and that we would. for t