Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1899-08-25
HANNA ON PORTO RICO.
Former United States Consul
Talks About the Island.
ITS POSSIBILITIES OF THE FUTURE.

Thinks Ii VIII Prove Americas Most
Valuable AcquIsItion--Iiow the Is
lands Condition L. BEING Improv-
ed-InfectIons of Yankee Spirit
which Have Spread Among the Ma
tiVcs.
Philip c. Hanna, who was the last
of the United States coDsuls 10 San
Junn, Porto Rico. says that that island
will prove to be the best territorial ac-
QUESTION made by the United States in
the past 40 years. Mr.. Hanna gave up
the consulship Aug. and is now In
the United States enjoying rest after
his official labor, says the New York
Sun.
Porto Rico" said the former consul.
"is not like the other Islands that have
come into our possession, inasmuch rs
there Is not a spark of that inSurgcnt
feeling among the inhabitants that
there Is in the other Islands. The Is
landers as a people are not aggressive;
they are not contentious. nor are they
of that class that in It's leisure mo-
ments compares its condition with that
of the classes above 1t In order to find
some source Of discomfort or hatred to
the existing order of things. They are
philosophical to fault, and when they
see that n thing will not go exactly in
the direction that they would have ii,
they accept the situation and wait.
After the Porto RiCans have been
awhile under United States rule. that
is, after some form of self government
has been given 10 them. with all the
legal benefits that accrue thcrcfrom,
they will be found to be the best
American citizens outside the United
States, and, more than that, they viii
prove to be better citizens than
many within the States. When Uncle
Sam got Porto Rico he got n good
thing, and all that Is necessary now Is
to place II under q free and liberal gov
ernment.
"As Il class, the islanders are indus.
trious and moral. and the women are
very ItlISlUuN. II nus lttl SslIi -.
some that the marriage laws were not
held in very high esteem by the poor
er people, but there is a cogent reason
for that. According to the religious
training of the people. no marriage
among Porto Ricans was considered
binding unless the ceremonies We're
performed by the church. Now, in or'
der for poor man to get church
marriage In Porto Rico, he would have
to pay the accumulation Of two years
savings. Rather than do that he says
to his wife, I'VE will take this money
and furnish q house and therein bring
up our children. During my two years
SOjOurn on the island | have known of
Il great many cases Of such marriages,
and | do not think can cite one where
both parties have not observed for
each other respect and loyalty. When
the United States established a mill.
tnry government on the island, they
legaliZed all such marriages by mill
tary law and today Porto RlcanS can
be legally united in marriage without
its costing them dollar.
at was thought by the majority OF
the people In the United States that
Just as soon MS the war was over and
some temporary form of American
government was established on the IS
land. the time would then be ripe for
American capital and American in
dustry to step right in and take hold,
but such was not the ease. | received
instructions from Washington to send
broadcast through the States circular
to the effect that Porto Rico was not
yet ready for an invasion of American
capital and that it would not be ready
until congress had decided upon some
lasting form Of government for the is
land. When government has been
established and courts have been or
ganizcd and laws have been made,
there will be no place under the con
troll Of the United States where AmcrI-
can capital can be invested to better
advantage.
"From what have learned from In.
side sources Of the governments in
tentions toward Porto Rico, think
that a territorial government will be
established, and then, when all revenue
duty on exports into the United States
and imports from the States are abol-
ished, such Il state of prosperity will
begin in the island as never was
known before. All that money now
being collected by revenue officers will
go into the pockets of the poor man.
and then he will be able to cloth him
self better. feed himself better and
enjoy life IN every way better than
he ever did before. The possibilities Of
the agricultural development Of the
try. The tobacco, coffee, fruits and
sugar grown on the island are world
famous for their excellence, and with
the aid of modern farming implements
and American capital the island will
be the richest agricultural spot in the
world.
Every cent of revenue that the
United States government Is now col
lecting on the imports or exports OF
Porto Rico is being expended on the
Improvement of the condition Of the
island. Public schools are being es-
tablished IN all the smaller :e.wHS and
villages. The large cities are being
cleaned and improved throughout,
Estimates on new public buildings are
being taken, and everything possible
in the way of modern improvement
that can be done is now in prepara-
ton.
"Since the regular troops have taken
the place Of the volunteers on the Is
land there has been no trouble with the
military government of Porto Rico
When the volunteers were in charge
there used to be considerable friction
between them and the Islanders. No