The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-09-03
TORNADO WAS A BLESSING TO PORTO RICO
Henry
the United the Island Set Forth
Reason For Discomfort ThereEand' Prospects.

"The recent tornado in Porto Rico
was. in my opinion, a direct visitation
of providence said Brigadier General
Guy V. Henry, late governor general
of Porto Rico, and now on detached
dIsy in Plattsburg, near President Nc
Kinley. at was sent by providence
to attract the attention of the Ameri-
can people to the crying needs of that
stricken island, and to dispel the grow
ing distrust of the Porto Ricans to-
ward the United States.
Both ends have been gained, and
now that thousands of dollars and
shiploads of provisions and other sup
plies have been so generously poured
into the islands by Americans, discon-
tent there viii vanish, and needful re-
forms quickly follow"
There is probably no American who
can speak with such authority on
Porto Rico, its present condition, and
its future, as can Brigadier General
Guy V. Henry, late governor general
of the island.
His DISTINGUISHED services as one of
General Miles commanders in the at
tack on Porto Rico, his experience as
governor Of the district of Ponce, and
later as governor general of the entire
island, gave him an excellent oppor-
tunity to study the people and the stu
alton in this, the first of our colonies.
From time to time during the past
few months, items have appeared in
the daily press stating briefly that the
condition of the island was not what
it should be- Delegates and individu-
ais have paid unofficial visits to Wash
ington from Porto Rico, and in one
instance a committee of representative
citizens journeyed from the island to
our national capital for the sole pur-
pose of appealing to the president for
relief from what they termed .grievous
wrongs and expressions.
They stated, and with apparent truth,
that the condition of the Porto Ricans
is worse under American rule than it
ever was under Spain.
They told in detail how their mar
kets had been taken from them, their
money placed on a peculiar basis,
high and totally unjust tariff enforced
and as a special grievance, how they
were being kept under military con-
troll and compelled to see armed forces
in command of their homes, notwith-
standing the fact that they had come
into the American union gladly and
with eagerness.
They Babe Us Welcome.
when you landed and drove away
the Spaniards we welcomed you with
mittee of business men from San Juan.
I'VE said to our compatriots and our
families: See. the Americans win take
our beloved island into the great
union and we will be as prosperous
and happy as the states there. We
will have freedom and business Will
increase, and Porto Rico will laugh
with joy and plenty But it is now
many months since the Spanish flag
came down ana the stars and stripes
rose in it's place, and what is our con-
dition? Our people are wretched and
miserable In the mountain districts
the very poor die from starvation.
Those who raised cattle and coffee and
had trade with Cuba-trade which
brought them competence-have had
that trade ruined by an excessive duty.
We are a part of the United States,
yet we pay import and export taxes
the same as Spain or any other foreign
country.
~ I'VE are a docile people, yet you must
regard us with suspicion and hostility.
else you would not keep our own prom
inent men in the background and ad-
minister our affairs with military Off
GERS unacquainted with our needs, our
mode of living and our character. l
ask YOU. nv friend, is all this right?'
THAT there are some grounds for the
complaints made in the appeal of this
Porto Rican cannot be denied. In
fact. it is tactily admitted by President
mckinley and his advisers, but as
there are generally two sides to every
Story some excuse can be found for
the apparent injustice being done the
Porto Ricans.
In regard to the question of high
tariff still being enforced in the is
land" Brigadier General Guy V. Henry
said to the writer. 1.-The condition of af-
fairs is as follows: When the Ameri-