The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-05-01
CIRCULATION STATEMENT.
sim the Porto Rican Terror.

A few glittering lingo generalities con-
cerning the Monroe Doctrine for which
the War Department wants to fight and
which the State Department and the White
House are trying TO kill. will not divert
public attention from the trust and Porto
Rican dilemma in which the Administra-
tion finds Itself. The American people are.
perhaps, justly chargeable with a tend
ency to get mad over things and then for
get all about them: bur IL does not follow
that they Invariably act in that way. It
was boldly stated by trust Senators and
Representatives. during the debate .n Con
gress on the Porto Rican infamy, that
national objection TO the scheme would
not be heard from after two or three
weeks, and that Republicans everywhere
would endorse the plain duty" stultiica-
uon Of itself by the Administration ia
their State conventions.
For once the Congressional trust agents
have found themselves mistaken regarding
popular feeling. even in their own party.
Although the State conventions SO far
held with the single exception OF that in
Pennsylvania have been completely under
The Domination OF the Hanna machine. IL
has not dared 10 force into any platform
a clear and unequivocaI sentence approx
ing the course Of Mr. Mckinley aud his
legislative majority in respect Of Porto
Rico
In every case the matter has been ham
died with evasion and evident alarm. This
is moi surprising in view OF the complete
enlightenment Of the people everywhere
on the subject There is not a hamlet in
America where the reading inhabitants DO
not know that the political status of Porto
Rico was carefully worked out in the light
Of she Constitution and OF an unbroken
line Of Supreme Court decisions covering
a period Of eighty years for the benefit
Of the President and his advisers, and
that the Administration and its adherents
in Congress accepted the doctrine that The
Constitution goes with the flag. started
10 act upon that undeniable principle. and
believe in it now.
When Mr. Mckinley sent his plain
duty" message to Congress in December,
1889 he was fully convinced that free .
trade could not be denied TO Porto Rico 4
under the Constitution. His fugleman on .
the floor Of the House declared that it /
could not because free trade had been .
accorded 10 every other State and Terri F.
tory. and TO Alaska. not organized into a .
Territory" The whole country is thor
oughly advised on this point as well as .
On another Of sinister meaning. II is .
aware that no change from -plaIa duty 20
fragrant perfdy" would have been thought .
OF If the trusts had not demanded it uu-
der a threat Of refusing subscriptions 10 .
.he Presidential campaign corruption fund.
The people from one end OF the country 20
the other know that Porto Rico was re-
duced to the condition OF a yassal colony
that il might be exploited and looted by
the trusts and monopolies. and that this
deed Of shame was accomplished in the
only way it could be. namely by violating
the plain letter OF the Constitution.
ln view Of these facts Of universal pub
lie knowledge. the Republican platforms OF
the year. State and national would only
render their makers and the party ride
ul0us by any serious attempt to Justify
the Porto Rican iniquity or by pretending
to view with alarm" the growth. meth
OBS. and offences OF the trusts. The Adj
ministraton and dts masters and -orls
have created the Presidential issue Of
The trusts against the Constitution
which is TO dominate the campaign of 1900.
They DO not dare 10 meet lt squarely On
their platforms. and they viii not be- able
10 anywhere else. Indeed, f united
Democracy under competent leadership
could be certainly assumed. the situation
~ which the Hanna Administration and
machine have placed themselves would de-
stroy the last hope OF Republican success
~ November.