Mexico Missouri message., 1900-09-20
THE PRESIDENT r.
n AND PORTO RICO.

land porto Rico) a government
in which the inhabitants partici-
pate, elect their own legislature,
enact their own local laws, provide
their own system of taxation, and
in these respects have the same
power and privileges enjoyed by
other territories belonging to the
United States"
Congress has given Porto Rico
civil government. The bill en-
bodying this civil government
passed Congress last April and
was approved by the President on
the 18th day of that month. This
bill provides for Governor, a ju-
dietary and full complement of
territorial officers, all to be APP
pointed by the President. This is
right and in accordance with the
usages in organizing territorial
government and no one objects to
it.
The bill also provides for a ter
ritorial Legislature to be made up
of an executive council, or senate,
composed of eleven men, and II
house of delegates, composed of
thirty-five men. There is no OBJ
lection to that provision.
The council, or senate, is made
up of the Attorney General, the
Secretary, the Treasurer, the Aud
itor, the Commissioner of the In
terror and Commissioner of Edu
cation of the territory, all of whom
are appointed by the President,
and "tive other persons of good
repute, to he also appointed by
the President" At least five of
these eleven cOuncilmen, or sena-
tors, must be native Porto Ricans.
The House of Delegates(or rep
resentatives) is made up of thirty
five members elected biennially by
the qualified voters" and "the two
houses thus constituted shall be
designated The Legislative AS
sembly of Porto Rico"
1t has been the habit of the A.
merican people, thru the action Of
Congress, to organize territorial
legislature by providing for an
election of both councilmen and
delegates by the people. That has
been done in the case of all the
territories organized under con-
gressional action during the last
eighty years, if not since thelestab-
lishment of the first territory. At
any rate, such action is in full ac
cord with American principles and
usages and no one heretofore OBJ
iected.
Now, however, departure is
made. and all of the councilmen
are appointed by the President and
a majority of them (siX) are ter
ritorial officers, and, in all proba
bility, neither inhabitants of or
even residents in the territory, eX-
ceDt during their term of office.
There is not territory in the
United States, except Porto Rico,
in which the councilmen are APP,
pointed by the President. The
fact is, all are elected by the peo-
pie, as well as the delegates.
How is it, then, that the Presi-
dent can say that the inhabitants
of Porto Rico elect their own leg
lSlatllre, enact their own local laws
and provide their own system of
taXatiOng
Look little further into this
bill that gives Porte Rico n civil
government which the President
boasts Of, and a reason for this
new and unamerican departure
may be seen.
Section 81 of this Porto Rican
civil government bill prescribes
the powers of this Legislature and
closes thus: provided, That all
grants of franchises, rights and
privileges or concessions of pub
lie or quasi public nature shall be
made by the executive council"
Here is the "milk of the cocoa
nut" the all-suf1icient reason why
all councilmen are appointed by
the trusts-beg pardon-the Pres
ident; and the all-sufficient reason
WHY the GRANTING IF franchises