The times., 1901-03-25
carpetbneism in porto Rico.

| which that gentleman gave to the press.
| Governor Allen, of Porto Rico. stated
| that the situation in the island is more
| promising of prosperity than it has been
before or since the American occupation,
and that all classes are prosperous crops
! abundant, and the Iaboring class all at
work and happy.
Notwithstanding these Utopan condi-
! tions, il is announced that Governor Al
| len will visit the mainland in a couple Of
weeks in order to try and raise a loan
| for the Porto Rican planters. This pur-
? pose rather seems to cast discredit upon
! his statement that 'all classes are pros
porous" and there is a commission of
Porto Ricans in the country, part of
| whose mission it is to show that nothing
could be further from the truth.
The members Of this commission. dele
! gated by the Merchants and Planters
| Association Of Porto Rico to present the
| evils of existing conditions to President
| Mckinley, claim that the island is in a
state of poverty and threatened bank
| ruptcy. because Of misrule and oppres-
| sion. They complain that the arbitrary
revenue law passed by the carpetbag
| Executive Council on the eve of the late
! adjournment of its sessions is onerous
| and unjust; that it was enacted by an
| imperially appointive body, only one
member of which is representative of
| the native tax-paying class. In an arti-
Gle in the New York Herald of yester-
! day the commissioners are quoted as say
| ing:
I'VE came here to ask President Mckinley to
/ direct Governor Allen 10 convene the Legisla
! ture in extra session for the purpose OF amending
| the tax bin in those sections which objec
! tionable We have also asked the President to
! reconstruct the Executive Council, which is
entirely OF his creation. naming thereon repre-
sentative taxpayers of our island.
We also ask for the removal by the Pres
dent OF Jacob II. Hollander who IS Treas
urer Of Porto Rico. Mr.. Hollander, no doubt,
j. an estimabe gentleman but he Is a theorist,
and freely admits that he has never had any
practical training, Before his appointment as
Treasurer OF Porto Rico he tutor in Johns
Hopkins University We charge that he has per-
mitted the mayors Of Municipalities to improp-
erly collect taxes He Is brusk, unjust. and d0mi-
neering.
"One feature OF te Tax bill TO which we
enter most serious objection is that which takes
from the delinquent taxpayer all right OF re-
demption at the end OF six months from the day
his taxes become delinquent. That amounts to
conhscation OF property. II would not be per-
mitted in the United States, and If any govern
ment should attempt to enforce it believe
the people OF the Jnited States would rise IN
revolt
1t should be remembered that we have only
tuo millions Of dollars in circulation, amounting
to two dollars per capita. The banks do not
lend money We are land poor. should there
be another season OF prevailing illness or should
the island be swept by another hurricane the re-
suit would be that men who possessed
OF much property would be bankupted because
Of their inability 10 make immediate payment Of
taxes. Indeed. it takes no such unusual conditions
to bring about the ruin OF many men of property
Our present conditions are bad enough. and it is
almost impossible for Us 60 successfully meet
them"
The foregoing does not require COM
ment; it tells it's own story Of carpetbag
maIadministration, with the peculiarities
OF which Americans living in the Southern
States are quite familiar either through
experience or history. On the subject of
our benevolent assimilation in cutting off
the export markets enjoyed by Porto Rico
under Spanish rule. and then refusing the
territory access TO our home markets,
these unhappy ambassadors of a people
speaking to deaf trust ears have this to
say:
We who welcomed the occupation of the ISL
and by the American troops and who were 50
delighted to the flag OF Spain depart from
Porto Rico forever, have been given food for
thought many times during the last thirty months
Our coffee industry has been all but ruined We
believe our coffee is the best in the world.
but for some reason il has never been well
liked IN the United States. In the old days we
shipped our coffee 10 Spain, where il was in pop
ular demand, and from Spain it was sent into
France and Italy, and much Of it found its way
10 England In this manner We established credits
all Europe
''Now, Spain has raised tariff wall against US.
Our coffee is drug the market Porto Rico
IS steadily growing poorer Our expectations are
much less than our importatious During the
last year Of Spanish rule exports were valued
al nineteen million dollars We imported
eighteen million dollars worth Of goods which
left a balance Of trade in our favor OF one
million dollars.
Governor Allen refuses TO give statistics for
trade at the present time. We know that our
exports and imports have both fallen of nearly
fifty per cent. We also know that the balance
OF trade Is now against Our credits in Eu-
rope have been DESTROYED. Our world markets
have been wiped out, and our compensatory
gains have been small.
Another serious objection TO the new revenue
law is that it excessively taxes rum and to-
bacco. Tie excise tax placed upon amounts
10 eighty cents a gallon. In answer 10
complaint II is said that in the United States
rum is taxed at the rate Of one dollar and ten
cents per gallon. That is true but here the
manufacture Of rum is incident, whereas in
Porto Rico the manufacture of rum and the grow
ing and manufacture of tobacco our prn-
cipal industries Should a tax OF eighty cents
a bu7hcl be placed wheat in the United states
the effect would be the as this tax Of eighty
cents gallon on rum is TO
This tax alone viii almost the budget !
Its effect has already been most serious Dis
tiilcries closed and sugar manufacturers who /
have been able to sell their tailings arc now
compelled to let them 20 TO waste. This means
in many cases the total destruction Of their /
profits
Heretofore taxes have been assessed upon
incomes. Now IL is proposed 90 appraise the !
property and tax accordingly No objection would /
be raised 10 that plan were it not for the fact /
that the tax rate has been fixed before appraise-
mcut. The supervisor and treasurer have named /
the appraisers and assesoTs and the result Of this
reversal of proper conditions cannot help being /
corruption The assessors all political IA /
y0rites. The supervisor does not talk Spanish. /
Tie knows nothing Of Porto Rico. having been !
there only a few months. A occupying |
his position should have intricate knowledge !
of the island being able 10 estimate the earnings I
Of property in good and in bad times The as |
SCISSORS are not responsible men. They are not |
the right sort Of men to make fair assessments"
Again they say:
Governor Alien says that our island is pros
porous. The facts prove the opposite His own
actions prove the opposite, We're Porto Rico
prosperous he would not need to come to the
nlted states 10 borrow money for our farmers
When work began the Panama Canal Porto
Rican lab0rers offered two dollars a day
10 20 there and work. They refused They are
now willing 10 go 10 Hawaii 10 work for one
dollar a day.
III NAV not be- known in this country. but it
Is a fact that Governor Allen has abolished our
high school. in the lower schools he has caused
the employment Of teachers who not sc
quaintcd with the character Of our people and
who are the cause Of many troubles,
Attempt is being made to destroy
igious traditions, and with people ignorant
some Of the Porto Rioans arc this is
very serious matter. One result has been rioting
in san Juan. and 10 pl1oate the rah5le Governor
Allen has finally been compelled 10 tame for |
4 ag4Z.Hl ~.