The times., 1899-11-11
Injustice TO Porto Rico.

Americans who are c1ngratu aIDg them
selves Oh The result Of the November eIec-
lions as proving thar the people gen rally
endorse the national policy Of expansion.
should incidentally remember that a ffgh
.pr-ce may have been paid for the boon. no
matter how acceptable ii may have been
There is. indeed. some reason for an ap-
preheusion that The Hanna Administrator.
considering itself safely fortified behind the
one thing as 10 which it can BE- said fully
10 represent popular sentiment may take
The assurance as license for doing an, thif z
ID pleases in other directions without the
wholesome fear OF punishment whi h al n
prevents practical politicians in power
from carrying on The Treasury
Among other liberties which il is not
improbable the Administration viii take.
we rather expect ii TO assume that na
tGouaI support OF expansion is 10 be con
s-rued as universal liberation of any meth
DDS thar may be resorted 70 in the way Of
prosecuting that policy. Il would not sur
prise u.s. for example. to hear Of an insult
ing proposition 10 make Tincarrion DENLY
Civil Governor Of the Philippines, and TO
make another DENLY chief Of the customs
service in the archipelago. No one need be
astouished al the retention Of Otis in CON
maud. in pursuance of a private con tract
10 that effect made long ago, the terms
and liberation Of which are shortly 10
receive the attention OF Congress. That
the particularly favored traders and deal
ers H Manila who are piling up fortunes
ners by selling arms 10 the insurgents and
doing q general smuggling and freeboot-
ing business. VIII be allowed 10 continue
90 the development Of their fruitful com
merce. and have protection in il, may be
regarded as 6 matter of course, because
an these things are looked upon as part
and parcel Of the expansion which the
country has approved
That conception VIII also include perpec-
uation CT the outrageous conditions cruelty
and Illegally imposed upon the unfortunate
Inhabitants Of Porto Rico by the trust and
loot syndicate in power. The economic sit
uarion Of these loyal brother Americans al
the present time is simply infamous. We
have wrenched their island from Spain
with their consent IL is true but not or
their initiative iu any way. That they &C
cepied cur flag and sovereignty gladly
ought 10 have been reason for treating them
with exceptional consideration Instead, it
has been followed by the deliberate de-
struction Of their agriculture and com
merce. and their reduction TO a state Of
psuperdom-
Before The Spanish war the tobacco and
coffee Of Porto Rico found ready and profit
able markets in Spain and Cuba. Boh
have been cut Of by tariff prohibition. One
would suppose that the first act Of our
Government on the occurrence OF such d
revolution, would be 10 furnish the Porto
Rlcsu farmers and merchants with the
new market 10 which they are cousutu-
tlonslly entitled in the rest Of the United
States. On the contrary. their products
have been and are vigorously shut Out
from the American mainland BY an OBJ
yiously unjust and oppressive application
of The Dingley law.
Why ne DO not need TO ask. The lin
tied sugar cane area OF the island is ca
pable o. limited competition witk the cane
Of Louisiana the Rnti-eKpaDsion beets OF
Nebraska sad the anti-iI&perislist sugar
maple trees Of New Hampshire and Yer
mont Porto Rico tobacco IS viewed In
some narrow spheres OF influence as likely
30 sn@ct weed culture IN Connecticut cab