The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1900-03-28
The Case of Porto Rico.

Narrowing tales of distress have for
months been coming from Porto Rico
and they continue to arrive. There ID
famine in the island, and industrial
ruin has been visited upon its inhabit-
ants. These are not the consequences
of war or of Spanish oppression. The
former scourge touched lightly on Porto
Rico aud the people were fairly con-
tented and happy under Spain's domin-
ion.
The cause of existing deporable con-
ditions is the devastation wrought by
the awful tornadoes that swept the ISL
and in 1899. Cane and coffee planta-
tions were ruined. Coffee plantations
suffered the worst. The fate of these
is thus described:
These trees are planted on the hill and
mountain slopes, and in many places the
declivities are very abrupt. The gale tore
up the trees, loosened the soil, and the
deluge Of water converted the earth into
semi.huid. Then followed landslides, and
thousands OF acres of coffee plantations slid
down into the valleys; trees, soil, rocks,
and every vestige Of culture are piled up at
the bottom of the valleys In such cases
no restoration is possible, for where there
were smiling groves are now only bald
rocks which were uncovered by the ava
lanches. Where the soil was not disturbed
the most Of the coffee trees were either up
rooted, broken off or stripped Of foliage
and the miniature berries. The larger trees
of other varieties, which are habitually
grown for shade TO the coffee, were blown
down, and their protection to the COTE o
trees is also gone. SO when the trees are
not wholly denuded the protection to the
berries from the SUMS heat is absent, and
the green fruit is blghted and spoiled.
1t is represented that five years will
be required to re-establish these coffee
plantations, and these will be neces-
sarily years of want and industrial
paralysis. The sugar interest has suf-
fered less. Coffee is much the larger
product and consequently in the de-
struction of the coffee plantations the
disaster to the industry of the island is
enormously enhanced. Unless the
owners of cane plantations can borrow
money to rebuild their grinding mills il
is predicted that much of the growing
cane will rot in the fields.
The municipal governments are
many of them PROSTATE, local munich.
pal expenses cannot be met or schools
maintained ifnot supported from the in
sular treasury. Financial help is be
sought, relief implored from every
town and village in the island. Ant
80 might details of suffering, destitu
ton and financial ruin be piled up
These all have the authoritative veri
flcation of General Davis, the militar,
governor of the island.
While these things are thus in thi
fertile and but recently prosperous ant
happy island, Congress has been bag
Cling for weeks, frightening int
months, over measure of relief for it
stricken people. After much ado owe
the precise form of relief the Hous
passed the bill levying a duty of fiftee
per cent of the rates of the Dingle
tariff on the imports of Porto Rical
products, and on goods of the Unite
States, landed in Porto Rican ports
the revenue so raised, in the Unite
States as well as in Porto Rice
to be used for accomplishing the reger
Grafton of the island. Still further t
mark the temporary character of thi
measure, the period of its operatio
was limited to two years. Within thu
time questions of the force and appl
cation of the Constitution could