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About The Conservative (Nebraska City, Neb.) 1898-1902 | View Entire Issue (April 19, 1900)
5- J Conservative * Nethersole seems determined to favor the uiihnppy dwellers in New York. If wo were reduced to one circus and two Uncle Tom's Cabins a year , we should still take them thankfully in preference to that. It is very unpleasant reading that comes to us about this play "Sapho. " It is hard to see what excuse there can be for its presentation on the American stage , and one is moved to hope , whether American decency or Israelitish trade-rivalry bo at bottom of the uprising against it , that at all events American decency may prevail , and this play and all like it be forever barred. The book itself from which the play is named is a good book. The late Alphonse Daudet was an uncommonly human Frenchman , and he wrote this bookwith a good purpose , as is shown by his dedicating it to his own sous , and with a definite purpose , as is shown by the time of life at which he would have them read it. He wished to warn them , and all other young Frenchmen , no doubt , that a particular custom which obtains among young Frenchmen in the city of Paris , of living for a few years with a young woman with whom their mothers would not associate , is pretty sure to be bad for them in the end. In the book it does turn out very badly indeed , so that the moral is excellent , and must be supposed to have produced a powerful effect upon the morals of the present generation of young Frenchmen. But , granting that this moral lesson was intensified and driven irrecover ably home to the mind of the spectator by the exhibition which Miss Nethersole is said to make , in the play , of her valuable person , we would still submit that the place for her to practice her high and holy mission is Paris , not America. Young men in America do not keep mistresses. A student or young professional man in Paris , we are given to understand , has no female society open to him save that of the misbehaving ; but it is not so in this country. A young man in any Ameri can town , if he have no sisters of his own , can borrow his friends' sisters and take them buggy-riding or to the band- concert every evening in the week. So Miss Nethersole's moral does not apply at all , and our eastern friends are un doubtedly right in thinking that the vehicle would be more obnoxious than the medicine helpful. The senate bill , THEPOBTO BiCANiiiLr . regulating com merce with Porto Rico and establishing a civil government for the island , was concurred in by the house and signed by the president. It applies to the group of islands known as Porto Rico. Foreign goods upon enter ing Porto Rico are liable to the same duties levied upon such articles entering the United States , with the exception that coffeewhich is admitted free to this country , is subject to a duty of five cents per pound. The following is the schedule of tariff duties between Porto Rico and the , . . , , , UnitedStates : Turin Schedule. , , ml . , , . " "That on and after the passage of this act all merchandise coming into the United States from Porto Rico and coming into Porto Rico from the United States shall be entered at the several ports of entry upon pay ment of 16 per cent of the duties which are required to be levied , collected , and paid upon like articles of merchandise imported from foreign countries ; and in addition thereto upon articles of mer chandise of Porto Rican manufacture coming into the United States and with drawn for consumption or sale upon payment of a tax equal to the internal- revenue tax imposed in the United States upon the like articles of merchan dise of domestic manufacture ; such tax to be paid by internal-revenue stamp or stamps to be purchased and provided by the commissioner of internal revenue , and to be procured from the collector of internal revenue at or most convenient to the port of entry of said merchandise in the United States , and to be affixed under such regulations as the commis sioner of internal revenue , with the approval of the secretary of the treasury shall prescribe ; and on all articles of merchandise of United States manu facture coming into Porto Rico in addi tion to the duty above provided upon payment of tax equal in rate and amount to the internal-revenue tax imposed in Porto Rico upon the like articles of Porto Rican manufacture. "Provided , That on and after the date when this act shall take effect , all mer chandise and articles except coffee , not dutiable under the tariff laws of the United States and all merchandise and articles entered in Porto Rico free of duty under orders heretofore made by the sepretary of war , shall be admitted into the several ports thereof , when im ported from the United States , free of duty , all laws or parts of laws to the contrary notwithstanding ; and when ever the legislative assembly of Porto Rico shall have enacted and put into operation a system of local taxation to meet the necessities of the government of Porto Rico , by this act established , and shall by resolution duly passed so notify the president , he shall make proclamation thereof , and thereupon all tariff duties on merchandise and articles going into Porto Rico from the United States or coming into the United States from Porto Rico , and from and after such date all such merchandise and articles shall be entered at the several ports of entry free of duty , and in no event shall any duties be collected after the 1st day of March , 190,8 , on merchan dise and articles going into Porto Rico from the United States or coming into the United States from Porto Rico. "The duties collected under the above section shall be placed at the disposal of the president to bo used for the govern ment and benefit of Porto Rico until the government of Porto Rico shall have been organized , when the moneys col lected shall be turned into the local treasury of Porto Rico. Goods imported from Porto Rico and iiuder bond shall pay only the duty imposed by this act. " Relative to the civil government the bill provides that : "The capital shall _ , _ . be at San Juan. Civil Government. _ Persons who were Spanish subjects April 11 , 1891) ) , and who have not elected to preserve their alle giance to Spain , are held to be citizens of Porto Rico and entitled to the pro tection of the United States. The designation of the body politic is under the name : The People of Porto Rico. "The laws and ordinances of Porto Rico now in force shall continue in full force and effect , except as altered by this act , or by military orders , and which are not inconsistent with the laws of the UnitedStates. " Porto Rican vessels will enjoy the privileges of the coasting laws of the United States. Property usually under the control of the government of the United States will so. remain , while property acquired by treaty from Spain will be under the control of the Porto Rican government. Porto Ricau coins will be retired and will not be a legal tender after three months. The peso will be valued at thirty cents in exchange. The executive will be a governor ap pointed by the president for a term of four years , with powers similar to those of the governors of territories of the United States. He will report to the president through the secretary of state. The executive council will be the upper branch of the legislature. It will , . , consist of a secre- The LeglHluturo. , , , tary , attorney general , treasurer , auditor , commission ers of interior and education , and five other persons. They will be appointed by the president , subject to confirmation by the senate , for a term of four years. Five must be native Porto Ricans. The other branch of the legislature will be the house of delegates , consist ing of thirty-fivo delegates , elected every two years by the qualified voters of the island , which is divided into seven districts , each district electing five delegates. Legislation will be enacted after the methods in vogue in other territories. The franchise is thus prescribed : "At such elections all citizens of Porto Rico shall be allowed to The Franchise. . . vote who have been bona-fide residents for one year , and who possess the other qualifications of voters under the laws and military orders in force on March 1 , 1900 , sub ject to such modifications and additional qualifications and such regulations and
