Mexico Missouri message., 1900-08-23
and peri, 70 our form of government.


one, as well as the others, involve
consequences of very grave import
ance to the people. The president in
his last annual message said: Our
plain duty is to abolish the customs
tariffs between the United States ami
Porto Rico and give her products free
access to our markets" The secre-
tary of war in his annual report also
declared: 1.-THE highest considera-
tions of justice and good faith de-
mand that we should not disappoint
the confident expectations of sharing
in our prosperity with which the peo-
pie of Porto Rico have gladly trans
ferred their allegiance to the United
States. We should treat the interest
of this people as our own. l wish
most strongly to urge that the Gus
toms duties between Porto Rico and
the United States should be removed"
Mr.. Chairman, / have quoted the ut
terances of both the chief magistrate
and his war adviser insisting upon
free trade between Porto Rico and
the United States, the president de-
claring it to be Our plain duty" and
the secretary insisting that Justice
and good faith demand it,
A bill was introduced into the house
OF representatives by the chairman of
the committee on ways and means
(Mr. Payne), and in the senate by the
en-
crystalize these recommendations in
to law. The ink upon these bills was
scarcely dry before the most sudden
change of views known in our adj
ministrative history occurred. The
reasons for the change are so start
ling that l will not assume to state
them myself lest they be under the
suspicion of pernicious partisanship.
will quote from the speech of Sena-
tor Redfield Proctor, of Vermont (sec-
rotary of war under President Harri-
SOM, made in the senate March 30th
of the present year, in which he gives,
with some degree of Indignation, the
reasons for the change. After recit-
ing the history of the proposed legisla-
ton, and quoting the views of the
president and secretary of war, he
says: Following these recommended
tions a bill was introduced in this
body by the senator from Ohio, the
chairman of the committee, giving
Porto Rico free trade. A like meas
ure was introduced i'm another body;
but, presto! with little notice or ap-
parent reason bill comes to us levy
ing tax upon Porto Rican exports
and imports.
SIS it strange that some of us, in
lack of an official statement, or ap-
parent reason for this sudden shift,
should be slow to give up line of ac-
ton which we believe to be based on
principle and justice, which we be-
lieve to be the only honest and con-
sistent course? 1t is charged that this
change was demanded and brought
about by the sugar and tobacco inter
ests, and also, it is stated, by organ
lied labor.
II, however, have failed to see that
the representatives of this latter in
terest appeared before the commit
tee. 1t is practically admitted that
free trade with Porto Rico does not
harm these interests materially, but
Mr.. Oxnard, for the Sugar Interest,
and Mr.. Myrick and Mr.. Frye, presi-
dent of the Tobacco Growers associa-
pln aA haf he D.
that it creates precedent that will
harm them if adopted in reference to
the Philippines and Cuba. 1t will be
time to cross those rivers when we
come to them, and in my opinion the
crossing will not be difficult when the
proper time comes for action"
Fellow-citizens, the Porto Rican
tariff bill was the outcome of the
most shameless exhibition of the
power of trusts and the most ignoblo
surrender to them made by any adj
ministration in the history of our
country. The surrender was made, as
declared by Senator Proctor, not be-
cause free trade with Porto Rico
would materially reduce the profits
of the trusts upon sugar and tobacco,
but it being the first outpost of fed
eral legislation for the government OF
colonial possessions. the trusts took
the administration by the throat, be-
cause their campaign contributions
had largely contributed to it's cleo
ton, and demanded that the bill be
throttled because it would establish a
precedent for future legislation in re-
spect 10 the Philippine islands and
Cuba. Was ever the inordinate greed
and power of trusts more defiantly
exhibited than is shown i'm the story
of national humiliation, by the dis
tinguished republican senator (Mr
Proctor) in the extract from the
speech l have just readi This country
has cut off the trade of Porto Rico
with Spain by the Paris treaty, and
then taxed its commerce with us in
disregard both of the Declaration OF
Independence and the Constitution of
the United States. The Constitution
says that all duties, imposts and en-
cises shall be uniform throughout the
United States" To this constitution
al maxim of taxation should be add
ed, if the republican policy is to pre-
vail-provided the trusts consent.
CAUSES OF THE WAR WITH SPAIN.
Fellow-citizens, | voted for the dec
laration of war with Spain to drive
the cruel, treacherous Spaniards from
the western world. In discussing the
causes of that war l said in the house
of representatives on the cath OF
March, 1898 that:
Language seems impotent to depict,
much less to eXaggerate, the cruelties per-
petrated by. Spain In her efforts to ex-
terminate the Cuban population. The
wholesale carnival Of blood visited by the
early Spanish Conquistadores upon the I'M
resisting aborigines of the West Indies.
Mexico and Peru at the beginning OF
Spanish sovereignty over America, the
atrocities of the Duke of Alva in the
Netherlands, the massacre of the Ar
menians by the Turks. and the scaiping
of helpless women and children by the
Apaches do not surpass the recent crimes
of Spain in Cuba. II Is estimated that
persisted by Spanish cruelty. I declared
months ago that the United States should
not longer hesitate to intervene in behalf
of Cuba's freedom"
Fellow-citizens. the views then ex.
pressed remain unchanged up to this
hour The limited States nv the iii Z