Evening journal., 1901-11-11

even WIN lle litt thNio va N"oHt A'Ne'
the United States. it would be many
years before the limit could be reached.
It's tobacco however, is the best In the /.
world for cigus and ciearettes aud
while there are several extensive and
widely separated regions adapted to it's
cultivation there is but one Nuelta
Abaio. Coffee nourishes in nearly /
every part OF the island, especially in /
the hillv and mountainous sections, |
land should il sell at or above 20 cents /
/ a pound it would become a prohtabol
erop. The pasture and grass lands are /
/ the best l have ever seen. and Will |
easily support from three 70 five mil /
lion head OF cattle. All kinds of tropi- /
eai fruits. especially rne pineapple |
orange, lemon. lime, banana, mango
land alligator pear can be grown any
where In abundance and OF excellent
quality Fibre plants can be cultivated
with profit in many sections. Iron and
\ copper ore and valuable woods are
found in the eastern provinces. In
deed the island Is q natural garden,
every part Of which under favorable
conditions can be made to support a
much larger population than 1t now
has. and to contribute probably from
it's supernuihes to the comfort and
happiness Of people living in more
northern countries. whore the hortlcul-
tural and agricultural products are diff
ferent and less varied.
Porto Rico is hilly and mountainous,
with but little level land adapted to
sugar growing. Its maximum output
, lis about 10000 tons. but nearly every
part of 10 produces excellent coffee,
almost as rich as the best Java and
Mocha I'm caffeine and OF delicious
, flavor The cattle ranges are excellent,
: land all the tropical fruits can be pro-
I duced in perfection, but the population
I, lis dense and the land almost entirely
Occupied There is but little room for
p immigrants, and any great improve
2 lment in the we'll being Of the people
: must come from a free interchange of
r products with the States. Fortunately
a the Porto Ricans now enjoy This priv
Iilege as citizens of the great republic
O. land may therefore confidently expect
n a gradual increase of prosperity and
). happiness
v How shall we get the most good out
@ OF these tropical regions without violat-
q ing our fundamental national policy?
" What shall be our trade relations with
II lthem? Holding as 7 do that unless We
m lcan make them prosperous and con-
e Tented. we cannot make them valuable
N Ito us or TO the world at large, the an.
10 lswer TOO these important questions must
turn on the development o
es their natural resources. IL this can
re lnct be done so as to make them ;
C. source Of profit to the people OF thos'
l- rcgions-POrtO Ricans. Cubans, Ha
IS waiians and Filipinos alike, it is i'm
t. lpcesible that those people whethe
ne white or colUred, can become protitabl
ed CO. valuable TO us in any sense what
IT, ever Civilization can grow only upol
e- the supornuities of life. If wages ar
to lnct good or do not rise, and the pro
N. ducts OF labor cannot be sold at a prof
as there can be no supernuities nor an
Sly increase of wealth. Poverty Is the Pre-
til life mother Of ignorance, unhappines
iveand vice. and where they prevail, a
orms Of government are bad. 1 a
on nc. trying to speak to you in the lai
re- guage Of the political economists, bl
ed i'm that Of elementary sense, which yc
ty. Ian perfectly understand AS / hay
,ar shown, equality of trade privileges
er, The constitutional right of ever
2.7 American citizen thank God as yet Il
ith Great Republic has nowhere under q
ge- SUN any subiects), il lies at the basis
d's our prosperity which is the wonder an
.he the envy of the world 1t has as
I'm matter of plain duty been extended
Ihe Hawaiians and Porto Ricans. and mu
led ex necessitate rel. be sooner or lat
ion IeNtended to the Filipinos.
ion What shall be done in this directi,
L. homo
survive and prosper as an independe
yer nation. unless they are permitted
ver share i'm the prosperity of the su
and rounding countries. Under the solen
led assurances of the joint resolution tn
on, cannot be annexed to the United Stat
day That door is shut for the present
the least If we cannot find another.
on. should have done we'll to leave tho
less under the oppressive dominion
iafe Spain.
the After all / have said you Will NOT
her surprised to learn that / have from
lion first official report to the present d
urged it. as the highest and most int
lion lectual duty Of statesmanship to 3
ID a absolute and unrestricted free trade
ON natural and manufactured products
are the Cubans also. in exchange for
title same privilege to be granted by IN
ans to us. under the protection of a &C
the mon tariff, as against all other co
cad tries. This is a novel as well as a ia
lgar cal measure 1t was first proposed
500 me in my official reports to the
/ is Department, but so far it has recei
1902 no public consideration. 1 contC
occo however. THAT If adopted
do cannlot fail to develop the
and sources Of Cuba rapidly and G.
md pletely. Under its stimulating in
once wages would rise, profits VIC
.ortd increase. wealth would accumulate
n as prosperity and progress would be
49, parent on every hand. The couI
, 49, would hll up with Americans
- Spanish peasantry would pour IN
"a -. laborers, and such a boom as the W.
.,,lti has rarely ever seen would pre-
.,,-,,,t throughout the island for the !
~ quarter Of a century. As my FRI