Rensselaer Journal, Volume 10, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 May 1901 — The Porto Rico Puzzle. [ARTICLE]

The Porto Rico Puzzle.

From the latest batch of rumors as to the United States Supreme court’s deliberations on the island tariff cases, It is a fair inference that the eminent justices are having troubles of their own. Some of them, it is said, have discovered that in view of all the conditions it will be found necessary to maintain the duties on imports from Porto Rico. At the same time, other justices have discovered that Porto Rican import duties against the United States cannot be maintained, such duties being equivalent to export duties on United States products, and therefore unconstitutional. Taking tho point of view of Washington and looking sou’east by sou’, Porto Rico is seen to be a foreign country; United States commodities destined for San Juan are seen to be exports, and United States law against export duties prevails, taking the point of view of Porto Rico and gazing nor’west by nor’, the government sees that it must respect its own laws regarding tariffs on imports. It is not surprising that the Supreme court should want to take time for this baffling task of figuring out how the American law regarding tariffs works when goods are going one way, but not in the case of goods going the other way. The required rapid changes of the point of observation from the American seat of government here to the American seat of government yonder in the island would keep any body of lesser jurists in a condition bordering on vertigo.—Chicago News.