New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-01-10
FREE TRADE WITH PUERTO RICO.
NOT A MENACE TO AMERICAN wAGEwORK-
ERs GENERAL ROY STONE SAYS.
Washington. Jan. (speciaD-GeneraI Roy stor

Washington. Jan. (speciaD-GeneraI Roy Stone.
who is taking lively interest IN all matters affect
ing the interests Of Puerto Rico said to-day:
The "wageworker" with his dinner pail has
been put into some gnobe attitudes by his friends,
but never in one 50 ridiculous and impossible as
when he IS posed In opposition 70 the PRESIDENT
urgent recommendation Of free trade with Puerto
The argument is that 'one-half the people in
Puerto Rico live on five cents day or less there
fore 7 they have market for their products in
the United States the An eriCan workman will be
compelled to surrender mis- wages his neat dinner
his decent clothing the paper on his walls and the
carpet on his hoor.'-(The New-York Press, De-
This. sounds alarming enough, but difficulties viii
ARISE IN convincing the WageWorker OF tals dahger
he may not be altogether stupid He reads az
re1 6osssso "a -9srvaIICs1L ricF in sol climate
and production. tina acquisition should be allowed
in some way to benefit him, and that even cheap
labor, if il works for him and his family, might
dinner ne may want an orange, a banana or a pine
apple OF good cigar 70 sn9ke WltaouT paying me
house nrice hui he fnds that tobacco and vege-
tables are not worth raising in Puerto Rico, and
of the high tariff here, while American -four meat
and manufactures are shut out from the island by
In the second place, the worker may be good
country. and he may feel that We owe something
in common justice TO a people who received Us as
the Puerto Ricans did, aiding US IN every way n
their power. and. being without firearms, offered
guns with their bare machetes; and people, more
over, whose fond expectation OF BENG mage
Americans
leave these people in A condition that makes them
regret their Spanish masters. they must do to-
day. would disgrace every American, from the
workman TO the statesman Spain robbed and
abused them. but gave them a chance TO live. We
shut them between TWO tariff walls and let them
starve.
In the third place, the worker may be Chris
tan and lover Of mankind. and even II il should
threaten 10 cost him a Crife Of the abundance
Of his own blessings ne might still be disposed TO
do something 10 help the most unfortunate million
Of people on the face Of the globe. He may want
TO lift them UP rather than trample them down as
he climbs to higher prosperity II their cheap labor
is objectionab bic he may want to raise il gradually
70 his own level. and he viii thus enable them 10
buy the goods he makes. He may want TO visit the
beautiful island himself. and TO be received as
friend and beuefactor by happy Americans. not as
and OppresSOr by miserable foreigners.
On the whole. the ''wageWOrker' will certainly
think twice before he stands UP TO be counted
against free trade with Puerto Rico; Will he
be frightened al the mention OF Cuba and the
Philippines. He trust himself TO cross that
bridge when he comes TO it. Moreover, there are
many others than WOrkingnen who. like the writer
have stood by protection American labor through
thick and thin. but who could not follow il into
the ground should any wing Of the Republican
party insist upon running II there. Protection
mad may endanger itself more than does free
trade