The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-10-08
Circulation Statement
The Truth From Porto Rico.

Oul Vi pOlillIo do thtJ hNAN last Sp' Aii7'
when the Rathbone and~Neely scandal
forced itself upon the country's attten-
ton and an even worse one was arrest
ed barely in time TO keep it from
becoming public property. Prominent
Administration people admit privately
to their party friends that there
will be a serious upheayal of expo
sures in our colonies next winter, and
that but for the crafty vigilance of trusted
officials on the ground and in Washington
they might easily come earlier and in time
to hit the Mckinley and Roosevelt ticket
fatal blow.
Part Of this veil of secrecy and suppress
sion has been torn away by the report Of
ex-Gov. Robert E. Pattison, of Pennsyl-
vania, upon the conditions and horrors of
unconstitutional carpetbag Imperialism in
Porto Rico. Mr.. Pattison has just finish
ed an exhaustive tour of investigation in
the island. at the instance of the New
York Journal" He has accepted nothing
on hearsay evidence. The agricultural,
commercial, and industrial misery and
ruin depicted by him he has seen and
studied with the personal care and thor
oughness of a large minded and practical
statesman and man of affairs. His allie
cations and conclusions are things not to
be whistIed down the wind. or disposed of
by fiat denials. Mr.. Pattison thus be-
gins his report:
"Porto Rico, jewel in the sea, an Island com
pretending within il small area a diversity Of
climate scenery and resource greater than mary
10 TOD Il
poverty. misery, heartburning. and eonriieilas
interests
Its great resources are PROSTATE, ito largest
industries at standstiil, its coffee hilis
and tobacco fields lie fallow and its people, tiie
most patient, dOcile. and industrious people !
know. dying OF hunger
'-T1le United States cannot escape responsibility
for the condition. Our stewardship has been
series of experiments and 4 sequence of failures
THE Apologies for the administration q 'olt)
Rican affairs say the famine and the depression
are due to the cyclone The cyclone Occurred Il
year and two months ago. period long enough
in country Of such fertility 10 naTe entirely
eT3dicated the traces Of disaster.
They had cyclones in Porto Rico before Amef;-
can occupation dreamed Of; yet. even under
;l4e halting. iaggard, lazy government Of Spain.
the country rose from its ruins in less time and
prospered again.
The land is as fertile as ever the elements
If reeuperation unchanged; the only differ
ence i that American misrule has been suhstl-
1uted for Spanish despotism. and yet the people
are dying by hundreds or being driven to neigh
boring islands.
s.what commentary it is on American gov
eminent thzt the people who came under oar
flag should have 70 seek asylum in turbulent,
primitive San Domingoi They are enigfailii1
as fast as they can find the means 10 go. There
is even now an agent in Porto Rico gathering
ten thousand laborers to work in the Hawaiian
cane fields, and he will have no difficulty in
getting the full quota
Only one industry has survived in Porto
Rico says this investigator. and that is
sugar culture. AS the price of the product
IS at the mercy of the Sugar Trust, the
extent to which this single crop is capable
OF stemming the tide of desolation is not.
perhaps. q great one; but. however that
may be. it forms the sole exception OF
other sources OF livelihood possessed by
the Porto Ricans before the time Of their
imperial enslavement at the dietation OF
the American oil, sugar, tobacco, and rum
trusts, Mr.. Pattison states that the
plantations that produced the best coffee
in the world. ans the tobacco fields which
really gave Havana its fame, ere 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 if on to the United States in Havana
cigars" When we seized the island both
markets were closed to her. But the open
ing OF our ports to domestic trade with
other portions OF the United States would
have remedied this. When President Nc
Kiniey declared TO Congress that our plain
duty is to abolish all customs tariffs be-
tween the United States and Porto Rico
and give her products free access 10 our
markets. he merely voiced the general
sentiment OF the cci.ntry, which was TO
act equitably toward our new citizena, and
as respect for the plain letter Of our Con-
stitufion would compel US TO do in any
ovent. Mr.. McKlnley's departure from
plain duty" and the same departure on
the part Of the trust majority in Congress.
cut of the hope of relief while trust i'm
perlalism should remain in control over
the nation. Now what might have been
already one of It's most thriving and pro-
ductiye territories is waste. where eight
hundred thousand peorle who were pros
porous, If not contented, unde1 Spanish
rule are beggared hopeless, and dying by
hundreds daily Of starvation. The picture
IS grand commentary upon the Mckinley
shibboleths OF benevolent assimilation"
and the full dinner pal."
Gallant General Miles. when he took
possession. said. in the words of true
and honest American, to the people of
Porto Rico; I'VE have come TO
bring you protection, not only to your
selves. but to your properly; to promote
your prosperity and bestow upon you the
immunlties and blessings of the liberal
institutions Of our Government" General
Miles fully believed what he proclaimed.
and that he would be sustained in his
pledge by the President and Government
OF the United States. He eould not have
been aware at the time that at The beck
and call of five or six magnates of the
great trusts. Mr.. Mckinley would order
the Administration men in the Senate and
House, TO break the national pledge to
Porto Rico. and to reduce us people TO
rassalage and want in open and fragrant
defiance of the Constitution.
They expected. and had right to expect
end demand, an American territorial gov