The Irish standard., 1901-07-13
the redress Of an Irish grievance so
gross and so plain that it provoked the
protest of the royal commander of the
forces in Ireland.
FREE TRADE FOR PORTO RICO.

FREE TRADE FOR PORTO RICO.
On the Fourth of July the Porto
Rican assembly by a unanimous vote
passed the free trade resolution referred
to in section of the Foraker tariff
law of 1900 which provided that
"Whenever the legislative assembly
of Porto Rico shall have enacted and
put into operation system of local
taxation to meet the necessities of the
government of Porto Rico by this act
established. and shall by resolution
duly passed so notify the president, he
shall make proclamation thereof, and
theraupon all tariff duties on mer-
chandise and articles going into Porto
Rico from the United States or coming
into the United States from Porto Rico
shall cease"
The resolution was signed by Gov
ernor Allen after he had addressed the
assembly to the effect that Porto Rico
ROW possessed sufficient revenues to
meet every demand of government
without drawing upon customs re-
ceipts; and he promised to deliver the
resolution to President Mckinley for
his signature, and to the end that
proclamation of Porto Rico's financial
condition may be made by him by
July 25, as that day is the anniversary
of the coming of the American flag to
the island.
Thus it is that after three years of
hardship to the Porto Ricans because
Of the failure of congress to perform
s'our plain Duty as recommended in
McKinley's message, free trade will
soon be in operation between the
United States and Porto Rico as it is
between the different states of the
Union. We are afraid, however, that
American corporations, during the past
three years, have been able to grab the
Porto Rican plantations, and that it is
they who will chiefly reap the benefit
from free trade.
When General Miles invaded the is
land in "the cause of humanity" he
promised the Porto Ricans that they
would henceforth be American citizens
and enjoy American rights. The is
landers took him at his word, and
cheered the American flag. Miles
meant what he said, but his promise
was repudiated by the Mckinley adj
ministration.
Porto Rico is neither a state nor a
territory of the American republic. Ac-
cording to the decision of the supreme
court the constitution does not follow
the flag into the little island, and it is
governed, to all intents and purposes,
as a colony on the British plan. We
believe, however, that when the Re-
publicans are hurled from power, the
congress, the president, and the SUI
preme court will all combine to do
away with colonies under our form of
government "Taxation without rep
resentation is tyranny in Porto Rico
as it was in the thirteen original col
oDies that threw off the British yoke,
and no amount of argument by Ameri-
can imperialists can convince liberty.
loving people to the contrary
The Porto Ricans have already given
sufficient evidence of being able to gov
c17l themselves in spite of the tariff
levied on their products in the interest
of the sugar and tobacco trusts, and
before many years they will get rid
of the American carpet baggers ap.
pointed by Mckinley to rule them. In
the words of the Declaration of indie.
Dendtlce, the Porto Ricans up to date
can truly say of Mckinley: "He has
erected multitude of new off1ces,s and
sent hither swarms of officers to harass
our people and eat out their sub
stance. The followers of Jefferson
will do full justice to them after Nc
Nlhley has retired to sweet retirement
at Canton.