BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1901-12-07
Governor Hunts Philadelphia Speech
Delivered Before The Union League
Club Of Philadelphia On
November 23rd.
In the Presence Of The Nations
Foremost Men.

uMr President ard Gentlemen-I won
der if in the hopes of the founders OF the
Union League, it in their primary inspira.
tions. those patriots who, in 1862, persisted
In their avowed duty to the general body oil
society in its national political relations,
ever foresaw day when there would be
gathering like this, which honors not alone
sp okesmen of the country they supported 60
we'll. but the greater nation made possible
p, .uofl9 ous1oIulS uop opssnog :
NThink of It, gentlemen-from March
1910, when Ponce de Leon, appointed BY
the King and Queen of Spain, was inaugu.
rated Governor of Porto Rice, to April,
1899, when the treaty Of peace was signed,
389 years had elapsed during which that
lovely isle of the sea remained the colony
of Spain!
"And that reminds me of the history of
tropical colonization and the distinctive
experin- entail processes the world has Wit.
messed. We find policy where the mo.
ther country has treated the colony as hers
merely to help maintain the luxurious mo.
narchy of parent or fill the pocket of The
representatives sent to the dependency; ;
another where the possessing country,
growing less avaricious as better world
civilization advanced, has withdrawn from
cruel exploitation and assumed an attitude
of Indifference or apathy, allowing the co.
lony to struggle for itself, working out
its own salvation without help or encour.
agement from the mother land q third
phase reveals the instances where the
mainland has seen much good in the colo
ny, has fostered closer relations, has
extended generous aid, has counted its pso.
pie as participators in the aspirations of
national honor and glory and has hidden
the coIonists to join in all that promotes
both.
A Retrospect.
ga retrospect shows that the Colony of |
Porto Rico never stood in any better relation
Than the second, tor it was only shortly |
before the Spanish-American war that
Spain gave to the island an autonomic go
with reserved power in the Grown /
It Madrid.
"How this experiment. would have worked
'ut, shall not pause to consider. The
ISLANDERS themselves divided in opinions;
ONE denied the efficiency OF any autonomy |.
which might be swept away by the Grown,
'hile others thought it meant Q liberty
heretotoFeswitbheld and counted blessings
D flow. II
alt il enough to know that in the midst
{ the FIRST legislative session the valor ofI /
he American arms guided by Providence
rought down the Oastillian ensigns which
Dated over The castle Of Moro and Chris
,bal and hoisted high in their steads | D
,vealing realizatons Of the triumphs oil
berty and love. Ia
"Now, what did we fndi An Island 100 q
lies from east to west, shirty-six miles
ON north to south, with coast line Of $50 ii
lies. Porto Rice is three quarters the size n
Connecticut, about three times as large <
Rhode Islands and seventy y-eght times d
laller than TexsE. With an area oil OF
68 square miles we count 2, ,347, $50 acres. ii
J population numbers 963, 900 souls Al
nser settlement Than any other West 10
dian Island except the Barbados. To the
uare mile there sre, however, less peopleIit
Porto Rico than in Massachusetts or fe
lode Island, but more than elsewhere in Qe
r main country, yet less than in England 1r
Holland abroad. Tkis population was DO
nentably ignorant, containing 525 900 co
terstes.
Past Conditions. su
. When Porto Rico bacame Ours there 20
Q not school house In the island erected eta
public funds or private either 90 farI
l know, nor q public library, nor poor
m, nor public hospital to compare vital
! in the humblest town In the States,
an asylum for the blind or the incnrs-
J or cripples, nor one for the deaf and on
nb, There we're but Fory fen roads o