The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1900-05-11
Congressman Fordney on the Puerto
Rican Law.

this week a fuller report OF the speech
of Congressman Fordney at the con.
gressional convention of two weeks ago.
Even the report here given however is
far from complete and contains only the
merest reference TO numerous impor-
tant statements and arguments made
by him. AS mentioned before, the
speech was complete surprise to Mr.,
Fordney's warmest admirers and when
it was completed it was cheered to the
echo. The TIMES regrets being unable
to give it in full.
"Mr Chairman and Gentlemen-I
thank you very much. | hope we shall
| succeed in 1900 as we did in 1898, and
can assure you that on my part nothing
will be left undone which should be
done in the coming campaign. APP
preciate what the people of this district
have already done, and will try again
to repay them for the compliment they
have paid me.
| l came home to visit you more for
one reason than any other. have a
friend in congress from New York state
who was so certain of denomination
that he didn't 60 home to attend the
| convention. And his name was not
even mentioned, while another fellow
got the nomination, When he told me,
i said, Il think had better 60 home.
You expect no flowery eloquence from
me. Iassure you though, that have
tried to do my duty, and if have failed
it is because am incompetent as one
fellow told me was. l was afraid to
call my accuser liar for fear he might
prove he was right.
If there is one thing more than anoth
er which should be thoroughly studied
and understood by the republican party
| in order to meet ignorant and malicious
criticism it is the action already taken
in certain legislation, notably the Porto
Rican bill. When the matter was first
presented was opposed to the bill, and
agreed with the president Iagree with
him now that Porto Rico is entitled to
| free trade. AS the matter was discussed
and explained became convinced that
the bill was correct in principle.
Up to Jan. 1, 1900, there were collected
by the United States government on
Porto Rican exports and imports S2,O95,
600, under the Dingley tariff act. A
great hardship had befallen the people
of Porto Rico, the coffee crop being al
most entirely destroyed by terrific
storms. 1t would take four or five
years to get the trees back to healthy
condition. AS soon as the island was
coded to the United States Spain put
high prohibitive tariff on Porto Rican
coffee, and the people could no longer
sell their coffee to Spain. 1t is Java
coffee, not liked in this country, and
Spain affords the principal market
Spain shut the coffee out by it's duty.
The principal part of the sugar crop
which came under the Dingley tariff
also suffered by storm and disaster.
Money left the island
There are about 100000 people to
100000 acres of land, making 800 peo-
pie to the square mile. Here in the
United States there are less than five,
and France has n 7S. With that con-
dition of things the island was in the
hands of 43 estates. Ofthe people, $50,
600 were unable either to read or to
write, and 900, 1000 could do neither. The
educated people of the island were
Spaniards, the enemies of this country.
Property owned by the natives is so
mortgaged to the Spaniards that they
are compelled to pay as high as % per
cent interest. How long could the
natives stand that sort of thing, failure
OF crops and 30c. per day labor. The
people did not care for the Is per cent
duty of the Porto Rican bill, what they
wanted was full citizenship, a settled
policy, and money to come in to relieve
the mortgages. Otherwise they would
lose every dollarthey haye. Two small
American banks had been established
since 1893, but they have not money
enough and do not care to lend it on
the security. nj
Less than $4,000 tons of sugar were
raised on the island, while this country
imported 100000 tons. The Porto
Rican product will never affect sugar
here. Oxnard was asked the question
what effect the importation of Porto
Rican sugar would have on the Ameri-
can market, and he had to answer,
none whatever Some democrats
have made the statement that the sugar
trust had offered Payne 100000 to
bring into operation the tariff on Porto
Rican products. When Grosvenor asked |
Richardson, the democratic leader in
the house, for proof, the answer was
that he didn't want to tell, and that he |
didn't make the statement direct. That |
was the slippery, Shiny way the demo.
Gratis had of getting out of a difficulty.
But when Senator Jones introduced a
bill in the senate to pay back all the
duties collected on Porto Rican exports
and imports, the sugar trust immedi-
afelv commancad anti IN rooovar n o0n