The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-03-25
"A PLEA FOR PORTO RICO.

"A PLEA FOR PORTO RICO.
A special meeting of the Board of
Trade and Transportation of New York
was held in that city on Thursday last
to consider the case of the Porto Rfcan
tariff. There was large attendance OF
prominent business men OF New York.
Nicholas Oyangoren.. a merchant of San
Juan, Porto Rico, addressed the Board,
and in the course of his remarks, he said:
Never in the history of the Island of
Porto Rico has there been known such
extreme general misery, such want OF
credit and absolute stagnation. The peo-
pie are starving there by hundreds dairy
in.the interior districts. Before the Cuban
war our island was in a prosperous con-
dition, and free trade and civil govern
ment is the only means by which to
bring it back to its normal condition
This is not news, 1t is only emphatic
confirmation of what everybody in the:
United States has known for some time.
and it is a disgrace to this government
that it should be so. What have these
poor people in Porto Rico done that they
should be made the victims Of an op-
pressive tyranny like that under which
we hold them? We have deprived them
of the markets they had in Spain, their
only market, and we obstinately close the
doors of our ports to them, so that they
have literally no one at all to trade with.
We don't believe the people Of the United
States understand this case at all. or.
there would be mighty uprising of the
people against the injustice and the mi
guilty OF it that would send the tricky
politicians, who are responsible for it, in
shame and disgrace into hiding.
The case is simply this: The Republi-
can politicians say that if they permit
the Porto Ricans to send their commodi-
ties to the United States it will be IN
infringement of their pet doctrine Of
protective tariff that will break down the
principle and cause free trade to come to
be the principle of government in the
United States. Now shat we have the
gold standard established, this of course
would be the greatest blessing that could
fall upon the American people; but that
aside, how can any man reconcile it to
his convenience to deny to our fellow
citizens of Porto Rico these privileges
and immunties that belong to them by
virtue Of their citizenship in the United
States, amongst the most important OF
which is the right TO have free access to
the ports of the United States that they
may have traffic and trade with their
fellow-citiZens of the United States with.
out let or hinderance? That great NUM-
ment Of our rights as citizens the Four
teenth Amendment declares that the citi-
zens of the United have certain privileges
and immunitie;s in virtue of their citizen
ship in the United States, and the SUI
preme Court of the United States inter-
preting that Magma Charter of our liber-
ties has declared that the right OF free
access to our ports, and free travel over
every foot of territory belonging to the
United States, is amongst these Drivi-
leges and immunities belonging to every
C1llLell VI luS CNlteO StdltS VI WHICH ~
power on earth can deprive them, and
yet. in the face of tbs solemn deciara-
ton Of our fundamental law, the Repub-
lican politicians deny these elementary
rights to our fellow-citizens of Porto
Rico, and keep them there in an actual
state of starvation in order that they may
hold on to the psrnicious tad which thpy
call protection. It is a scandal and dis
grace that cries aloud to heaven for re-.
dress. Oh. if William ]. BRYAN were pa-
triotic enough to stand aside with his
odious Chicago platform. and allow the
Democratic party to nominate some true
Democrat like William c. Whitney or
Charles n. Fairchild for the position Of
President! The country is. sick and dis
gusted with the. rotten rule of Republic
can politicians, and it longs to elect a
true Democrat whom the people can reve-
renee as President.