The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-04-03


lated than any country in Europe. It
is one Of the most fertile territories on
earth. From seashore to mountain top
1t can be cultivated. With capital, en-
.e-p-!rc ard modern machinery The pos
slbilitles o. an increase in It's produc-
tlvanass cannot be calculated. It IS
q little over two-thiris the size OF Con-
nectlcut, but has a much larger popu-
lation. It's Industries are purely agri-
cultural. AS in all countries whore there
arr no varied Industries. the young men
and young women have no opportunity
TO engage in different pursuits. Where
agriculture is the only occupation OF
thlclsiy settled communities the condl-
lions OF India are repeated, and 20 there
prevails In Puerto Rico a widespread
and grinding poverty unknown in Eu-
rope or In America. There are, in
round numbers, million people upon
the island. Seventy thousand are ne
groes, 100000 OF mixed negro and white
blood and about 100000 are the result
OF the settlement of the wild adventure
ers, Of all races and nations, who in the
fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, sail
ed and fought on the Spanish Main.
one hundred thousand Of these people
can read Or write; about $4,000 can do
both. Nine hundred thousand are in
absolute ignorance.
The Hurricanes Terrible Results.
The island itself consists of two mil
Hons OF acres. There are 100000 acres
in pasture. $4,000 in coffee. 10000 In su-
gar, 1900 in tobacco and the rest is in
forests, orchards, gardens and under
brush. The land of this island is owned
by $4,000 estates. A large proportion Of
these owners are Spanish, English and
other foreigners. The cofree, tobacco
and sugar interests are mortgaged for
about one-quarter Of their value ut
rates of interest varying from ten to
twenty-five per cent. The profits Of
production are so great, even with the
antiuuated machinery in use. that with
normal crops and with the Dinglay tar
IN In full force. as It has been, against
them for the past four years, they were
enabled to meet this interes; and enjoy
as much prosperity as is possible under
Spanish rule.
As will be seer from these figures. the
great staple OF the island. which en-
ployed, in one form or another, nearly
three-quarters of the population and
capital was coffee.
The hurricane produced very great
damage unon the sugar and tobacco
plantations. So within twenty-four
hours 100000 people were left without
any occupation or means OF support,
and the proprietors without any credit
or money with which to clear their
farms and employ the laborers who
were clGmorlng for work and starving
all about them. have no hesitation
in saying that IL the island had not
In this distress been under the United
States, but had remained under the
old Spanish regime. the amount Of suf-
ferlng and starvation would have APP
palied the world. But the President
and the secretary of war acting
through General Davis and the officers
OF the army. used about s1.OOO,OOO of the
emergency fund in feeding these poor
people ami in preventing one of the
ghastlIest horrors of modern times.
We come naturally now to the ques-
ton of hardships upon the Puerto Ri
can people. and of cruelty to the inhab-
itants Of our new possessions by the
proposed legislation. We were told
with wonderful eloquence and passion
ate rhetoric that It was our plain duty
to return TO the people who have paid
duties under the Dlngiey tariff act since
our occupation the money which had
been collected The whole policy Of
the Republican party. from the Presi-
dent to Congress, has been to give back
to Puerto Rico all the taxes levied and
collected upon her products-to give
them back to her for the purposes of
her government, and for the purposes
of her improvement and her progress.
These duties had been paid by the SUI
gar trust, which controls the sugar out
put Of the island, and the tobacco trust,
which controls the tobacco product OF
the island - two OF the richest and
greatest money making corporations in
the world They had bought the SUI
gar and tobacco at price which in
cluded the Dingley tariff duties. and
sold them TO the people OF the United
States at & large profit, after the duties
were paid. In the bill which we have
Just passed, instead OF paying these
duties back to these corporations, which
have been the subject OF so much abuse
and with whom we have been charged
with having been allied, we have given
them back 10 the people OF Puerto Rico
for their schoolhouses. for their roads.
for the reliaf Of their starving. and for
the employment which will come In the
proper administration OF the furd.
There is No Duty on Coffee.
The analysis of the productions OF the
island which are exported shows that
abou: five-eighths is coffee. There is
no duty on coffee. and so there is no
Outrage there. There Is n duty ut pres