Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-02
ROOT IS CLEAR CUT
Continued from First Page.)

and marks a rudmentary stage of political
development
To meet the case he suggests a statutory
declaration as to what shall be extended ia
the Porto Ricans, with provision for feleral
officers to execute them and for a federal
judiciary, with appeal to the United States
supreme court. There should be form Of
local insular government subject 10 con-
gressional limitation, a governor apo nted
by the president and confirmed by the sen
ate, tho chief officers appointed in like
manner and legislative council composed OF
the chief officers of the state, and a minority
selected by the majority of the citizens of
the islands The municipalities are to be
governed by mayors and councils electe
by them with officers subject to removal by
the governor. 1t would be better to wait
for a time before an elective legislature Is
permitted. Suffrage should be limited to
those who read and write or own small
amount of property. Porto Ricans should be
chosen for offices they are able to fiji.
American officers should be limited in num-
Der to the barest necessities and they should
be chosen by civil service numbers. Ed
ucation should be at the cost of the COM
munity, betrayed from the insular treasury
States. The Spanish civil code should be
continued in force, with such notifications
as experience suggests
The secretary says that the trouble has
not been that the law was defective or
vicious, but that it was never fairly or hon
estly administered. Any attempt to sub
stitute in these southern islands a system
Of laws based on the experience and cuar-
rctin of Nv
would be oppressive and futile 1t is poin ed
out that a similar course to that above
outlined was successfully followed by cur
selves in Louisiana and by the English in
Lower Canada.
Much stress is laid on the industrial dis
tress resulting from the inability Of the
Porto Ricans to market their goods on
account OF the withdrawal of the Spanish
market, which was their former reliance,
and to our own tariff The secretary says
it is essential that Porto Rico should re-
ceive substantially the same treatment at
our hands as she received from Spain when
a colony and that the markets of the
United States should be opened to her, as
were the markets of Spain and Cuba before
the transfer of allegiance.
Cubn Must Solve Its own Problems.
troll which we are exercising in trust for
the people of cuba should not and OF course
will not be continued any longer than is
necessary to enable the people to establish
a suitable government to which the con-
troll shall be transferred, which shall really
represent the people of Cuba and be able
to maintain order and discharge internal
That government when estab-
Tpb
we are to solve for Porto Rico. The conduct
of the Cuban is said to be admirable. There
have been agitators, but the substantial
body of educated Cubans have shown them
selves to be patriotic apprecative and help
full while the great body of uneducated
Cubans have been patient and law-abldlng.
II Is pointed out that the inability of two
thirds of the people to read and write, their
lack of experience in government and the
feeling left by bloody conflicts,
make it necessary to proceed slowly in the
formation of a government. 1t is said that
by the termination of the year allowed by
treaty for the Spanish population to elect
whether to become Cubans or remain Span
Iards it will be for the first time possible
TO determine who are Cuban citizens, en-
titled to take part in that government BY
that date, April II next, the census will
be completed and we will be able to pro-
vide for municipal elections and these local
governments will form a representative con-
,ention to frame a constitution and provide
'or general government of the island, to
which the United States will surrender the
'eins of government.
The secretary deyotes some attention to
he unfortunate plight of the Cuban sugar
producers owing to the competition of Euro
bean beet sugar, with possible free sugar
rom Porto Rico and discriminating duties
n favor OF other West Indian sugar He
shows that paying our duty, the Cuban
sugar would realize but 2.69 cents per 100
pounds produced. against 2.97 for the Ger
nan and he suggests as curative meas
ire some tariff arrangement by which the
Cuban products may be imported into the
United States on the same terms as those
imported from Jamaica in the pending reel
procity treaty. ..,..
Extended statement as to government in
he Philippines is waived because of the