BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1904-12-22
EDITORIAL.

TO undertake some sort OF legislation
with regard to Porto Rico, tending
presumably, to the amelioration of the
existing condition of the coffee gro
wers. At the present time we have be-
fore us the dispatch containing a
resume Of the program projected by
President Roosevelt and among the
enormous amounts proposed as expen-
ditures for increasing the army and
the navy, which inereance the Presi-
dent believes to be absolutely necees-
ssrv, and the amouts set aside for the
ma;ntainence and improvement of the
different divisions into which the ad-
ministration is divided we find at last
that some note has been taken of Our
requirements and we find Porto Rico
mentioned and recommendations made
which, if carried out will unqueStiona-
bly be of immense benefit to us. The
Recommendations Of themselves show
tha the President is firmly convinced
that alltis not we'll width the island and
that affairs are not running SO smoothly
as he has been led to believe all along.
Undoubtedly this state of mind has
been brought about by those who have
continuously complained against pre-
sent conditions and have energetically
insisted that they were in the right,
and they are the ones whe should re-
ceive a full share of the credit for
having convinced the American Gov
ernment finally that Porto Rico is not
enjoying the much talked of prospe-
rity which has from time to time been
written to the American newspapers
by correspondents who Were under
the pay of both the press and the
Government, and did not care to risk
their official position by telling the
truth regarding the true status of our
principal industry-that one which
will contribute more annually when
once it is in a fourishing condition,
than all Of the others combined. 1t is
thus made evident that the protests
aud claims of those most vitality af-
fected by the present condition have
had snuch greater effect upon the
administration than have the vapid
mpliments expended upon a negli
gent administration, whose chief care
was to anisrepresent cur true condi
ton to the powers which migkf, had
they been honestly informed as to the
= true situation, have taken action
(which would have obviated all of the
complaint. unrest, and recrimination.
which were entirely unnecessary and
would never have been heard of had
the administration known our situa-
ton as it was and acted in accordance
with such knowledge.
lust at this time when the National
authorities demonstrate an intention, of
taking action which has been so long
DELAYED we are somewhat surprised
at the manifesto published by the
puerto Rican American League.
Although this document makes sug-
eestion and endeavorS to indicate the
ways and means which We should adort,
in order to derive certain advan advan-
taees, we are not in accord with the
tone thereof, as we do not believe that
the recommendations contained there
in are at all adapted to the case. If
we were to adopt these suggestions as
expressing the wishes of majority
of our people we feel that we would
bring down upon ourselves the sho-
wer Of of popular dislike, since the
methods so proposed would deter as
from enjoying the privileges accorded
to sovereign states until such time as
had attained to such a standard of
progress AS certain elements believe
TO be what is requisite for the enjoy
znent of these prorogative. In another
of the BoLETIN we have published the !
manifesto issued by the League"
simply as a matter of courtesy altho-
ugh our ideas are not in accord with
same nor do we believe that majority |
of our people are in accord with the
suggestion made in this manifesto.
On other occasions we have given
unstinted applause to the same orga-
nization which has been formed in the |
United States with the sole purpose of
advancing the interests of Porto Rico
and of defending us from the injusti- |
ce whick has been done out to us
from both official and private quar-
ters, but in this case we feel that the |
remedy suggested is not at all in ac
cord with the ailment from which we
are suffering.
For this reason we cannot commend |
this work of the League" as we feel
that all of the good work which has
loao.. Jopo IN @ba Toct bv III AZ Oroopi |