Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1900-03-12
WASHINGTON LETTER.

Washington, Mar. 5tb 1900.

Washington, Mar. 5tb 1900.
President McKinley's trip to New
York, to attend the annual dinner of
the Ohio society: from which he re-
turned to- day, was pleasant break
| in protracted season of very hard
work. Mrs. Mckinley accompanied
him and both expressed themselves
as having had very enjoyable time.
The congratulations offered the presi-
dent on all sides on the able and timely
speech he made at the Ohio dinner
were received with usual modesty.
That speech answers many of his
critices
Senator Foraker's statement that
while we were bound by the Peace
Treaty with Spain, to maintain the
"open door" commercially in the
Philippines, we cannot give the Philip
pines free trade with us, has caused
the question of our trade relations
with the Philippines, to be much dis
cussed. The attitude taken by the
republicans in passing the Porto Rico
tariff bill is that congress has the
right to impose whatever duty it may
see fit upon the products of any out
lying possession of the u. S. While
it is believed that the U. S. supreme
court will sustain that attitude, no
man can say with certainty in advance
what the decision of that court will
be; hence the discussion. One thing
is reasonably certain, and that is, that
if called upon to surrender the pro-
tective tariff Or the Philippines, the
republican party would decide to give
up the Philippines, because, as Sena-
tor Foraker said, to give the Philip
pines free trade would be to open our
markets to all the world through
them.
President McKinley's message to
congress, recommending that the
money collected, under the Dingley
tariff law, on Porto Rican products
some 50, 900, ,O00-and that which will
be collected until the new law goes
into effect be used for the benefit of
Porto Rico, which is in such immedi-
ate need of money, was a surprise to
the democrats, but not to the repub-
Hcan leaders, who know that it was to
follow the passage of the Porto Rico
tS-'if bill, being part of the plan to
give the island the money it needs for
immediate public expenditures. The
house deserves credit for the prompt
ness with which it met the presidents
recommendation by passing a bill
placing the money at his disposal.
The democrats, with few exceptions,
opposed the bill, which was passed by
a vote of 1852 to 1O7, although ac-
knowledging it to be a good one and
to be necessary. They explained their
adverse votes by the f1imsy excuse
that they objected because the bill
placed the money at the presidents
disposal, instead of appropriating it
for specific purposes. The senate
will pass the bill without any unneces-
sary delay. Then the rejuvenation
Of Porto Rico will be assured, as this
money, together with the fifteen per
cent. duty which will be imposed by
the new tariff bill for two years, will
furnish ample revenues for the time
being. But the best thing about the
bill giving the president authority to
use the money already collected, for
the benefit of Porto Rico, is that it
heads off the democratic attempt to
make political capital by claiming
that the republicans were disposed to
be unjust to the Porto Ricans.