The Irish standard., 1900-10-27

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perity and bestow upon you the bless
ings Of the liberal institutions of our
government Mark Hanna and the
trusts knocked his proclamation on the
head by the passage Of the Foraker
bill which deprived them of citizen
ship and shut out American markets to
their products by levying tariff on
their exports to this country. That
fact alone shows that Porto Rico is
neither state nor u territory, but a
colony over which the American con-
stitution does not extend. The same
bill prevents them from trading as
formerly with Spain and Cuba, their
best customers for hundreds of years.
In Il word, Mckinley has revived the
odious navigation laws in his dealings
with Porto Rico. The same laws
were enforced against Ireland by the
British government until Grattan and
his volunteers got free trade during the
American revolution. OF these laws
Dean Swift said in 1721: ireland is
the only kingdom ever read or heard
of, either in ancient or modern story,
which was denied the liberty Of ex-
porting their native commodities and
manufactures wherever they pleased,
except to countries at war with their
own prince or state; yet the privilege,
by the superiority of mere power, is
refused to us in the most momentous
parts of commerce." A Porto Rican
can say the same thing of the Foraker
bill signed by William Mckinley.
The Americans who were touched
to the quick with sympathy for the
Cuban 'reconcentrados" under the
Weyler regime are not aware that
thousands are dying Of hunger in
Porto Rico under McKtnley's rule.
Hon. Robert L. Pattison, twice COVER
nor Of Pennsylvania, recently visited
Porto Rico and wrote the result of his
observations to the New York Journal
as follows:
"Few people have any idea of the
extent Of the misery in Porto Rico. In
the coffee districts the mortality has
been one death in every ten of popula-
ton. In several districts-notably
that of which Adjuntas is the centre
-one-sixth of the poulation has died in
Il year. In Ponce there We're 604 deaths
in the month Of July alone. In New
York city corresponding mortality
would mean IL monthly death list of
half a million. There is no plague in
Porto Rico but the plague of hunger,
and to starvation directly or Indirectly
this terrible mortality is due. 1t gives
an American a queer feeling to travel
in sight of his own flag and realize
that pretty nearly everybody he meets
is hungry, and that many Of them will
be killed by hunger before aid reaches
them. Children beset you as you ride
along with pleas for penny for bread,
women hold out their hands, and men
ask with their eyes. Their distress
must not be confounded with the beg
ging as q trade that is so frequently
described by travellers in Latin and
Oriental countries
We have a new Ireland at our doors.
The Americans who have always
helped the starving subjects of Eng
land can now exercise their charity
nearer home. McKinley's subjects in
Porto Rico are flying from their native
land for employment in the Hawaiian
islands as Queen Victoria's Irish sub
iects have been emigrating to foreign
climes during her reign. Is this re-
public to initiate England in ruling
other people without their consent for
the benefit of the plutocracy? God for
bid! Let every liberty-loving Ameri-
can make up his mind to hurl from
power the man who has brought dis
grace upon the flag by his despotic
rule of an alien people who have never
done any wrong to this country ard
are too weak to resist oppression and
injustice by force of arms.