The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1900-04-05


vIneIaE statement.
TIE Journal has seen no reason for
emitting shziII cries OF anguish over
this matter we have not expected
that the world would fold together as
q scroll IL the Puerto Ricans did not
have free trade with the United
States We cannot go 50 far as to say.
with yet another contem porary, that a
low tariff against Puerto Rico means
that we might as wen turn our sol
6ieTS loose IN the island TO butcher the
inhabitants Even high tariff would
perhaps he more humane than that
What the Journal believes is that
Puerto Rico IS part Of the United
States. and that tariff should no
more be imposed against imports from
there than on Michigan butter sold
in New York city But we are prepared
70 wait without showing signs of hys-
terra till the Supreme court of the
United States makes a decision that
confirms our belief
IN the meantime il the Puerto
Ricans are compelled by congress to
charge a low tariff against at their
custom houses and we against them
for the sake of enough revenue to sup
port the government of the island,
what of it2 A ravIng contem porary
says that a duty of cents the pound
rice will compel the Puerto Ricans
to pay sass. 600 annually That is
little over 40 cents for each Puerto
Rican. and there are five other art-
cies which the increase may be as
much-about 81 the year per capita
We regret that il is anything, but until
the Supreme court says this is illegal,
abuse of congress for what we regard
as mistake viii effect nothing
Now as TO exports from Puerto Rico
which IL is proposed to charge a
duty here. The current understanding
has been that Puerto Rico was not
selling a dollars worth of its products
elsewher than in the United States,
and not much here; that 1t once had
free trade with Spain, and lost that
market when the island was coded to
But the fact is that Puerto Rico
did not have free trade with Spain
Coffee shipped from Puerto Rico TIC
Spain paid duty OF $40 the hundred
pounds, and as to her other products
the Spanish tariff was relatively as
high, more than twice what is sug-
gested to be imposed in the United
States imports from the island
Puerto Rican coffee, in fact, is in any
event to be admitted free into our mar
ketS- Moreover, of the duties collected
In Puerto Rico when it was Spanish
province about 40 per cent went fol
the support OF the government o.
Spain; under the United States botI
from Puerto Rico. collected in our Gus
tom houses, and the revenue from
duties collected at the island Will d.
expended in the island
Nor is it true that the markets o
Spain have been closed to Puerto RIci
since the cessiOn- The figures fur
nished by our government to cover n
first thirteen months of our occupanc
show that Puerto Rican exports I
Spain (S969, 729 WORTH, Italy, France
the United States, Germany and t
other countries amounted in value Z
over six millions of dollars yearly
above the average of the period fro1
1887 to 1891 thought somewhat les
than the total for the one other yea
for which the figures availa bIe
Besides. general exports TO the Unite
states from the island are rapidly in
creasing-
1t is not accurate therefore to stat
that the Puerto Ricans are standin
starving in the midst of a mass c
unexporta bic and unstable product
because we do not give them free trad
with this country We ought to Civ
them free trade If the island is decid
ed to be integral part of this coun
try. and We ought to give them som
form of government at once. for uncel
tainty tends to prevent the highes
prosperity and development, and be
cause the people deserve at least thE
much at our hands OF right But it
unnecessary that our local free trad
contemporary should beat its brea:
and mix ashes in its flowing locks
might become a sincere mourner- 1t
not sincere. and there is no funeral
Detroit Journal