The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-10-07

"a. the Commissioner Of EIucation. 5000:
the chief Justice Of tho Supreme Court. 81
90, Tic Associate Justices Of the Supreme
Court. t3,"s; Tho United States District
judge. $3.50. tie United States District AZ
t"rncy. $ilv'. md the United States Dis
trict Marshal. &.5nh.
These offices and their expenses make 4
total sqUa! Ia Tho cost Of Government Of
many VI the largest and NEST prosperous
S,d.es uf the United States
One OF the chief GRIEVANCES Of the Ameri-
can colonies il lI1J was this very sending
Of officers from the mother country to gov
ern them. Is u any wonder that d century
and a quarter later the people of Porto
i.!yo are impatient ana complaining when
Jh,y are made The subject OF the same i'll
Justice: What American State would en-
dure having all its chief officers sent from
CtEgr States
II l. as unnecessary as IL il unjust Thera
are hundreds OF bright men ~ Porto Rico,
educated IN the United STATE. many of
them amply competent to fiji the posts Of
Government.
l would not have one American sent To
occupy an Office IN Porto Rico that a native
OF the Island could administer. They are
accustomed To a greater measure of self
government th-n the Foraker bill gives
them Even tyranHicai Spain. whose yoke
We lifted from II. nccks Of these people. did
better by them than w. the deiiverers.
Inc ISLANDERS s1t.ri"ally quote General
Miless initial proclamation to You when you
speak to them on the relations We bear 10
them.
They uho people Of the United States,
come bearing the banner az freedom" said
General Miles. inspired by "a noble purpose
10 seek The enemies of our country and
yours. They bring You the fostering arm Of
d nation Of free people. whose greatest pow
~ - in IT, - 80.
living within its fold. We have come to
bring you protection. not only to yourselves
but TO your property. 10 promote your pros
perlty and ncsiow upon you the immunlties
and blessings If the liberal institutions OF
our Government
When our Commanding General promul-
gated Ms mess: - If de,iveTdnce Porto Rico
was entitled 10 elect three Senators and SIX
teen Representatives to the Spanish Con-
Srtss. Now she i entitled To one delegate
IN Washington without n vote. They had
4 native counsel OF seer, aries. whose rela-
tons were also sanctioned b. the Governor.
Under the FORAKER bill they have an Execu-
utive Council OF which the officers appointed
by the President will always constitute a
majority. and a House Of Delegates or Leg
~isiative assembly, whose acts are subject
Ia the dOube-yise ot the Governor and Con-
Sress.
Nilc.'s Promise "a SardonIc Jesf.
II - ipt EuIIflSiNS uftieT THESE cfrCIIm-
stances that the promise of General Miles
strikes the natives of this Antillian isle AZ
a sardOnic Jest. Besides the representation
or course. Porto Rico had free trade with
the mother country. instead Of being ham,
percd with customs impositions as she is to-
day.
This matter OF a territorial government.
for Porto Rico is no mere sentimental con-
cessiol TO a cry for release from The tech
meal bondage. Crtil they have a definitely
settled form OF government the financial
ana social problems. which make Porto
Rico a land Of horror cannot he attacked.
Just row the condition Of the Porto
F,ican lahorar Is ritiable. The forfeiture of
the coffee and tobacco market. consequent
on the American Conquest. was the first
blow: then came the cyclone which laid
waste the plantations and that has been
followed by 4 financial condition Ia which
both these thiI IS and the subsequent ex-
perimerts in legislation are contributed.
The plantations are idle. the proprietors
have u" money with which to operate
them: capital VIII rot come to the island
while II is subject 10 the whims and
vagaries OF Congress. and the result OF it
all is that the man who does the work, the
foundation of society. is = pauper and a
beggar.
Nearly all the plantations were operated
on borrowed capital. The proprietor mort
gagged his lard for money with which to
WORK it. As long as h. had a market his
crop would pay his interest and leave him
a fine profit. II ne did rot pay. the mort
g0ge was forecIoSed ami IA new owner kept
the people who belong to the soil engaged.
Then came General Henry with the best
purpose In the word. and suspended the
foreclosure Of mortgages. The fist of every
capitalist Immediately shut tight on his
money II he could not foreclose his mort
gage he could not enforce and his
security became no security at all. All Of
the rirn land Of Porto Rico Is not n go,d
enough guarantee for q loan. So things are
at a sttnlstill. The lenders cannot collect
the borrOwer-cannot pay: the irnpoverIsh, d
owners cannot he suppianted by new own
ers; 80 they proudly live from hand to
mouth. and the laborers starve at a rate
which. il not checked. will
them In half a dozen years.
These are not alaTmist figures. They wrre
given me by the United States military sur
Feon at AdjuntIs. in the coffee district. ami
were borne out by the statistics of mortal
iiy for the district. Over 200 of a popuIa-
tior Of 1900 are dying monthly, and the
births are not one-tenth as many. Nearly
every death is directly or Indirectly due to
starvation.