The much debated Porto Rice Bill was signed by President McKinley and became Jaw on the 12th of April, to take effect from the Ist of May.
Briefly, the tariff section, which is to continue for two years, levies the sine anties on all goods entering Porto Rice from foreign countries 1s are levied on the same goods entering the United States, with the exception of coffee, which has free entry into the United States, but will pay duty of five cents per pound going into Porto Rice. So far as the duties between the United States and Porto Rice, are concerned, goods from one to the other will pay 15 per cent of the duties which are required {o be paid upon similar goods from foreign countries.
Commenting upon the Bill, under th heading of No Colonies or Provinces, the San Francisco Chronicle" says By forcing the amendment of the Porto Rice Bill the friends of constitutional government have won the first round in the contest for establishing the principle that there shall be no American Government except that established by the American Constitution. The case of Porto Rice presented peculiar difficulties. The public revenue of the island is derived Mmost exclusively from duties on imports, and their abrupt removal would render it impossible to carry on the government except by direct donations from the United States Treasury. The island is abundantly able to provide the cost of its own government, but in order to do this a system of Jocal taxation must be perfected by a local Tegislature, which does not yet exist. No one would propose that Congress should levy local taxes for Porto Rice, and no Democrat was ever able to suggest any means for producing the necessary tem porary revenue except from duties on imports or subventions by the United States. The method adopted by those having the responsibility of governm: Porto Rice was to return to the island treasury the duties improperly levied upon Porto Rican products and continue force 15 per cent of the present duties only until the ismd legisla shall provide other means of raven or until the Supreme Court shall held any tariff unlawful. The Chronic! opposed the attempt to levy a tariff on istand commerce, but accepts the decision of the party which imposes a smell duty for two years only, subject to rem any time by the island legislature. Whatever the Supreme Court may finally hold on the constitutional question it res been made evident that the Republican party will oppose any taxation of comnmrce between the main ud Porto Rice, Iweause such taxation is unwise just. That this is the general sen was well illustrated by the reniar Representative Hitt in the course debate on the Hawaiian Bill. Haw. little further along than Porto Rice and the Bill made provision for a delegate in C gress such as other territories have this Hill of Connecticut objected quired; Does the gentleman know of single insular goverment in the World, whether of Grent Britain, Germany or any other European power, which has a representative in the home Parliament?" Sir," replied Hitt, "we are essentially a representative popular government, and republic does not need to take lessons from monarchies in the application of its own system." The applause which greeted this sentiment showed conclusively the sentiments and intentions of Republican Congressmen which will be heartily sustained by the voice of the nation.
The next step in the movement is to make sure that the Republican national platform soon to be adopted shall declare in unequivocal language against establishing or maintaining in any part of the earth a "colonial" government, or any government which shall not assure to the inhabitants of the governed territory every right, burden or immunity which is possessed by the inhabitants of the present territories of the United States. The people of the United States will refuse to accept the responsibility of governing alien peoples. They will refuse to pay the cost of such government. No party can hope to carry a national election on a platform which can be construed to permit the maintenance of any government which approaches a colonial" system, or which is not maintained under the authority of the Constitution and does not include all the constitutional guarantees. Our State Republican Convention must express itself plainly on this subject and our delegates must be pledged to support an anti-colonial B'wo days before this the ease paper in lisounsing the Constitution of the Islands said now stated that the murder of a British subject by a Porto Rican is likely to force the State Department to declare more promptly than is desired whether or not Porto Rice is part of the United States.
the case proves to be one of ordinary murder there is no probability that the British Government will ask any embarrassing questions, as it can safely leave the outcome to the decision of the regular unals, but if it should appear that the crime resulted from the lack of the protection due from a responsible government we may trust Great Britain to Toeate the responsibility at once. And if she decides that reparation must be demanded of some tothe United States? And if to the latter, on what yrounds except that Porto: Rice is part of the United States? These gestions of personal rights may force a judicial decision long before one could be Texched ona question of taxation, American citizen is arrested in Porto Rice is he entitled to have his ease examined on awit of habeas corpus or not? And if he is, upon what grounds except that the guarantees of the Constitution extend to the islands We are not inclined to press our mis-united fellow Republicans tow severely on these poi Except as absolute necessity requires otherwise we trast they may be niven time to recover their breath, and gracefully into line with the nujority of the party, which is unmistakable in favour of extending to our new fellow citizens all the privileges and all the burdens which are inherent in n citizenship everywhere. There 1 wi the party, apparently comprising a majority of those who happen ts be Congressmen, who at first got on to she wrong track in reward to our island They ave good wen and good jeans, and ax they are evidently to conform to the feeling of the great majority of the party we trust that they may be allowed time to do se and that. no diplomatic complications may plice them in an cmburrassing position until they have been able to rectify their political alignments. There can question where the mass_of the party stands, The Literary Digest" quotes the opinion of what it considers the thirty-seven leading Republican papers of the country, of which all but twelve favour free trade with Porto Rice. There has never been any serious question of fro trade with Hawaii which, in fact, exi already, There is no more questi the party will ultimately be solid for free trade with the Philippines. In some cases this is openly avowed by the Republican Press, and in nearly all cases the arguments used make it evident that whenever the Philippine question is ready for settlement the Press and the people will be on the side of justice.
Admiral Dewey's candidature for the Presidency has come as a bombshell amongst the politicians, who, generally speaking, seem to be opposed to the gallant admiral because he has not, as yet, taken sides.
'The New York World" contends that he has that right to aspire to be President. "There is nothing in the law," it says, "which disbars him because of that stroke of good business in Manila bay.' Té he does no more than stir up what promised to he the most lamentably me opportune out and dried' campaign in our history he deserves the profound gratitude of his country. And something more may come of it—who knows?"
On the other side the San Francisco "Call" writer and mighty time in our and novel questions are rising and growing to overshadow the past. Party alignment' is being rearranged. Already there is apparent a new cleavage, but it is partis. 3 great public sta: tion or seeking it © keep their opin-dormant. The people are not grabbing for a President in a bag, like children at a church fair, nor are they playing blind man's buff this year to catch the man who is to serve them for four years in the great office. They intend that the election next November shall decide some things which wait for decision. They are in the habit of adapting instrumentalities to their uses. An Ameriom farmer does not use his daughter's piano for a plough because he Tikes to hear "Yankee Doodle" played on it. An American carpenter diees not use his wife's washboard for a jack plane because he appreciates the white linen she government, will she apply to Porto Rice grubs clean on its ribs, The American
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.