The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-10-14
Pennsy|vania's Ex-Governor Re-
ports On Our Colonial Rule
in Porto Rico.

They had a native council of secre-
tarles whose resolutions were always
sanctioned by the governor. Under the
FORAKER bill they have an executive
council, of which the officers appointed
by the president viii always constitute
majority, and a house of delegates or
legislative assembly whose acts are
subject 20 the governor and congress.
1T is not surprising under these cir
cumstances that the promise of Gen
eral Miles strikes the natives of this
Antillian isle as a sardonic lest.
Besides the representation, of course,
Porto Rico had free trade with the
mother country, instead of being ham
pered with customs impositions as she
is today.
When reached Porto Rico a customs
officer, who understood no word of Eng
lsh, overhauIed my baggage lest 1
should smugSle into this port of my
own country some dutiable articles.
More than this, 1 saw the same GUS
toms officer, elbow deep in the baggage
of an American army officers wife, jeal-
ously turning over her draperies in his
search.
He was a very polite and evidently
faithful customs employee, but the
spectacle was not one calculated to
produce a tranquil state OF mind in an
American citizen on American soil.
This matter of a territorial govern
ment for Porto Rico is no mere senti-
mental concession TO a cry for release
from technical bondage. Until they
nave a definite settled form of govern
ment the financial and social problems
Which make Porto Rico a land of honor
cannot be attacked.
The sudden change of the currency
of the island from Spanish-Porto Rican
TO American is responsible for much
of the distress.
In SeapOrt towns where visitors are
constantly arriving and departing this
IS not obvious, but in the interior there
IS very little money, and among the
farmers and jewellers in the mountains
the hardship which the change has
brought about The rural population
OF the island buys its supplies in small
quantities.
Then a man in the Spanish time was
accustomed to go to market with a B
cent piece with which to make the days
purchases. He would buy the leg of a
fowl, a spoonful of lard, one onion, etc.
and the most useful coin he had was
the centaur, about equal in value to
Il cent in our money.
We took this p cent and gave him
nothing in return. There are innumer-
able commodities he requires the price
of which is always the smallest coin
in circulation, SO by doubling this unit
of value we have practically cut the
poor Porto RlcanS' money supply IN
two.
The people who have things to sell
have advanced their prices to fit the
American standard, but there has been
no corresponding advance in wages
Where man got so cents Porto Rican
the average wage for a laborer in
the interior-he now gets so to 40 cents
q g g
Just now the condition of the Porto
Rican laborer is pitiable. The forfeit
ure of the coffee and tobacco market
consequent on the American conquest
was the first blow, then came the cy-
clone, which laid waste the plantations
and that has been followed by finan-
ciaI condition TO which both these
things and the subsequent experiment
in legislation all contributed.
The plantations are idle. the propri-
etors have no money with which to
operate them, capital viii not come to
the island while it is subject to the
Whims and vagaries Of congress, and
the result of ii all is that the man who
did the work, the foundation of society,
is a pauper and beggar
Nearly all the plantations were Op-
Grated on borrowed capital. The pro-
prietor mortgaged his land for money
with which to work il. As long as he
had market his crop would pay his
interest and leave him a fine profit. If
he did not pay the mortgage was fore
closed and new owner kept the peO-
pie who belong to the soil engaged.