Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1900-04-25
ABOUT PORTO RICANS
ISLANDS IMPOVERISHED BY GU
ROPEAN ALIENS
Grasping Foreign Land Owners Have
warehoused Crops Expecting Free
Entry Into the United states-Idaho's
Mining Riots Foreign Trade Gains.

An important point In The Porto Rlcan
question still seems misunderstood By
large number of people 1nFee-quarters
Of the land in Porto Rico is owned BY
Spanish grandees and other European
aliens, and who live III Europe, where ali
Of the net earnings from the products 81
their lands are sent This is system
thai has impoverished the islanders, and
brought them to their present unfortunate
industrial and social condition, FROM Ia
to 20 cents a day is the average pay Of
laborers in Porto Rico, and three-qHar-
tiers of the popuation~if not more are
laborers who cultivate tie lands and har-
vest the crops for their European owners
Two aud Il half years 90, when our
relations with Spain were bet 9ining acute,
these Spanish and European owners Of
the lands in Porto Rico foresan prob
able war, she early withdrawal Of Span
ish authority, and eventual free Iade be-
tween the United States aud Porto 'aeo.
They therefore have been warchoAsing
their staple crops Of sugar and tebaess
so that now vast quantities are in store
and accommodating, ready Tor shipment IN
der free trade with the United States. 10
some extent American sugar and tobacco
trusts have financial interest in, or com
plete ownership Of, these crops
OF this tb re can be no doubt the
Porto Rican working people have nothing
to lose by the imposition of the duty upon
the products Of their island entering the
United States Th fir work has been
done and paid for 1t he prevailing rates
OF wages for l..Dor- III - to ~ cents
per day. The protests against the tarih
that come from Porto ticaus were from
those who represented the owners of the
lands and the ware! ,oused crops. The
protests are not comiag from the iaboring
people Of the islands who will be the
bene6eares Of the act.
The imposition Of this rariG creates a
fund Of several million Aciiars which is
drawn almost entirely from aliens or
American trusts. This money goes back
70 Porto Rico for the employment Of
Porto Ricans by our Government IN the
permanent improvement af the island.
The wages our Govern ment viii pay VIII
be higher than those paid by the land
owners, and viii tenr to permanently
raise the rates Of waEes All over Porto
Rico This would bt, impossible under
immediate free trade; 50. it must be plain,
free trade would on' benefit those whose
oppression " Porto Riean labor would
remain aHdisturbed and who could thus
all the better compete with the products
of American labor in the same articles
Immediate free trs dc could only benefit
aliens and trusts. The temporary tariff
benefits all Americans and Gully injuries
aliens and trusts.
A couple Of years Of this, and the por
to Rieans will be in receipt OF wages APP
proximating to those paid to the IahoFcfs
on the suga- and tobacco plantations in
the United States. from r. cents To
dollar a day, AMI at the eh9 Of tie two
yeaes the tariff is to remain IN foree the
free admission Of Porto Rican products
into the United States win not have II
disturbing effect upon those products of
the raainiand with which they will com-
pete
II il impossible, in view OF these facts.
which are confirmed by official reports
from the officers Ct the Unit"d States
stationed in Porto Rico, for any sincere
or informed person 70 point out where the
imposition OF the tariff upon the products
of Porto Rico for two years will injnre
either Porto Riean or Americans On
the contrary. it is a distinct benefit to all
whom the United States desires to hene
TT The more this subject Is studied
the more this will become apparent. This
is a case whore expediency is synonymous
Of justice to our fellow eountrymen in
Porto Rico and at home That is our
FIRST duty, and the tariff performs it,