The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1901-07-03
SUMTER. S. G.. WEDNESDAYS. JULY 8. 1901
REPUBLICANS OPPOSE RECIPROCITY

They Seek TO Evade Pledge in
Republican Platform.
Washington, June 25.-It now seems
that while Senator Aldrich, as repre-
sentative of the protected interests Of
the country and particularly Of the
sugar and tobacco trusts, called at the
White House the other day to protest
against all measures looking towards
carrying out the reciprocity pledge in.
| the Repub blican national platform, he
particularly directed his attack against
free trade with Porto Rico, which
nearly everyone has considered would
inevitably follow the special session
of island legislature called to meet.
July 4. Sentaor Aldrich, however,
! has found a loophole by which he
hopes free trade can be- STAYED off a, lit
tie longer until Conrgesss can get a
chance to take action preventing it
indefinitely.
Ithas been the popular impression
that the Foraker act was mandatory and
| that the President had no choice to do
anything else but proclaim free trade
whenever the island was ready for it.
The act says: 9. And whenever the
legislative assembly of Porto Rico
shall have enacted and put into opera
ton system of local taxation to meet
the expense of the government Of Porto
Rico by this act established, and shall
| by resolutions duly passed so notify
the President he shall make procla-
nation thereof, and thereupon all
tariff duties on merchandise and arti-
cles going into Porto Rico from the
| United States ndfrom Porto Rico shall
cease and from and after such date
all such merchandise and articles
shall be entered at the several ports
of entry free Of duty.
In addition, the law prescribes that
the abolition of duties shall, in any
event, occur on the 1st Of March,
1902,
Senator Aldrich contends, however.
that the Island revenues will not
meet the needs of government and
that even If they do, the fact cannot
be established without at least six
months trial-which would bring us
to next December when Congress
meets again. He wants the President
to refuse to issue his proclamation
on this plea until after that time so
that Congress may get chance to
extend this last date.
The figures relating to the Porto
Rican finances already in the posses
sion of the Government through re-
ports by Governor Allen, are consid-
cred by Mr..sAldrich to indicate
that there will be difficulty in secur-
ing enough revenue through the ope-
ration Of the. Hollander tax law.
The excess Of expenditures over island
receipts during the ten months of mill
tary administration was s198, 877.97,
while the same excess during the first
feleven months fcivil government was
I.s121, ,359. 7G The legislature has al
ready enacted budget for the next
fiscal year, which with other necessary:
expenses viii take %, 100000 and to
meet this expenditure the receipts. are
estimated at exactly the same amount.
Some Of the items, however, says Sen:
ator Aldrich, are pure guesswork,
such as the $3.50, 900 expected from
the operations Of the Hollander law.
| OF course Senator Aldrich cares.
nothing about Porto Rico. What he
is interested in are the beet sugar
and tobacco interests. The sugar
interests IN particular has been NOV
ing through Henry Oxnard, the man.
who caused the initial abandonment
Of "plain dutv'' to keep out Porto
Rican goods. Mr.Oxnard considers
that his interests are threatened by the
possibility that eventually all the
possessions of the United States
may send their sugar to this
country duty free. He looks upon
the free entry Of Porto Rican sugar as
| the first step in that direction, and.
purposes to make vigorous fight in
opposition. The same is true of the
tobacco growers, who complain that
| the American market is already being
flooded with Porto Rican cigars, and
that with the abolition Of all duty,
the Importation of that kind of mer-
chandise will greatly increase. In
fact, according to the claim of the
rotectionists, it will be .impossi BILE
for American tobacco growers and
cigar makers to compete with Porto
Rican labor. OF course this is all
pure nonsense, but then again, !" any
stick is good enough to beat dog
WITH" and any weapon will serve
the protect tionists.
Big STEAMSHIP WRECKED.