Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1900-03-23
NO COMPROMISE.

SdA1Ou, D. u.
NO COMPROMISE.
Washington dispatches state that the
Republican Senators have informally
agreed to "compromise" the Puerto
Rican outrage. The terms Of this pro-
posed agreement are interesting, for
they strip from the Oxnard tariff the
last vestige of pretense and fully ex-
pose it's iniquity. IT is proposed that
American goods shall enter Puerto Rico
free, but Puerto Rican products are to
be burdened with Is per cent. of the
Dingley rates at mainland ports, SO that
the Oxnard interest may have no rea-
son to complain.
At the same time W ith this informa-
tion from Washington there comes a
protest from Puerto Rico against the
whole Oxnard scheme. Had this pro-
test been written with precise knowlt
edge of the proposed compromise it
could not have met the 'compromise"
proposal more completely. The Puerto
Ricans oppose a tariff between island
and mainland for these reasons:
/. Because taxation on their exports
means an embargo ON their foreign
commerce.
2. Curtailment of their commerce
with the mainland will detain their
products on the island and deprive them
of the legitimate profits.
8. In order to be prosperous they
must have a market, and the United
States has deprived them Of their
former market in Spain.
4. Fifteen per cent. of the Dingley
rates is not trivial tax. Upon no class
Of the islands tobacco export is it less
than 25 per cent ad valorem, and upon
the most important class it is 16O per
cent. Upon sugar it is 25@ cents per
100 pounds, or fully one-eight of the
value.
If this is not an embargo upon our
trade" the Puerto Ricans ask, what
can it be called?' They also show that
ample revenue can be raised by internal
taxation. Therefore they ask for free
trade as necessary to the island, bene-
fetal TO the mainland, and the very
foundation Of the prosperity promised
them by this nation and its executive.
Senators may agree on "compro-
mise" tariff, but the voters will not ac-
cepti it. The people will not consent to a
compromise which denies Puerto Rico
Justice because Mr.. Oxnard and Mr.
Payne were afraid that when prosper
ity came to t&erto Rico under free
sugar Cuba would be knocking at the
door for admission They will not take
part in the conspiracy of the house Re-
publicans to make warning example"
of Puerto Rico. And the sooner the
House Republicans and the Senate Re-
publicans realize these facts the better
it will be for the party. Further schem-
ing along this line is perilous. Futher
experiment with "compromlse" is per-
ilous, and the men who persist in either
are simply dallying with the destiny of
the whole republican party.
Here is the naked question before
Congress and the nation: Have we a
government of good faith and justice,
or a government of the sugar and to-
bacco lobby, for The sugar and tobacco
lobby, by the sugar and tobacco lobby ?
Are the little fingers Of Oxnard and the
fist of Hanna more weighty in Congress
than the loins of the whole people?
If this prove to be the case, nothing on
earth can prevent the people from
choosing in November a new Congress
which will not beLray them and their
policies and W not scorge with Span
ish whips the islanders to whom the ma
tions proclaimed solemnly all the bless
ings which go with its flag.
Puerto Rico asks justice, not charity
and upon such an issue no compromise
can be made-Inter Ocean, (Rep)