The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1900-04-11
Senator Proctor on Porto Rican
Affairs.

Senator Proctor spoke on Friday on
the bill providing a civil government
for Porto Rico. In this bill is embodied
the provision for temporary, an emer-
gency, tax of fifteen per cent of the
Dingley duties on Porto Rican COM
merce, the revenue to be devoted to
public purposes in Porto Rico. Sem
ator Proctor is 80 strenuously opposed
to the proposition to impose tariff on
Porto Rican commerce, in any form or
for any purpose, that he would be COM
PEELED to vote against the bill contain
ing the provision in question. Refer
ring to the attitude of the administra-
ton on the question of the trade re-
lations between the island and the
United States the Senator said:
"Is it strange that some of us, in lack of
an official statement or apparent reason for
this sudden shift, should be slow to give up
line of action which we believe to be based
on principle and justice, which we believe
to be the only honest and consistent course?
1t is charged-I do not know with what
truth, if any-that this change was demand
ed and brought about by the sugar and to-
bacco interests, and also, it is stated. by or
ganized labor.
81, however, have failed to see that the
representatives OF this latter interest ap-
peared before the committee. 1t is practi-
cally admitted that free trade with Porto
Rico does not harm these interests materi-
ally, but they claim that it creates prece-
dent that may harm them il adopted in ref
erence to the Philippines and Cuba. 1t
will be time to cross these rivers when we
come to them, andiin my opinion the cross
ing will not be difficult when the proper
time comes for action"
Mr.. Proctor read q letter from ex-Sen-
ator Edmunds, who dealt with some of
the constitutional phases of the pend
ing question. Mr.. Edmunds said:
"Any such measure, if enacted, will, I
believe, be unique in our whole history 1t
will initiate and parallel the acts of the
British Parliament which forced our fathers
to just resistance and revolution, and led
them to establish constitution which in
studied and explicit terms forbade any such
discrimination. Porto Rico and its people
came under the sovereignty of the United
States by force of the treaty with Spain, and
think all will agree that If any part Of the
people OF the island levied war against the
United States or adhered to our enemies
ETC., they would be guilty of treason. Blu
treason is an exclusively defined constitu
tional crime and it cannot exist on thu
island unless the constitution that defines /
Is in force there.
Continuing Senator Proctor said:
1--WE may do many wrong and fool isl
things without violating the Constitution
but it does not follow that we must d
them, or ought to do them, and / claim MI
President, that the plain people, the sens
BILE, honest American people, who look q
this question from no standpoint OF interes
who are not sugar men nor tobacco mel
nor men who have any commercial or clas
interests, which, it is claimed, must b
placated by our action, are the best judge
of what is fair and right and honest, an
that their judgment in the end must an
will prevail. II we are not bound by tn
letter OF the Constitution, we are bound b
justice and humanity to deal with the:
questions in the spirit of American institl
tions and American civilization.
"The people, Mr.. President. look upo
this az q matter OF principle, question
good faith and common honesty, and the
moral sense has been shocked and the n
tional heart and conscience stirred by Il
fear that this measure Of taxation will
adopted by Congress.
1.-THE people believe, as the President
when he wrote in his annual message, tn
our plain duty is to abolish the custor
tariff between the United States and Por
Rico.'
1.-THE people know that sentence by heal