BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1902-02-18
SAN JUAN, FEBRUARY 1S


While the ways ana means cOmHlGIee VI
the House has been lodging the duty Of
helping Cuba, mass OF evidence has been
accommodating and tbes resulting force OF
public opinion has almost m ade time the es-
sence Of the question. Cuban relief, to be
effectual, shou have been immediate. The
terms had been practically settled in ad-
vance. The war tax reduction bill, the com
promise plan and all the other eXpedieDts OF
evasion have now been successful. How
urgent the question had become is indicated
in 8 circular letter from Gen. Wood, publish
ed in last Thursdsy's papers:
"Each day Of delay in giving reliefis dan.
gerous. When once the crash comes, relief
will be Of little value, except to the specHla-
tor who may gather up the wrecks here.
The people of the country, who have-vir
tually reconstructed it in three years, will be
ruined, and we shall have to step in and
reoccupy the country, or continue in occu
patton, and do over again the work which
we have spent thousands of lives and much
I treasure in doing up to date. The situation
demands relief, and it should be immediate
and liberal.n
Abundant confirmation of this is given in
the letters and petitions of Cuban planters
and shareworkers, who speak for very
larger majority Of the people of the island.
These people are not well established in ha
bits M restraint and patience. They know
practically nothing Of constitutional agita
ton. They are peculiarly susceptible to the
appeals OF agitators, Who in turn are 10
many cases as incapable of political pre-.
vision and advice as the people they assume
to lead. Such is the material upon which
discomfort and sharp want are working
apaoe because the promised boon of A mer-
lean protsction has only been half given.
It is gratifying to know that q conjunction
Of favorable circumstances is making short
work of the opposition ssot the Senate
A short time ago 1t was feared that
the opposition could not be overcome;
bnt the demands Of the planters, the force Of
the Presidents leadership, the sympathy Of
the Senate majority, and, above sll, the
plain mandate of public opinion are converg.
ing upon Oxnard and his henchmen in a
way that makes them look very small. They
really did not suspect what they were "Cp
against It seems too bad, for example, 10
think that after the war tax reduction bill
has been reported by the ways and means
committee in spirit of serene dislnterested-
ness for the public good, the Senate is likely
to kill it so that Cuban industry may have
. chance to live. The best laid schemes are
sometimes powerless in the face of blupt
honesty. Ard honesty is the core of this
question. The enormous disparity between
the American market and the power OF
Cuban sugar to harm any industry in it,
the distinct promise OF congress to deliver
the island from the oppression under whicA
it languished, and the pledged support Of
the Republican party to fulfil that promise
cannot wait Tor any fallaci9us arguments
such as those that have been heard in Was
hington during the last two weeks.
The Presidents immediate rejection Of
the compromise.plan outlined in the news
papers is largely responsible for the present
favorable outlook. And the fact that from
the first be was not in the slightest degree
to- be moved by any machine pressure from
within the Republican party has no doubt
frustrated in advance the opponents Of Gu
ban reciprocity. Ne matter how securely
certain members OF the House committee
may treat tariff concessions as joke, events
are nevertheless moving very swiftly to
make joke of the committee. 1t is not
improbable, indeed, that from within the
committee itself may soon come confess
sion and repentance, for its members must
choose between isolation and great cp-
poftunity. They must make haste to vault
automatically over to the right side OF the
fence in order to save their skins. And il
straight, honest measure Of Cuban relief
should be prepared and strongly recon-
mended by the Republican majority of the
committee that would only be doing. we
believe, what the untrsmmelled conviction
In most of them would have done from the
first. The sooner they do it new the better
for Cuba and themselves, for in any event
the needed legislation must be passed.