The age-herald., 1900-03-09

into this country and to turn the amount so raised back to Porto Rico
 Action Unprecedented
 1.-The senator admits," said MT Davis, in- terrupting "that this handing back of rev. enues to a political subdivision of the United States, Is unprecedented. Then why not raise the revenue as usual, ard, if necessary, to relieve distress in Porto Rico, provided the relief by direct appropria- tion from the United States treasury?'
 "The United States has never under taken to support a local government in any territory" replied MT. Foraker.
 "The situation in Porto Rico is anom- alous. If the island is to have schools, good roads, and public Improvements, 1t must get them through taxation and such tax ation as Is proposed in this bill.'
 What effect is gratuity of this kind? 2" inquired MT. Davis.
 "A gratuity which places the inhabitants in the status of mendicants going to have upon the people of Porto Rico? It seems to me direct appropriations for their needs would be much to be preferred"
 This is great emergency" replied Mir Foraker. We cannot depend upon such appropriations as the senator Suggests The people would all be dead by starvation before the relief could reach them"
 MT. Foraker said it was generally under stood that all of the sugar and tobacco now on the island was owned by the sugar and tobacco trusts. If this was true the imposition of the tariff proposed would fall upon those well able to bear it. and to con- tribute at least that much to the suffer- ing Porto Ricans.
 Coioquy With Mir. Hoar
 MT. Foraker became involved in a col loquy with MT. Hoar as to the constitu tional right of congress to levy a duty on products from a territory of the United States, in which the Ohio senator declared that the provisions of the constitution re- ferred to had no application in the case of Porto Rico.
 MT. Hoar continued to press the principle and MT. Foraker finally declared that the question in principal had passed beyond the 'law-oook stage" and had become one of justice and humanity.
 MT. Hoar: That is the senator's an- swer?''
 "No, it is not" roetrted MT. Foraker warmly. "l answered the senator's ques- tion, and the persistency with which the senator presses 1t shows that he does not want to accept the answer. I might stand here and quote decisions of the supreme court until the last Porto Rican had starved, and it would have no effect upon sena tors who differed from me. If we can not levy a duty on the products of Porto Rico, we cannot levy duty on the prod ucts of the Philippines, and If we can't levy a tariff on their products, we might just as we'll dismantle our custom house and go out of the protection business. There can be no intelligent legislation on this quqestion until we get a commanding view of the situation that will be afforded up by a decision of the supreme court"
 He thought the Philippines could not be dealt with as it was proposed to deal with Porto Rico.
 MT. Tillman: "The constitution is that We can take Porto Rico under our wing and protect her to the utmost. But we can not do the same thing for the Philippines .'
 Why Free Trade Was Recommended
 Continuing, MT. Tillman asked why the president had originally recommended free trade with Porto Rico and the house had brought in bill to that end only changing its course of policy after hearing from Mir Oxnard, the sugar king.
 Replying, Mir. Foraker referred MT. Till- man to his colleague (Hanna.) T am not