Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-03-29

W. d. COOh, HAS Dben uHuOuuGtl.
An Appeal for Justice.
Messrs. J. Julio Henna, Azel Ames,
Z. Larrinaga, j. K. Latimer, L. Sachez
Morales aud Artura Bravo, delegates
from Porto Rico now at Washington in
the interest OF their island country have
issued a forceful and eloquent appeal
for justice at the hands of the United
States. In it they say:
'.In the summer of 1898 General
Nelson A. Miles and small army ac-
compished q practically bloodless
victory over an island which had been
40 years under the yoke of Spanish
misrule. Instead of enemies, he found
only friends; instead of shot and shell,
only cheers of wel.nme; and, plant
ing there the flag which was hailed as
the symbol Of a peoples deliyerance,
he promised protection not only 10 the
islanders, but to their property, and
to promote prosperity and bestow upon
them the immunlties and blessings of
the liberal institutions OF the Ameri-
Gun government. Not content, however,
with allowing the people of Porto Rico
to remain in ignorance of their exact
status as either citizens or subjects of
their adopted country, deaf to their
cries of distress and blind to their i'm.
perative needs, the national Congress
now proposes 10 add ignominy to sorrow
and injustice to aifiiction by imposing
upon the island systems Of taxation
aud vassalage as immoral in principle
az they are questionable in purpose; as
odious to freedom loving Americans MS
they are obnoxious to the people they
Cypress, and identical with those which
drove the American patriots of rs to
resist and destroy by force Of arms the
tyrant that imposed them.
Against the express will and wish
of the Chief Executive in his last
message to Congress against the
solemn VOWS of the soldier who first
hoisted tho flag of freedom over POI to
Rican soil; against the advice Of the
honorable Secretary of War, the Gov
ernors General of the island, the recon-
mendations of the Presidents special
commissioner and the United States
Consul General to Porto Rico; against
the Just demands of the Porto Rican
delegates, and, above all, against the
combined sentiment of the representa-
tive press and 75,OOc,0 600 of people,
whose exponent it is, an unjust and
odious tax measure, has passed the
House of Representatives, and it is
now even proposed to set aside all mea-
suros establishing civil government for
the island. The American people and
the press, who, thrusting aside all con-
stitutional questions and all subter-
fuges or sophistries, have recently,
almost with one voice, emphatically
demanded for Porto Rico, as her right,
free commerce with the United States.
will be startled and indignant beyond
measure to learn that it is now pro.
posed to fling the reduced tariff and q
gift of $1,000, 600 as sop to the
| starving ard PROSTATE island, and to
suppress all legislation In Congress
establishing stable government - its
gravest need-and to relegate the island
for another year at least to the ruinous
conditions OF military rule.
Compared with this enormity,
which means inevitably the putting
| stricken island and turning il over 10
rage shrinks to nothing. While, as a
matter of principle, we could never
assent to the imposition OF any tariff on
commerce between the United States
and Porto Rico, the reduced schedules
proposed, especially if improved, as
promised, by the addition of liberal
free list of food supplies, &c., will per
haps permit tolerable and somewhat
better conditions; hut to deny us stable
civil government and the essentials 10
our very existence, which can come
only through it, is to strike down at a
blow every hope. promise and possi-
hiiity of redemption. What have we
done, what do we lack that this last
cold blooded refinement of oppression
should he decreed against us by the
voices that pledged us, only so little
time ago, every good thing under the
folds of the American flag? 1t arouses
the utmost indignation that million
intelligent Christian people, nearly 80
per cent of Caucasian birth, long in
the enjoyment of tho highest rights of
representation in the National Cortes of
Spain, who have had universal suffrage,
municipal autonomy and Substantially
| free commerce witt. their sovereign
| country for years; a community whose
| thrift, freedom from debt, virtue and
achievements bespeak its character,
which freed its slaves of its own motion
and paid for them without murmur
whose steadfastness gave it the name,
even in Spain, of The Ever Faithful
Isle, Must now plead for those funda-
mental civil rights which the fathers OF
the great Republic declared to be the
inalienable rights of every man.
"Friends-brothers, if Porto Ricsns
have the right to call you so-wo appeal
to your sense of right and honor, pray
ing against this perpetration of crime
against your own established princi-
pies; this Republication of nations
solemn promises to loyal people starv-
ing at your doorstep, and who ask nc
charity, only Justice, at your hands.
We do not ask paternalisln, but fra
ternalism; no other bounty than the
right to labor and to prosper; not the
crumbs from your feast, but the privi,
lege Of toiling on an equal footing and
proving ourselves worthy to sit at the
same board, under the same flag. Is il
too much TO ask for an honorable indi.
yidual or nation to fulfill an obligation
written in patriots blood? Once taken
into the household, is it too much tc
ask to be treated, not as an outcast.
not even as a guest, but as one Of the
family, in all honor2" ....