BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1904-06-28
Has ''The New York Sun
a Remedv2

ties, ne Dun VI NCW 1OlA, Sf1o
duces in its columns extracts OF our
articles making study of the econo-
mica1 crisis in Porto Rico, with com
ments thereon from which we dissent
absolutely; for the main reason advan-
ced in our arguments remains uncon
troverted, nor has The Sun succe-
cded in weakening it.
In one of the articles reprinted in
"The Sun" we asked for full and i'm
mediate protection for the lortorican
coffee to which it is entitled, or in
other words, that the regime of free
trade between the colony and home
Government be just what those words
imply. We denounced the great in
Justice of that remarkable construc-
tion of the law, under which our berry
is excluded from American products
which the Dinghy tariff protects
fully; our petition included-besides
the demand for the amendment OF
that law, claim of indemnity for the
jmmense losses the existing regime OF
the Custom House, that assumes the
false name of free trade, has caused
us-that system which compels us to
pay the domestic price" for Amerj
can products, while our coffee without
protection of any kind and without
markets. the Dingley tariff having
deprived US of those we had, fails to
obtain price commensurate with tie
cost of its cultivation.
That is to say, that we bear all the
inconvenience of the Dingley tariff
since we cannot import anything sub,
ject to its reprisals from foreign
country; while, on the other hand, our
coffee, which is our principal product,
does not enjoy the protection of that
celebrated tariff.
That is our situation and as result
''The Sum- can understand whether .
cause exist or no more than sufficient
to hasten the complete ruin Of this
country, and if there be room for
doubt of a fact as certain as it is
unfortunate.
The Sum- gives recognition to our
good intentions in undertaking the
campaign we are waging, frankly
declaring that we have no markets;
that we are in need of them, and that
the United States cannot furnish the
coffee of Porto Rico the p election
which in justice should be conceded it.
This negative of The Sun" is a
concession made to our contentious,
for evidently it has no reasons, it will
not be able to find any, to sustain it;
still less will it be in position to sup
port that negative after we assail it,
availing ourselves of it's own argu-
mentS.
To the petition for the inclusion of
Portorican coffee among the products
of the United States the reply of the
New York paper is no; that that can
not be, for the reason that our coffee
production is not worth more than
$I5.ooo,ooo, and to protect it would
mean compelling the citizens of the
United States to pay new tax
amounting to sixty or seventy million
dollars; that its protection would cost
that country 10000. 600; that free
trade is costing as apart from the
annual losses incurred in our coffee
industry, three or four millions.
Who loses more who gets the worse
of the bargain1 The sum which seems
exorbitant cannot mean as much tol
the people of the United States as the
three millions mean TO US, which vel
pay, unjustly and without deriving
any advantage thereby, for all the ar
ticles of consumption that we are
obliged to import. If the 10000, 900
realized from the tax on our coffee be |
divided among the seventy eight mil
lion inhabitants; the tax per capita is
less than q dollars; on the other hand.
we who are less than one million, are
overwhelmed, are strangled with that
disguised and false free trade making
us contribute those three or four mil
lions in support of American industries
which we in justice should pay only
in case of our on industries being pro-
tected.
These facts The Sun has failed to
take into consideration; of their truth
It can be convinced, knowing as it
does, that the Dingiey tariff applies
here to iinportations from foreign
countries, which indicates what prices
we pay for the American articles.
Therefor, if The Sur" considers it
unjust TO burden the seventy eight
million taxpayers Of the United States