The sun., 1904-06-14

More Complaints From Porto Rico.
We have received from the publishers
of the Boletin Mercdntu de Puerto Rico q
considerable bundle of recent issues Of
their paper. From a column of alleged
English we extract the following, which
indicates the purpose for which the
papers are sent:
"OUR RUIN
To THE REPRpsKNrATTvRs OF THE UNITED SrATIs
There Is nothing more useful and must interest
to our readers than that OF the actual and economi-
cal crisis.
Its causes. and consequences constitud the
most forced themes Of the present dlsoution. Tho
Press fuln . eacred duty In trying 10 put and end
the bad contion Of tho Island. and these cannot
be better tasIe not most rneritorious occupation
and II Is not sterile the campaing which we have
been sustaining. 1t has been hesrd-here and far
away. In the colony and at the metropolis because
1t Is write there the place where can explain our
desires. and how we are going to find surscives in
the future.
"we adress ourselves IN english to the repre-
sentativcs Of the people Of the United States, and
we send gratis some hundreds Of copies Of each
language. In order that they may understand Us
better"
1t is unfortunate for those who are
interested in the campaign Of the Porto
Ricans for the improvement Of their
economic condition that their appeal
could not have been made in more intel
ligible form than the article from which
the foregoing is taken. Yet the very
crudeness of the translation stamps it
with brand Of honesty and sincerity,
and imbues it with certain pathos. 1t
is cry from people in affiiction, seek
ing to express their woes in the tongue
Of those to whom they feel that they have
right to appeal.
In another issue there appears an
article, evidently from the pen Of a resi-
dent American. From that we extract
the following:
From the very nrst moments of the American
invasion of Porto Rico up to the present time the
island has been In . state Of disorder economically
and the clouds which lie low upon the horizon as
yet show no silver lining. Our cities and towns
have In the past ave years felt q scourge which
was previously unknown 70 thcm-hunser Hun
ger as result OF the general ruin wrought in the
agricultural Industries Of the country by the change
Of sovereignty with its attendant institutions"
The basis of these complaints is the
condition of the coffee industry, which
has been for many years the chief in
dustrial reliance OF the people Of the
island. The change from Spanish to
American authority took from the Porto
Ricans their market for coffee and gave
them no other market in place OF it. We
translate the following arguments, SUBJ
mitted in support of their claims, from
the Spanish columns Of the Boletin:
Porto Rico has an unqucstionable right to ths
protection OF It's products. under the Dingley
tariff"
"cosre Is TO lis what wine Is to France and Spain
what tobacco is to Cuba. what Its powerful indus
tries are to nited States To us. coffee Is every
thing. II Is the abundance Of our country people.
the welfare of the Porto Rican families the reestab
llshment OF Joy In the clds the dam to the cmisra
ton Of the day laborcrs."
Although these complaints OF economic
distress in the island, for the welfare of
which we are now undoubtedly response
BILE, do not entirely coincide with the
official reports, they show a persistence
at least indicating that they are not with
out foundation. They have come from
trustworthy sources, from business men
Of high standing, and from Boards Of
Trade and other organizations.
Remedy for the woes Of the Porto
Ricans is impossible along the line ap-
parently sought by the islanders. The
limit Of their possible production OF
coffee, at prices reasonably rernunera-
tive, would be under rather than over
SIS ,OO0, 900 a year, Of high grade and
expensive article. Adequate protection
to that would involve tariff enormously
increasing the cost to the great mass oi
consumers Of the sec, ,00o, 900 to SO, 900 ,OO(
worth OF cheaper grades which we now
import from other countries.
Yet, even II that channel be closed