The Saint Paul globe., 1900-03-27
WHY NOT SOONER THAN LATER,


While the imperlalsts in congress are
caucusing the people of Puerto Rico are
starving. While the senate unites with
the house in handing to the people who
ask for bread a stone, the American peo-
pie. as we'll as the people of Puerto Rico,
are demanding as urgently as they can
make their demands known that the col
Onial policy shall come to an end.
Our attitude in Puerto Rico is the same
in principle as that Of the most tyran-
nous power that ever exercised or sought
to exercise political authority over an
other people. We declare them before
hand to be untitled for government.
We make our authority felt by imposing
taxes. We do this, too, on the heels Of
the splendid response which the Ameri-
can people made to the cry Of want which
arose as the result of the devastation
caused a few months ago by the eIe-
ments. The only government which that
people ever knew we have taken from
them, and we have set up as near an
approach as we might to q military oil
garchy. We do this against the advice
of each of the men whom we have sent
to the island to represent the executive
authority Of this nation. Gen. Guy V.
Henry. while acting governor. declared
in favor of the largest extension of po-
liticai autonomy to the Puerto Ricans.
Gov. Gen. Davis today raises his voice
in unison with those of both peoples, de-
manding justice. Starving women jour-
ney from the interior of the island to i'm
plore American authority to do some
thing in aid Of themselves and their peo
pie. The Puerto Rlcan representatives
at Washington unite in an appeal to the
American nation which is touching In its
pathos and eloquence. Charity they do
not want. They want to be embodied In
the citizenship of the republic They ask
that their willing adoption of our flag
shall not be met by the declaration that
they are mere national Pariahs. We an
swer their appeals by declaring that we
have taken them by force, and we will. if
need be, hold them by force
Is this expansion? Did imperial Rome
treat her colonies on less representative
lines? What reason is there In fact why
these people should be excluded from the
guarantees of the American constitution?
What reason is there why they should be
denied civil freedom at our hands? The
people of New Mexico and Arizona were
willingly accorded the rights we deny
them Before the people of Texas had
successfully asserted their right to be
freed from Spanish dominion, we bade
them make their constitution and prepare
to enter the sisterhood of American
states. The hand of no Puerto Rican
has ever been raised in violence against
this flag Of ours, save under the coercion
of the Spanish government Admitting
the rightfulness of the claim that our
constitution does not extend to the island.
without affirmative action on our part.
why not take that action?
There is no answer possible to all this
but one. that we hold the happiness of
these people to be of less moment to us
than the consummatlon of the schemes Of
our commercial monopolIsts and adven-
turers; that We are fighting in the teeth
Of fate for the recognition of an economic
principle which is al war with every dec
laration Of our future foreign CONNER
cial policy, and which is being each dav
repudiated by the mass of our own peo-
ple-ihe false principle of protectionism
Our masters must stop somewhere and
at some time They cannot continue IN
the courses they are pursuing. The mad
ness of Imperialism is dying out of the
blood Of even thousands of those who
were inoculated by 1t through our mar
velous victories over the power of Spain.
Decay there may be further than there
has been; but our imperialist brethren
must ere long yield to the Inevitable and
put an end to the egregious folly and
tyranny of their present courses. Why
not do 1t while yet 1t may be done with
grace and party political advantage?
Chicago is boasting OF a negro who