The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-06-05
ENGI4AND's COLONIAL FAILURES.


guilty parties brought to justice.
ENGIaAND'S COLONIAL FAILURES.
Every item Of information that will
throw light upon the situat' on in Porto
Rico and the other West Indies will at
this time be of interest to the American
citizen whether he be an expansionist or
an anti. If he be in favor of the impe-
realistic policy of the United States the
condition of the islands of the West In
dies, which have been for years under a
colonial government, will furnish him
with a valuable guide for his conclusions
respecting Porto Rico
A few weeks ago-shortly before the
supreme court handed down it's decisions
affecting That unhappy island, the admin
istrat1on governor, Mr.. Allen, suggested
that the government which the admins
tration has set up in Porto Rico was
about the thing, but intimated, however.
that it might be improved by modelling
it after the English form which obtained
In the West Indies, and added that under
this form Of government the English col
onies Of the West Indies had been espe-
cially prosperous. This report of Gov.
Allen is important only as showing to
what length of falsehood the administra-
ton Is ready to go to maintain and force
upon the people its colonial policy. The
fact is well known that Porto Rico was
never in so deplorable condition as it
has been under the hybrid rule of the
Republican party. This needs not to be
discussed. The statement that the Brit
ish colonies OF the West Indies were
prosperous was either made in ignorance
Of the facts or deliberately made to de-
ceivc. Had the governor taken any pains
to learn the truth he would have known
that the British colonies are but walk
ing industrial skeletons. That some of
the fairest gardens of the world have
been turned into deserts by the boosted
colonial system of Great Britain which
Gov. Allen calls upon the administration
to admire and initiate
We Will go to London for our facts to
substantiate the above The London Daily
Express, commenting upon the article of
Robert T. Hill in the May Century, adj
mits the allegations and offers to con-
TESS judgment Referring to the decay
and ruin of the islands the Express says:
Absentee ownership will always, of
course rum any country. During the lat
ter half of the nineteenth century we had
a terrible example in the case of Ire
IaId Where We have only overcome the
evil by compelling the owner to sell and
help of grants of public money
When we read that Trinidad alone
mas thousands of acres of virgin soil prac-
ttca1ly unpurchaSeal)le even by years of
Tabor BY those whose natural right it is
to live upon that soil-that the black
population instead OF gaining in wealth
steadily degenerates-that self-suppoIting
and honorable manhood and womanhocd
IS Impossible to them-ttat year by year
the white population decreases-and that
the colonial people of the West Indies
nave gone steadily backward in moral
and material welfare-We cannot help rec
ognizing that here, at least British rule
had been failure, and that we have fall
len short in enterprise, or ability, or duty
or some other of the essential attributes
OF capable government.
1--WE have held these islands for consdd-
erably over 100 years. They do not be-
long to any of our continental possessions.
such as Australia, India, South Africa,
and Canada They lie out of the way Of
the great ocean roads; they are of COM
paratively small importance to the world
But they are of immense Importance to
themselves, and as long as we possess
them We owe them the plain duty of as
sjsting their industry and trade by every
means in. our power.
Imagine a tropical climate, fertile
soil, an Industrious population, conjolned
with idleness and want. The idea is ne
cation of nature.
Glance even over the very names of
the 'islands-St. Christopher. Barbuda,
Antigua, Dominica, st. Lucia, ST. Vim
cent, Barbados, Granada. Tobago, Trim
idad-and then tell us whether they do
not stir up memories Of the days when
and excite within us the desire to repair
& protracted and historic wrong.
These are the islands which Mr. Allen
would choose as models for Porto Rico;
these are the colonial governments which
Mr.. Allen would ask the administration to
select as models. When the country
learns something of the actual workings
of the colonial systems of the nations of
the world, it Will repudiate 10th the par
ty which mas been attempting to err
graft the system upon the constitution
and the reasons which are urged to sus-
tain it.