The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1904-05-05
IMPERIALISM" IN PORTO RICO.

The report of the Governor of Porto
Rico for the year ending June 80, 1903,
has just appeared in printed form, and
it is an interesting document It
shows the remarkable improvement
effected in conditions on the island I'M
der American rule, and renders pre-
posterous, in the light of subsequent
events. the frantic oratory of the anti
imperialists" against the acquisition
of the island and the government of it's
inhabitants as "a subject people"
However terrifying the prospect may
have seemed to these self-appointed
defenders Of human rights, four or five
years ago, there can be only one rea-
sonable conclusion as to the effects
of the course followed by the United
States, and that is that American rule
has produced more progress and Gre
ated more comfort and contentment in
six years than resulted from centuries
of Spanish control.
Gov Hunt in his report sketches
the history of the period of American
control. He says:
"It is a clear truth that no military
government could have been more lib
eral and benign than that which OBJ
tanned in Porto Rico for the twenty
one months prior to the establishment
of civil government The record is Of
the highest honor throughout. Not
withstanding this, however, the substi-
tuition of civil power for military in
Porto Rico was a very radical change
for the people, for the plain reason
that with the essential form of one
came responsibilities and powers
which they could not have known I'M
der the other. Indeed, so great was
the alteration of affairs that numbers
of prominent Porto Ricans themselves
honestly feared for the immediate re-
suits of transition. The people were
inexperienced in any form of liberal
government; they had been accustom-
ed to paternalism for nearly four GEN.
turtles; they knew but little of the
language, customs and methods of
American people; they were used to
obedience to orders of military author
tiles, not to laws made by themselves,
and they we're strange to the duties
and rights of civic self-control. More
over, they were depressed in an eco
nomic way, because they were still
suffering from the effects of the ter
rife hurricane of August, 1899. when
the coffee plantations had been prac-
tically laid to waste. Such, RETROSPECT
lively, we're some Of the conditions ex-
listing when on May 1, 1900. the pres
ent form of government was implant-'
ed, and in studying the changes or
passing judgment upon the record Of
the institution of self-government in
the island, what there was and was not
at the beginning must not be lost sight
of
Surely, therefore, the results are
gratifying; they stand to prove the
wisdom of congress in comforting civil
government upon the people; they
sustain the statement that the people
are docile, intelligent, and kind; that
the island is fertile and rich coun-
try; and they justify the confident ex-
pectation which we hold that as adj
ministraticn progresses improvement
will continue, and that In any situa-
ton which may arise the people will
be found loyal to the United States,
anxious to cooperate in every forward
movement toward the patriotic and
material welfare of the island"