BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1904-05-18
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about free trade.
OF course. the snnulment of the
free trade relations existing now, and
the right given Puerto Rico 70 get
markets, making treaties of recipro-
CITY or having them made, would not
be contrary 10 the sovereignty OF the
Great Republic, whose rights The
Sun" defends.
The United States by making that
solution TO the economical crisis would
be only following the modern princi-
pie that colonies must not be, IN
any case, the object of exploitation,
and ratifying the program OF redemp
ton and humanity which preceded, as
was said, the war in the spanish colo
nies.
But il is not the total annulment of
the mercantil relations with the States
what we claim; it is the annulment of
the tariff existing now, If 1t is to be
continued as it is.
We think that if our coffee is net
to be given protection by the american
tariff, we ought to be in a position to
get for our products the most con-
venient markets, and we could, un
doubtedly, sale our sugar and tobacco
in the States under the same favorable
conditions that the Cubans enjoyed.
The compensation offered then to
the North could not be. as it is now
the protection to all american pro-
ducts, but only to some OF them.
And in reference to our coffee, we
can say that there are many countries
which if three or four of their products
are protected, as wines, linen etc. etc,
would grant us the exclusive right, so
to say. of its sale in their markets.
What we have now is not free trade,
because if it were, all products of the
two countries would be subject to the
same protection against foreign COM
petition; all of them, without excep-
ton.
That is what we want for Porto
Rico; regime of reciprocity and
compensation, not Of absort1on; that is
what we want, as soon as possible, as it
appears that Congress is not inclined
to impose more taxes, that would be
necessary for the protection OF our
coffee; that burden would never be as
great as the one which these poor
people are now having, by paying to
the rich and powerful country its
products at the enormous prices asked
for by american exporters.
"The Sun" is the only newspaper in
the island regre tting that the people
of the United States would lave to
pay few cents more on our coffee,
and it must be so if the mercantil re-
lations that we have are free trade
relations
Coffee being our principal product,
the basis of our wealth, If 1t is left IN
complete abandonment by the tariff,
misery must dominate our economical
life.
Why should we permit that? Be-
cause we are colonists' BY reason Of
force?
Of course not, and the Government
of the United States cannot sustain
that regime here if we ask with ur-
gency for its reform or annulment;
there could be nothing in the mind of
those establishing the free trade re-
1ations existing now, but reciprocity
and benefits to both countries.
Experience shows that reciprocity
in its highest degree must be the
principal thing in economical regimes,
but that it is the most difficult one in
the free trade relations of two coun-
tries whose productions are of such
great difference, and there we arrive
at the conclusion that if the small
people is ruined by the existing trade
relations, the other one cannot be per-
mitted any longer to have those pri-
vileges; besides that, its explorations
would decrease gradually.
So we see that it is also of great
convenience to the United States to-
annul or reform the free trade rela-
tions that we now have, and Porto
Rico will be then a good and constant
market for some products; as We are
now, forced to accept all of them,
we really are no market on account
of the economical upheaval caused
by misery.
We hope the "Sun" will be satisfied
of this explanation and become here
after defender Of the improvement
in our public life.