Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 21, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 March 1900 — The Porto Rico Bill. [ARTICLE]

The Porto Rico Bill.

The Porto Rico Tariff bill passed the House, Wednesday evening, by a majority of 11. All the Republicans except four voted for it, and also six expansionist and protection Democrats. The bill levies a tariff of 15 per cent, of regular tariff rates on all importations from Porto Rico into this country, and on all exports from this country into Porto Rico. This very small tariff is only to continue for twoyears, afterwhich there will, beyond doubt, be full free trade with the island. The express purpose of this small tariff is to provide a much needed revenue for the benefit of the island, and every dollar it yields, above the cost of collection, is to be spent in Porto Rico. The people of the island are needing money most urgently, for schools and roads, especially, and have no immediate way of raising it, arid if this bill becomes a law, the revenue it will yield will be a great blessing to them, and no noticeable detriment to their trade. Aside from the desire to give Porto Rico a reveue which it could not otherwise obtain, there was still another and a greater purpose in placing this small tariff between us and this new island of ours. It was to establish the principle that the nation has a right to hold distant possessions as colonies or dependencies, Tather than as integral parts of the union, or self governing territories. A necessary principle, no doubt, if we are to hold and properly govern such possessions as the Philippine Islands evidently are.