BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1902-03-13
SANJUAN, MARCH I5
Finding Out How
/ It Is Ourselves.

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(From the Evening Post, FeGy 27th.)
Mr. james Bryce, in the course Of letter
to the "Nationn in 1881, made striking
prediction which is now in process of fulfil
ment as striking. He scas writing of Glad
stones policy of moderation towards the
Beers, after Msjubs, ard of the fact that it
could be carried out only as moral obliga
tier: and he said that !spainful lesson" OF
those Sou.h African complications soas "the
extreme difficulty which any state, and es'
pecially free state, where power changes
hands from one party to another, fiuds IN
governing distant dependencies" with the
prescient forecast Of the true philosophic
temper, be added: ssThis lesson may become
significant to you ''should the policy OF an.
nexation be ever resumed by the United
States.n And then he remarked, in the guise
of moralist and historian combined: " We
are beginning to judge the behavior of the
Russians in Turkestsn and of the Franch in
Algeria-even, perhaps, the darker misdeeds
OF the Spanish COZ auerors of America
more leniently when We perceive from our
own experience how hard it is to govern
Justly colonies of mixed population, even
with the help. Of steam and the telegraph J"
The past four years have made this very
sure word of prophecy for the United States
Our old easy condemnation OF the blunders
of other nations has expired on our lips as
pitfalls. The vices of Spanish colonial pol
icy which we used to hate on sight, We
have, when seen too oft, grown unpleasantly
familiar with, and have first endured, then
pitied. then embraced. To exploit depen
dency. in the selfish interest of the home
country; to ignore the urgent recommends
tionH OF our otsn governors of distant islands
and to shut cur ears to the bitter cry of the
natives whom We tax without representa-
tion-tkst policy. from being the object Of
our Fourth OF July denunciations, has too
nearly become an axiom OF government
with Us. No more curious reversal OF
nations historic judgments was ever seen.
To lift Mortified cries against Gen. Weyler,
only to have our own army officers admit
little later that she knew his business; and
then to pay Spanish colonial methods the
sincere compliment of Imitati0n-truly ace
are bound, as Mr.. Bryce said, to jadge
ssmore. lenientlJ" the nations aohich we
rashly condemned before We found cut how
it 10 ourselves.
It is not necessary to dc more than
suggest the details. TIE present argument
Of the protectionists in Congress, who would
squesse the juice out OF Cuba and the
Philippines like aD orange, and then fling
the pup away. declares its own origin.
"Msds IN Spain" 10 stamped sll over it.
Il 10 simply the old idea of the scoI q1is-
tadores,n to bleed tie colony for the sake Of
the ssmetropoli." No grandes of Spain ever
demanded in Madrid right to monopoly
o. colonial trade with greater insolence or
. more hateful disregard Of the lnterfs's of
the colonists than the beet-sugar msgnates
have shown ut Washington in their CO.
assertion that the sole duty Of Congress is
t. legiSlats fer the advantage OF sour own
people," and let the Cuosns and FiIipinos
stsw In their own fat
Another graceful tribute to the more ex
cellent way of Spain are We paying IN our
cy nical disregard of the advice OF our own
colonial Governors Tke Spanish Govern
men was not without warnings from its
local administrators From Las Cssas to
Polaviejs, it had men in its dependencies of
intelligence tneugk and humanity enough
to urge policy Of commercial justice and of
considerations for the native. But selfish
interests in the Peninsula usually qcere atle
" Oto1AtAO ott ouou tCOonAuC1uotaVuC. Anu
our selfish, interests are working for the
Same end, Congress passes tariff bill for
the Philippines in calm disregard of Gov.
Tafts urgent adyice. Itsstands fac ng both
soays, 90 respects Cuba, though Gen Wood
h telegrspbing that our indifference snd
delay are worsi1g havoc with the interests
Of the people under his rule. The Oo,tes OF
Spain ought to send Speaker Henderson
and Chairman Payne special vote of
thanks for their delicate fattery in f0lloacing
its old and vicious example.
Tue disgraceful hesitation of Congress in
coming to the relief Of Cuba is all the more
unscc0uufable in view Of the fact that eur
Representatives have in Porto II co lsv-
ing objeCt-less0n Of what wise and healing
legislation can accomplish. Healthy condl
tions Of trade and industry are, after all, the
main end Of government. Oppressive taxa
fion and strsngled commerce are at the
bottom Of most revolutions; ald the surest
road TO peace and contentment is to give
trade . chance to expand freely. This bas
been done in Porto R'co, and the result is
70 remove that Island from eur list Of vezed
questions. Enabling the inhabitants to stand |
On fhsir own feet has taken them of our
oorus. Impartial testimony to the present |
prosperity Of Porto Rico il found in recent |
Issue oPthe Paris trade organ, the "Journhl
dee Eabrioanfs de- Suore.D Il states that
the riluntion Of tie Island Is greatly impFor.
ID hat the ssger srop viii reach lou 600 /
I1nfi ihat mcfs money y N cigculaliol5