The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-10-14

~ diversity of climate, seem
cry and resources greater
- than many nations on the
earth, is today 2 wilderness
of poverty. misery, heart-burning and
conflicting interests.
It's great resources are PROSTATE, its
largest industries are at a standstill,
its coffee and tobacco fields lie faiiow
and its people, the most patient, docile
sad industrious people know, are dy-
ing of hunger.
The United States cannot escape re-
spOnsibiIitY for the condition. Our
etevardshfp has been a series of ex-
periments and a sequence of failures.
The apOlOgistS for the administration
of Porto Rican affairs say the famine
and the depression are due to the cy-
clone. The cyclone occurred a year and
two months ago, a period long enough
I'm a country of such fertility to have
entirely eradfcated the traces of disas-
ter They had cyclones in Porto Rico
before American occupation was ever
dreamed of; yet, even under the halt
ing laggard, lazy governments of Spain
the country rose from it's ruins in less
time and prOspered again.
The land is as fertile as ever, but the
elements OF recuperatiOn have changed.
The only difference is that American
misrule has been substituted for Span
isb deSpOtism, and yet the people are
diving by hundreds or being driven to
neighboring islands.
@ g 9
What d commentary it is on Ameri-
can government that the people who
came under our flag should have to
seek asylum in turbulent, primitive
SantO Domingo. They are emigrating
as fast as they can find the means to
go.
There is even now an agent in Porto
Rico gathering 10000 laborers to work
10 n hn mill
have no difficulty in getting the full
quota.
only one industry has survived in
Porto Rico. Sugar crop will be excep-
tionally fine, and there is some measure
of II ef in that, but the plantations
that produced the best coffee in the
world and the tobacco fields which real
" gave Havana its fame are idle and in
many cases abandoned
Spain took all the coffee Porto Rico
could send her. Cuba bought her whole
crop Of fine tobacco and sent it on to
the United States in Havana, cigars.
Now Porto Rico is a foreign country to
both Spain and Cuba and the customs
duties bar her products from their old
markets.
Ultimately it must be that we of the
United States viii recognize the virtue
Of Porto Rican coffee and will buy our
cigars duty free from the land where
the tobacco is grown
Porto Rico when this comes about. The
island brings no small dowry to her
union with our country. Her wealth
Of material resources, natural and sa-
lubriOus climate are enough to pay her
way.
We can be no loser in admitting her
to full partnership, but part from and
above mercenary considerations, be-
yond the requirement of the rich fields
stupenGOus gOrgeS,a beautiful cataracts
Ind anvaw.~ 10 -. l.
our duty to the people of this island
$4,000 of them-whom we took from
the darkness of medieval despotisra and
permitted to look from afar at the
fTeest and best government on earth
spectators at the table of liberty but
not partakers OF the feast.
g 9 @
The only argument against giving the
people of Porto Rico such territorial
rights as are enjoyed by New Mexico.
Arizona and other states in embryo is
the imputed ignorance Of the inhabi-
tants Of This island. This imputation
is not justified, as I can testify after
cohversing with the professional men
and merchants Of San Juan and Ponce,
the ciSarlnakerS Of Cayey. the doctors
and business men of Coamo, the store
keepers 90 Abyonito, the school teacher
and the alcalCO Of BaTTanquitaS, the
parish priest and the planters in Ad-
JuntOs, the municipal officers of Otu-
cities and men of the towns, far from
the coast and highway, to which the
only access is by bride paths.
The cry Of ignorance as a reason for
Withholding their rights from mer is
as old as tyranny itself. Eighty years
ago when discussing in congress the
question Of recognizing the newly en-
ancIpated South American republics,
Henry Clay said:
The fact is not therefore true that
Ha INN Cd
does, ! repeat, L dispute the influence.
II Is the doctrine that the honest man
is too ignorant to govern himself. Their
parusans assert his incapacity in ref
erence 70 all nations; if they cannot
command universal assent to the prOu-
ositiOn, it is then demanded as to par
ucular nations and our pride and our
Presumption too often make CO verts
Of us
Il contend that it is to Ign the
disposition o. Providence himself to
suppose that He has created beings in
capable of governing themselves and to
be Uampled on by kings. Self-govern-
-irAl OF man, and for proof refer to
lNe aDorignes of our own land. Were 1
70 speculate in big h--potheses unfav-
ora0le TO human liberty, my specuIa-
TONS should be founded rather upon
lne vices, refnements or density of pop
ulaton.
Il would invoke the spirits of our de-
49, --- -dlIeES. was II Tor yourself
only you so 1Obly fought? No, no, it
was the chains that were forging for
your posterity that made you fly to
arms and scatter these chains to the
winds. You transmitted to US the rich
inheritance of liberty"
9 g @
nat Henry Clay said eighty-tWO
svaiS ago about the South American
Ir5tu9ics must be said about Porto
'-e' today. There is only one school
VI government, and it is the school of
AI7Hence. They can only learn to
lFrEn themselves by trying as we
u-sl, and if they stumble on the way il
VII DE- borne by them and they will
i5@9 the benefit OF the experience.
me people of Porto Rico want ter
l-,',laI government, such government
a. a.. NtW Mexico and Oklahoma enjoy.
b" A@tsVer may be tie differences of
togl politics among them, they are a
{ S--ll on this subject and they ought to
reached this conclusion after a close
|.serFation OF the people during a
,HIIeE which included the coast cit
rs the interior towns and villages and
hiusides. io'S Oii the
Aad an opportunity to gather the
1!eWs of the American military and
IN authorities, the mayors of the cit
-, the keepers of the cross t1.aiI gro
~ stores the professional men, the
roads and trails.
Without