Los Angeles herald., 1909-05-11
TAFT ASKS FOR
REMEDIAL LAWS
PORTO RIcAN SITUATION IS OF
UNUSUAL GRAVITY
PRESIDENTS SPECIAL MESSAGE
REVIEWS NECESSITY
Absolute Power Of Appropriation
Should Be Taken Away from
Those Too irresponsible
to Enjoy II
rpy Associated Press.I

WASHINGTON, May 10.-For the
want of a quorum the house took no
action upon the presidents message
recommending remedial legislation for
the island of Porto Rico. Speaker can
non fought to have the message re-
ferred to the committee on ways anu
means, but an organization py Ml.
Garrett of Tennessee, VINO Wanteo a.
sent to the committee on insular al
Fairs which has not been appointed,
onened M the whole subject OF the
Tbere being no such committee
Sneaker Cannon said that in suggest
ing the reference he had in MIND the
present condition in the house, oniy
four committees having been appoint
ed. of which the committee on lhsule'I
affairs was not one.
rissht of the speaker to overrule the
rules and ended with motion ny MI MI;
carrett that the speaker be "olrecteu
forthwith to appoint committee On
insular affairs to consider the mes
sage 80. o,,tors
present. far short of Quorum MneLe-
3,non Mr. Payne moved an ADJOURN
,s1ent remarl5ing as he did so that ne
honed a quorum would be present When
tbe house met next time. The mouse
fben adjourned with the presldent
message still upon the speaker IdDio'
In the senate it was referred with
ont discussion to the comnlttee Oh
Porto Rico a,rec+s
The president in his message alrec ,.s
the attention of congress 70 al 4.i,ts az
the island, laying particular stress oi
what he terms "a situation OF unusual
frravitv'' developed through the falluTe
e tbe legislative assembly or Forto
T7ico to pass the usual appropriation
Hills. leaving the island without sup
mort after June 80 next.
Porto Ricans have forgotten the seLii-
erosity of the United STATES the Plesll
5ent saws. in the desire of certain OIL
tha Islands political leaders for power
end he adds that the present situation
indicates that the United states mas
cone TOO fast in the extension OF poIlt-
ical power to the Porto Rlcans'
Foraker Act to Be Amended
To concludes that the absolute power
~ annropriation should be taken away
@-ora CHOSE who have shown them-
selves too irresponsible to enjoy IT.
THE president suggests to congress
+ha uyisdom of submitting to the appro-
rriation committee the question OF
qualifying some of the provisions OIL
the fundamental act as TO the re-
SDeCt1Ve JuTlSulSl1Oh u 49,
council and the legislative assembly,
ant no action Of this kind, the presl-
dent saws. should be begun until the
Foraker act is amended so that Wneh
+be legislative assembly shall adjourn
without making the legislative appro-
priation necessary to carry on the gov
eminent, sums equal to the approprlia-
tion made In the previous year Tor the
respective purposes shall De aVallapts
for the current revenue and snail De
drawn by the warrant of the auditor TO
the treasurer and countersigned by the
governor.
Such a provision applies to the legis-
latures of the Philippines and Hawaii,
and at has prevented in those two
countries any misuse Of the power or
appropriation"
The president says the fact that the
Porto Ricans, forgetting the generos-
ity of this government should not be an
occasion for surprise, nor in dealing
with a whole people can it be made the
basis of a charge of ingratitude."
The message concludes:
'When we with the consent of the
people of Porto Rico assumed guar
dianship over them and the guidance
of their destinies, we must have been
conscious that a people that had en-
joyed so little opportunity for educa-
ton could not be expected safely for
themselves to exercise the full power
of f-government, and the present
DEVELOPMENT is only an indication that
we have gone somewhat too fast in the
extension of political power to them
for their own good"