BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1904-10-24

lost ana WHICH we nave lalleu 10 cam
since the day that our poor Island
passed under the American dominion.
These claims, of course, will never be
presented in a memorial for relief,
nor will there appear any request for
compensation for the terrible sufferings
and privations which our citizens
have undergone, for the pitiful spec
tacle of our people enigrating from
their native shores, nor for the
desperate Affections that the Puerto
Rrcan family has passed through
during the last few years.
Let us not hear the Sun" speak OF
thel susceptibilities we may wound,
the sranc,r We may arouse, or the
feelings we may hurt, or Of the friends
we may lose when we speak IN the
name of people whose essential and
vital rights to life and the pursuit OF
happiness have not been respected.
If it were true that the American
people resent demands may in accord
ance with strictest right and justice;
if it were true that they considered
these petitions pertinent or untmef-
ly, al hough they were admitted TO
be, as thev are, in line with strict
Justice, it would be something that
we, more than the American people,
would deplore
But the Sun" goes farther: it says
that the Island is not yet in such .
state of ruin as we represent, and that
to their view, there are still many
ways Of averting the disaster which
we see SO clearly impending.
1t is true that the Island is not COM
pletely ruined, if by ruin we are to
understand that condition of country
where all econ onical existence is
impossible, and where man is unable
to maintain himself; but the conditions
on the Island are very close to this,
and not very mary proofs are required
to show that this pessimistic view is
correct.
And even while there may be ways
and means at hand for us to escape
from the appros ching storm. the chan
ge in the essential conditions of the
life of people are not brought about
at will or in obedience to the whim of
anyone, and there are certain natural
resources which form the basis for
communal wealth, natural resources
which determine the peculiar produ-
ction and staple, we cannot believe
that the expedients which the Sun"
has in mind can be the same scheme
which other economists. as poorly in
formed as Mr.. Foraker, have sug-
gested: change from the staple crop,
or in other words, the abandonment
of coffee.
But supposing that such preposter-
Gus ideas were really fea>ible, and
that our soil lent itself readily to all
sorts of crops, as an adjusta BILE frame
for any picture, and that our planters
had the money and the disposition
to experiment until they found
the right one, there still remains
the most important question OF all:
What excuse can there be for chang
ing from q crop which has always
brought prosperity and will still
continue to do so il reasonable advan-
tages are given it7
Let the Sun. be undeceived: no
matter what trend the present discu-
ssion may take, if there is real de-
Sito settle in accordance with lights OF
justice and right. there can be but one
of two solutions: either protection for
our coffee, which would mean the plac-
ing of tax on the American people
for an article Of luxury, the proceed
which would swell the proceeds of the
CustomsH and the revenues of the
Government. and consequently allow
a lowering of the tax on other pro-
ducts Or the autnomous administration
of her customs agreements on the part
of Puerto Rico SO that she might seek
the most favorable market for her
principal product In another article
we discussed the proposition advanced
by the Sun the the Insular Treasury
should appropriate and spend annual
ly the sum of One hundred thousand
dollars in advertising our coffee. We
have already expressed our opinion of
this scheme.
Since there can be no reason why
the American manufacturer, thanks
to the choking of competition due to
the protective tariff. can dispense with
advertising his good here, We on the
other hand are advised to spend hun
dreds of thousands of dollars in adver-
Al