The Van Buren press., 1900-03-10
Hypocrisy Added to DlshOnOr.
From the Washington Times,

From the Washington Times,
Just before leaving the nominal for
the actual capital of the country yes
terday, President Mckinley sent a
message to Congress, in which he recon-.
mended that the sum Of 81 005 455 So
stolen from the starving American com
munity Of Porto Rico under cover of the
Dingley act, should be appropriated and
placed at the disposal Of the executive,
to be used In Porto Rico "for conduct.
ing the government there and for the
extension Of public education. - This
Is Of piece with the sapient preamble
to the Payne bill which based the Re.
publican determination to violate the
Constitution and perpetuate the Porto
Rican famine, for the benefit and profit
Of the oil, sugar, tobacco, and rum
trusts, upon the fact that the people of
Porto Rico have been deprived Of their
markets, are unable to pay
internal revenue and indirect taxes, y
and that, therefore, temporary revenue
is necessary for their schools, their
roads, and their internal improvement.
Like this preamuseble, the language Of
the President 5 message Is that of cruel
and sickening hypocrisy. He has heard
the muttering of the storm raised by the
progress of the Payne outrage, and, with
a degree OF naivete which cannot be too
much admired he seeks to raise the um-
brella of proposition to use the money
wrenched from people dying of famine,
to bury their dead and found universities
for those who immigrate to the island to
take their places,
1t is next to impossible to write on the
subject Of this national disgrace within
the bounds Of decorum. When, in his
message, Mr., Mckinley asserts that, as
Commander In Chief during military
occupation Of Porto Rico he had the
right to modify or do away with the
tariff on goods coming into the colon,
from other countries, but had no righ
in the least to abate the exactions o
Dingleyism on Porto Rican production
entered at American mainland ports, h,
asserts what he knows to be contrary II
law and fact. No one Is better awar
than he that from the moment the treat
Of cession went into effect every dolla
Of customs duty levied on American
merchandise sent to Porto Rico, or OF
Porto Rican merchandise received a
any Of our ports, involved direct an
premeditated robbery as well as cold
blooded cruelty. The crime will not b
absolved by the use Of these looted mil
lions, through the agency of politica
commissions and corrupt favorites, 7
build academies or postroads from tn
coast TO the estates Of Administratio
favorites, II should be held as q sacre
trust, TO be returned TO the unfortunat
individuals from whom II was dt
liberately and Intentionally stolen. |
any event, like sum will have to b
appropriated to repay the duties alread
exacted in violation of the Constitution
The miserable subterfuge of the argu
ment, that the theft was justified by III
necessity for public revenue, Is expose
IN the undeniable fact that the eytensio
OF the American internal revenue systel
TO the island would have provide
adequately for all legitimate purposes
Again we are impelled to ask what ca
be this mysterious power behind th
| tnrone ot Ino NepuDllcHn AuIllilsti
alton, which Is shown to be stron
enough 10 force u President from h
position Of tardy justice and mercy
the Porto Ricans, and compel him to a
net at once of personal humiliation nm
Of violation Of his oath TO support th
Constitution Of the United Stasesy
the magnates Of the oil, sugar, tobacco
and rum trusts have this power over III
President and the Republican majoriti'
in the Senate and House Of Represent
atives, II is time that the America
people SHOULD awaken to their dongei
They have u remedy, and II will be eos
OF application on the 9th day Of ne,
November, On that occasion II will I
possible TO save our institutions fro,
destruction, II the opportunity be lo
II may never recur, Four more yea
Of Hanna. MoKinleyism would probabI
find us without u Monroe Doctrin,
without n Constitution, and without
Republic worthy of the name.