Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1901-03-02

than Spanish is in the United States.
and French many times more So Finan-
cially the island is Well able to take
care of itself. 1t has always done SO,
while paying a tribute to Spain exceed
ing it's own expense of government. 1t
freed its own Saves and paid for them
by taxation.
1T has no debt and has often been
lender TO the Madrid treasury. 1t
needs only a stable civil government anil
a market for it's products to make it
self-sus,ain.ng and prosperous. 1t is
not conceivable that we shall fail to
give good government and prosperity to
Porto Rico. No party will dare to refuse
or even neglect this plain duty. The
delay in doing it has Already aroused
pubic Indignation throughout the land.
1t us the only one Of our new de-
Tendencies that is ready for prompt de-
Velopment. 1t presents every conceiva-
Bile advantage for American enterprise
and skill.
Possessing the natural advantages of
an even climate, never cold and never
hot, compared with the extremes of
summer in our latitudes. ana always
tempered by the sea breezes of the
| northeast trades. Porto Rico is easily ac-
cess.b,e from America and is directly
on what Will be the great lane of travel
from Europe to the Pacific ocean by the
| canal of Panama or Nicaragua. Mid
| way between North and South America,
travel of the world.
III with these natural advantages it
| is provided with railroads. schools and
| colleges, and We'll kept towns, it will
| have no drawback except the hurricanes,
| which are pictured in the geOgra phies,
and these will have little terror for
Americans who learn how mild they are
| compared with our own cyclones.
THE island will not attract American
| laborers for labor there is abundant and
cheap. but for those VINO have a little
money to employ labor and a little to
| invest, there are many special attrac>
lions. as, for instance. the small cost
of living as compared with that in a
cold climate. Ii will be a fine field for
the orange growers of Florida, who have
become discouraged with so many sea-
sons of frost. The small farmer who
wants a home where life is easy and
mere existence a delight, will find it in
! Porto Rico. Manu- fact urers will no doubt
be attracted there by the cheap labor,
cheap water power and the low cost of
living.
The fashionable world, already tired
! of the old resorts, will flock to the new
one. many will build their own cottages
or castles, and somewhere on the noun
tains of the island there may arise a
city of palaces like Bar Harbor or New
port. How ever this may be, the island
under The fostering care of the American
government, and with the stimulus OF
American capital, enterprise, skill and
energy, cannot fail in the near future
to rise from it's present condition to the
| highest pane of wealth and prosperity"
The second paper, "Our Navy" was
by Mrs. G. w. Deckwith, and was as foi.
lows:
OUR NAVY.
The American navy was established
or had beginning, directly after the
Declaration of Independence. In Octo'
Der, 1879, congress authorized the con-
struction of two national cruisers, and
at the same time appointed a marine
committee to have charge Of naval at.
fairs.
The first force consisted Of purchased
vessels, badly fitted and built, and poor
~ manned, it embraced two ships, TWEEN
ty-four guns each, six briggs carrying
from ten to twelve guns; two schooners
each with eight guns, and four sloops
with from four to twelve guns. On De
cember 22nd a personnel of officers wa
selected, one Of the lientenants bein,
young Paul Jones. Ezekiel Haskins wa
made commander-in-chief, but, having
= incurred the censure of congress, he wa
( dismissed early in 1777, and the title ha
, never been revived except in the persol
of the president. In November, 1879, tn
grades Of admiral. vice admiral, rea
l.. admiral and commodore We're assimilat