The Penn's Grove record., 1900-03-16
THE PORTO RICAN TARIFF
Worse Than Spanish Treatment

The treaty with Spain after the war
to free Cuba ceded the island of Porto
Rico to the United States. It became
as much a part of the country, the same
as the territories of Mexico and Alaska.
The constitution provides for free trade
between all parts of the country in
article /, section s, paragraph 5. which
says:
Congress shall have power to lay and collect
taxes, duties, imports and exercises. to pay the
debts and provide for the common defense, ana
general welfare of the United States; but all
duties, imposts and exercises shall be uniform
throughout the United States"
President Mckinley in his message
to Congress last December declared
''Our plain duty is to abolish all GUS
toms, tariffs between the United States
and Porto Rico, and give her products
free access to our market. =
The tobacco growers and the beet
sugar growers in the States saw at once
that their share of protection would be
destroyed by expansion and had a bill
introduced in Congress imposing q duty
of 25 per cent upon Porto Rican pro-
ducts. After fight in the House,
which caused President McKinly TO
turn somersault to save theprOtective
for the tobacco and sugar Trusts the
bill was forced through under a party
whip imposing tariff of Is per cent.
on Porto Rican products.
That led former Speaker Thomas B.
Reed to remark that we intend Porto
Ricans to be only IS per cent. free. Ex-
President Harrison said, 81 regard the
bill as most serious departure from
the right principles The Republican
party is torn up over the bill discussed
in the Senate this week, as some believe
it un-R Republican, un-American, un-
warranted, unprecedent and unconsti-
tutional.
of the island, and due chiefly to the
contraction of business which has fol-
lowed the control of the. island by the
United States, and having read the
compromise measure adopted at the
conference of the Republican members
of Congress held last night, desire to
make the following statement to Con-
gress and the public:
Zone of the reasons given by the Re-
publican leaders in Congress, who stand
behind the tariff measure, is that they
see no other way in which money can
be raised for the support of the island
except by direct taxation, which they
allege the people of Puerto Rico would
| not agree to, or by special appropria-
tion by Congress. Let us say on this
point that the island of Puert0 Rico
raised an annual budget of $4, 400. 900.
OF this amount the following sums. in
round numbers, were, for the army,
81, 200, 600: for the minister of colonies,
$500. 600; for pensions. $500, 900; for the
clergy, $406, 900; for the navy; S400, 600;
making total of $4,000 Thus
there were raised for these purposes
annually an amount larger than the
total amount now required for the ex.
penses of the island, as estimated by
Governor-General Davis, and larger by
far than will be raised by the proposed
tariff. We refer with pride and call
the attention of the people of the Unit
ed States to The fact that we freed our
own slaves, paying therefor. in princi-
pal and interest, about $4,000, 900,
without asking aid from Spain or else
where. We rapudiate the idea that we
can not raise the amount necessary to
carry on the affairs of the island.
WORSE THAN SPAIN.
Cruel, barbarous Spain placed duty
of ten per cent. on Porto Rican goods
aud granted the island representation
on population basis in the Spanish
Cortes. The enlightened, merciful
United States places duties of Is per
cent of the Dingley rates say 80 per
cent advalorem or Porto Rican goods,
and declares that the island shall has
have no representation.
BEFORE THE WAR
with Spain about three fifths of the ex-
ports were sent to Spain and two-ffths
to the United States. Since the treaty
the United States has continued the
high Dingley tariff on all goods import
ed from Porto Rico. Spain has stop.
ped taking any and as we say "You
Porto Ricans can buy all you want of
us but 60 sell somewhere else." their
products has had their market limited.
This together with the recent hurricane
has placed many on starvation. Gen.
eral Davis, in military charge of the
island has appealed for aid TO relieve
the suffering. He says, many millions
Va "OACys 00 SUou0s 0nyO UCVu NohVu W
municipalities and individuals. l can
only give food for the hungry. Should
the supply fail, there would be fam.
inc such as in the past has swept over
and depopulated large districts in India
| and China.
HELP AT ONCE.
THE measures of relief / have had
suggested to me, and which / deem OF
sufficient importance to submit to the
Government at Washington, are The
removal of all duties on trade between
the United States and this island.'
1.-THE authorization by the Washing
ton Government for the issue by thu
insular authorities of interest bearing
notes IN small denominations to tn,
amount Of $40 900, 900, the notes reple
scntiDg money TO be loaned solely OF
landed security to the extent of 30tO 4(