The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-04-19
Free Trade for Porto Rico.

1t is expected that soon after July
next President Mckinley will issue a
proclamation announcing that since the
Porto Rican Assembly has enacted and
put into operation a system of taxation
to meet the necessities of the Govern
ment, all customs duties on the COM
merce between the island and the
mainland will at once cease, agreeably
to the provisions of the Porto Rican
Tariff law passed by Congress.
There is possibility that the op-
pressed and starving Porto Ricans may
not have to wait quite so long for a re-
turn of this Government to its former
conceptions of "our plain duty" Be
fore the time when the Insular Tax law
shall be in full force and effect, the Su-
preme Court may hand down a decision
supporting the Constitution as against
recent efforts of the Administration to
override 1t. In that event relief may
come for Porto Rico within the next
week CT two. At any rate, there is
room for encouragement, and next sum-
mer the chances are that Porto Rican
sugar, rum, cigars. tobacco. and coffee
will be coming to our continental ports
to the qualification of the public and
the disgust of the trusts in whose in
terests and at whose dictation the I'M
constitutional tariff was imposed.
Considering how wickedly these poor
| islanders, who received US In 1893 as
saviors. have been treated by the Ad-
ministration and a supine Congress, all
good Americans should feel it duty to
help them to their feet again, and this
can be done by merely extending the
demand for their products. Porto
Pican coffee much resembles the Mo
| cha variety. When well cured and aged
it makes delicious beverage, and it
held the Spanish market exclusively
and was largely sought in the French
and italian markets for years. 1t ought
to be given a fair show in this country.
II is acknowledged to be superior to the
Rio and Maracaibo coffees, which form
the staples OF American consumption.
II housekeepers would generally try the
Porto Rican berry, and, when found ac-
ceptable, use II in place of foreign cof-
fees, every pound bought would be so
much paid in promotion of Porto
Rican prosperity.
AS far as Porto Rican cigars are con-
cerned they VIII make their own way.
In the days of Spanish rule, most of
the tobacco crop of the island went to
Havana, whence it was re-exported in
the form OF cigars warranted as grown
Ia the famous Vuelta Abajo of Cuba
No better evidence of its excellence
could be asked. We presume that the
tobacco trust will try to prevent the
public from reaping the full benefit Of
the change from a prohibitive tariff to
free trade In cigars. There are rumors
that the Hollander Tax law passed by
the Assembly, by reason of its provis-
ion for the prompt confiscation and sale
of property upon which taxes may be
in arrears. will operate-perhaps was
intended 10 operate-to place the trust
in control of the bulk of Porto Rican
tobacco lands In that case the CONT
mental consumer will derive little bene-
fit from the cheapening of prices which
nominaIly should follow the removal of
duties. Cigar smokers, however, can
do great deal toward helping the
present producers. the peasantry and