The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1899-03-03
PORTO RICO's RESOURCES.


Of the making of books about Porto
Rico there bids fair to be no end; the
magazines too are flooded with articles
by newspaper correspondents whose
knowledge was gathered during visit
of 4 few weeks, or even days, just SUBJ
seQuent to the surrender of the island,
when everybody and everything was
in chaotic state, and awaiting with
suspense the impending change in the
government. Why this comparatively
small island should monopolize so
much of the public attention to the ex-
clusion of other equally desirable and
just as recent acquisitions is mystery
which only the politician or the finan-
cier could solve with any approach to
truth.
Suffice it to say that there will be
any number OF poor men, and perhaps
women, who, stimulated hy the glitter
ing newspaper and magazine articles,
will embark their little all in an at
tempt TO establish a home beneath
tropical skies. Too late will they find
they have been misled; for, while Porto
Rico may be the paradise of the poor
negro or the halfbreed who is content
to live upon plantains and yams, and
whose offspring roam and roll about
until they are twelve years old in the
costume sanctioned by Madame Eve,
yet, for people who have been reared
to consider the luxulies of the average
home in our country as necessities, life
in Porto Rico for some years to come
will hold many discomforts, to use no
stronger word. Indeed, one investor
who has been there since August now
writes that it is 70 place for lay;
no more, he adds, is it the right place
for man, unless he has money on
which to live for some months still to
come, for the cost of living is high, the
accommodations are poor, and business
is at standstii. No doubt the set
tlement Of the tariff and the temporary
adjustment of the money problem will
serve to satisfy the natives that our
government intends to act justly by
them; hut there is still the weighty
matter of the laws to establish. This
may not be so difficult of solution as is
imagined, for, while the Spanish ad-
ministration of justice was mockery,
the laws themselves are considered by
many of the leading citizens as wise
and just. What these true patriots
desire is what all Americans have,-a
voice in their own government. Not
for themselves do they demand it; for
their children they beg it. With one
accord they cry that too long have
they been second-class Spanlards, they
will not be second. class Americans;
give them only the assurance that in
due time, when their offspring have
been educated to use the privileges
Alright, they may become full-fedgcd
Americans.
We, in our Ignorance, imagine the
people of this island to he half savage,
or at least utterly uncducated; but this
is far from being the case with the
many well-to-do families who have for
generations sent their children abroad
to be educated-to France, Germany,
and, latterly, to the United States
Not being allowed to hold office under
the Spanish rule, these young men
have studied Il profession, and returned
to their native land to practice law or
medicine. Naturally they all speak
more or less French, and, if stranger
bavea good knowledge of that language,
he can get about very comfortably,
especially in society; but for business
purposes fine understanding of Span
ish is essential A good story was
told the other day of Young New
Yorker, with schoolboy's knowledge
of Latin and an idea that he could