The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-07-30
PROSPERITY
is THE ISSUE
For The Tribune by Walter j. Ballard.

4
NUR FOUR year old baby, Porto
Rico, shows up well. Says Cover
~ nor William II. Hunt. who is do.
Ing such good work, In command
OF our "Rich Gate:
General Miles landed In Porto Rico
| four years ago today. Great changes
| have set In and Porto Rico has much to
be thankful for since the flag was raised
at Guanica. The close of the fiscal year
showed better business, better health and
better prospects than ever. The insular
treasury balance on July 1 was $3li,0OO,
a gain OF s239. coo in the year.
1.-THE total exports for last year aggre-
| gated $l2,SS9,925, showing an increase in
| exports to foreign countries of 5A7 per
cent. over the previous year and 1876 per
cent. increase of exports to the United
States over last year. The increase is
principally In sugar, cigars and cigar
cites. straw hats and coffee. We sent
$20i,50 worth of straw hats alone to the
United States last year.
Improvement is noticeable in all di-
rections. The people welcome schools
The insular government cannot supply
enough, being necessarily limited to $780,
600 per annum for education. But we are
teaching nearly $1,000 children and expect
to open two Industrial schools in the fall.
Adults want to learn, and in some in
stances children are teaching their par
ents
"There was an extraordinary decrease
In the number of deaths last year, 1900
fewer than the year before. There Is
much less anaemia than formerly. Peo-
pie look healthier, live better and take
better care of themselves. All sanitation
has improved.
"They are contented with their gen.
eral political condition. This being an
election year, politics will occupy much
attention, as a new legislature, mayors
and other officers are to be chosen. Two
years ago, one party withdrew from the
field, but from the present outlook there
will be contest in November. The vote
will run up to 10000.
Civil government has now been es-
tablished over two years, during which
time there has been a wonderful adapta-
bility to free conditions and thus far no
serious setback. The new code Of laws
are in effect. The island is now con-
trolled by American statutes. There was
ready adjustment to the change, and
are gratifying. The criminal code, mod
eled largely after the California penal
laws. is giving particular satisfaction.
Porto Ricans are ambitious for closer
relations with the United States and de-
serve all encouragement. In my residence
of over two years in the island, 1 found
them generous, warm hearted, good peo-
and kind. The result of the liberal gov
ernment given them Is a steadily grow
ing mutual respect and liking between
them and the citizens of the mainland.
I regard this in itself as a most desr-
able achievement of our occupancy"
II will not be long before Porto Rico
alone will be worth more to us than the
twenty million dollars we paid to Spain
for the Philippines, besides the Porto Ri
can share of our Spanish war expenses.
at seems to be now plainly indicated
that the next national campaign is to he
fought. SO far as the Democratic party
Is concerned, upon the tariff. The old
issue between the two parties is to be
revived and the country is once more to
be asked to pass judgment upon the ques-
ton of protection to American industries.
The Republican party will heartily well
come the issue. There is nothing in its
great record of which it is more proud
or in defense of which it can invoke
more splendid and conclusive facts. The
party is fully prepared to meet it's OPP
ponents in a discussion of the tariff pol
icy before the people, confident that the
history of the last four years. to go no
further back, will amply vindicate and
justify Republican policy. which is as
necessary today to American labor and
industry as at any time in the past
Omaha Bee.
Under the Dingley tariff law, our cigar
production shows:
1897, half Democratic... a, ,063, 900, 900
1898 ......... ............... .4,910. .0O0, ,OC0
1888 ...oVi 1,VU,WV
lWO ...................o .o,Jbj,VOU,WO
lJUl ............. .......O,4io,VU,Vu
Facts are facts, and figures are eloquent
in such results.
Senator Galllnger struck the keynote
when he said: "Our friends on the other
side are looking for an issue. They need
rot worry. The issue is looking for them.
Prosperity Is the issue, and all other
questions are secondary. The American
standard of living, American manhood.
and American homes, are but the result
ants of Republican legislation. the Sc
quence of protective tariff which brought
to us and will continue to bring to us.
an unprecedented age of luxury, an un-
parallelled era Of prosperity" Voter.
there will be no need for you to say
"Quo Vadis' the first Tuesday of next
November.