The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-05-29
PORTO RICANS DISSATISFIED
GENERAL COMPLAINT OYER SU-
 PRIME COURTS DECISIONS.
It Had Been Expected That Abs Olute Free Trade Would be Granted the
 Whole Thing as n Flaaco-Another F Says the American Constitution Ap- plies When Against Porto Rtcans but
Not When tn Their Favor.

Not When tn Their Favor.
 San Juan, r. R., May 2S.-The first report Of the supreme courts decision
 in the De Lima case received here last night which was interpreted as declar- l Rico to the United States IS per cent. of the Dingley duties to be unconsti-
 tutional was received here with great
 satisfaction. To-day when the full re-
 port of the De Lima case was published
 there was evidenced general feeling
 of disappointment among Porto Rican
 merchants, who had hoped that the
 courts decision would give them a
 years free trade. Porto Ricans are re-
 luctant to believe that Yto-day's full re-
 port is true.
 The consensus of opinion on the mat
 ter seems to be that the Porto Rican | legislature should be convened in extra
 session to declare Porto Rico self-sup
 porting without the collection of cus- toms on imports between Porto Rico
 and the United States. A general spirit of complaint that all the supreme courts decisions were against Porto Rico is noticeable.
 When San Juan merchants were ques- tioned on the subject they manifested much regret at the outcome, as they had hoped to have refunded all the moneys paid nuder the 15 per cent. ap- plication of the Dingley duties. It was generally expected that the courts de-
 cio,, Do, saa t,o 1n absolutely and her citizens full citizen ship and constitutional privileges. When told that if the latter privileges had been granted the internal revenue laws would be applied to the islands and that all funds and customs, there under col lected would be deposited in the fed eral treasury, all Porto Ricans ques- tioned on the matter acknowledged that this would be bad and that their pres ent status was preferable, as they did not believe that the island could stand the collection oe United States internal revenue and such collections if attempt ed would necessitate an even heavier property tax for the maintenance of Porto Rico.
 Only a few Porto Rican business men understand the importance of the su- preme courts decisions. Those who are bankers predict an immediate revival of business now that the status of the country has been decided.
 The manager of an importan Ameri- l can bank who requests that his name not be used says he is in favor Of the | tariff until it is absolutely provel that | Porto Rican internal revenues suffice 1 for the islands needs.
 The ]. T. Silva Bank company said: | "The whole thing is a fiasco. We would 1 like to be citizens of the United States | btu without the application of United | States internal revenue collections. The latter would kill our industries"
 The Fritze Lundt company, who are the largest shippers of sugar in Porto Rico said: ''The constitution Of the United States applies when agaus- us, but not when in our favor This has always been so since the beginning. If | the tariff had been removed at first Porto Rico would now have double crops The American system of taxa ton cannot be applied here there should be some sensible tax on flour and rice, but sugar should be free. This egislation appears to be for Americans md against Porto Ricans."
 Mulenhoff x Korber, large banking house, said This is big step for ward. Spain would not have returned anything. It would be a hard blow if he internal revenues of the United States were applied here'
 w. L. Mau, manager of big sugar said: "The distinction is oo fine to understand. The tariff mould cease when the Hollander bill comes into full force July 1, otherwise ve will be under practically double tax ltion. Our legislature has been lax; it hould have notified the president that Porto Rico is self supporting. I can {, ee, now that the matter is settled, much improvement in the future"
 It is underst ood that Governor Allen :. s giving his earnest consideration to he practicability of securing, at an ear y date, free trade relations between 'orto Rico and Germany.