Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1900-04-18
A TEMPORARY MEASURE.

A IEMfo1lAf1 MLANtINE. |
The bill as it stands proposes to tenn
porarily collect on goods passing from
Porto Rico into the United States and
from the United States into Porto Rico
Is per cent of the regular Dingley tariff,
and to pay into the empty treasury of
the island every dollar so collected, this
plan to continue only until the legisla-
ture of Porto Rico shall have provided
local taxation sufficient to meet the
necessities of the island and in no event
to continue beyond March l, 1902, after
which date there is to be absolute free
trade between the island and the United
States.
A MERELY NOMINAL TARIFF.
One of the objects of a tariff upon
Porto Rico's products imported here is
to establish a right to impose such a
tariff in later years, should it be found
This will be a precedent in
our legislation for our new possessions,
the Philippines. The proposed import
duty-15 per cen Of the Dingley rates :
is merely nominal, within 6 per cent Of
free trade. Back of it is an established
power and recognized authority to deal
with these questions as shall seem wis
est and best when we know more about
the whole matter, and shall better IN
derstand the true situation with which
we have to deal.
WHAT THE ET1TJIRE NAV BRING.
What Porto Rico is to-day we know
what it may become ten or twenty
years from now, under the influence of
American capital and enterprise, we can
only conjecture. Cotton may be grown
there, and cotton manufacturing might
become a large industry. With cheap
island labor the product Of u W
northern and southern mills could thus
be undersold. Would it be right to ex-
pose the agricultural and industrial in
terests of these United States to such
competition? If the principle of a tar
if be not now maintained, it might be
difficult, if not impossible, to impose
one hereafter, if it should thus become
necessary. Then the Republican party
would be blamed, and justly so, for it's
neglect to protect the interests of
American citizens on the mainland and
for it's lack of forethought.
PORTO RICO PRODUCTS.
1t may be that the sugar yield there
may grow to such an extent as to cur
tail the available market area for vi
growing beet industry. The same may
be true of tobacco, of vegetables, of or
anges, of rice, of hides, of hemp, and
other products. 1T is not claimed that
there is danger to-day. But that there
is strong probability of danger to Amer
lean industries through the establish
Rico, as a precedent for our policy in
dealing with all our outlying possess
sions. no mi can deny, after having
given the subject careful investigation.
What applies to Porto Rico might be
held to apply equally to other possess
sions, and who can say what may de-
velop in that much larger and equally
fertile area in the east, with it's album
dance of cheap labor.
A PRECEDENT.
This is what we must guard against.
Without a precedent, and the establish
ed right to impose a tariff upon any of
the products Of our island possessions,
the United States may in years to come
feel the effect of such lack Of legisla-
ton to a very serious degree.
FUTURE PROTECTION.
By the adoption of this legislation flu
ture protection will be possible to Amer
lean interests in case 1t be needed
against hat source, or against the Phil
ippines, or against the Danish West In
dies, should we acquire them, or any
outlying possessions.
AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION.
An ounce Of prevention is worth a
pound of cure, and 1t is best not to fix
q precedent that will abolish a right
which maintains our national policy.
Moreover, the Republican party will not
be committed to the policy Of free trade,
as is so earnestly desired by the Demo-
Gratis.