BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1905-05-03
EDITORIAL


caAs.y she az. agpca;s g. lse with The
sncou. .sssta 49, .sE1sAAi &AscssosS.
e.. sas s..asc Naa SNAis inl sass:
!; closely. gong dcefsf into he nnnA-
suzal condssson. 1; appcars Ia &c ae
result Of = slriS;cg plan ecNiSod wiih
criminal Ingenuity and pcfpc;Ts;cd
wa,h srisiShness aud 20 CRAFTY ambi
sicn.
j; - no, tic work Of i:noraacc. IL i
she wcrk os pc-hdy.
~; - desired 20 bring about the Ii
0uidatson OF the island.
When tariff protection is spoken CT
IN Washington and bv the press Of the
whole Republic. when in Nenezsela !;
j; attempted 10 substitute the cul;iva-
tion ID coffee for other products whose
status is not affected 10y tariff pro;ec-
iion TO our grain. il looks suspicious
and as = matter OF fact il Is. 10 have
the treasury agents putting an increa-
sed valuation on coffee plantations
and other agricultural properties when
the economic crisis cannot disappear
by the mere announcement Of smeri-
can tariff revision. and even II II
should, il would neither be wise nor
necessary 20 increase the taxes and
render more burdensome and difficult
the lives of the agriculturists.
What is the object of those asses
sors of properties in what principle OF
economics do they find the warrant to
increase the valuation
In none. They are autom atoms who
obey mechanically the will Of the ope-
rator, like the figures in Punch and
Judy show.
We must look higher than the
scaffold laised to demolish the public
wealth, We must look to the treasury.
There is the geometrician. Mr. So
'lonlon, the intrepid and heroic tunc-
tianary who dares to face this new
attack on property.
Because Willoughby presents his
back.
He goes north, understanding with
his eminent talent for sociology, that
what woslld befall the func tionary ap
parently responsible in the eyes Of
the people for the increase Of the taxes
wou d net be in the nature of benedic
tions and sympathy.
The youthful treasurer knows. more
than he has been taught.
And the geometrician of the trea-
sury takes the alarming view that the
complaints and protests of the tax
payers are Of little importance, which
is also the attitude assumed by the
functionaries Of expectation, and he
it is who will be inundated, although
H. II 40
ance of martyrdom, and the just and
merited punishment will tall on him
whose compensations are not clearly
defined.
The scheme hasi been uncovered
and exposed.
1t is hoped to bring about liquida
tion, so that if tariff protection comes,
the coffee lands will not be in the
hands of Porto Ricans.
This is an outrage, it is inadmissa
bic.
To this iniquitous machination we
call the attention Of the national 60
verpment, of the american people and
the august tribunal of public opinion,
SO that these spoiliations may not be
permitted. nor these abuses be consun-
mated.
What we have spoken of will surely
happen unless check is put on these
instruments of forced liquidation. 1t
is inevitable that the present proprle-
tors lose their properties, because
where are they to secure the money
to satisfy the Unsuitable greed of the
fiscal agents, when they cannot even
pay their present taxes?
Does not the chief waiter of the
Treasurers office remember that in
the House of Representatives reduc-
ton OF fifty per cent was asked from
the taxes Of the coffee planters'
1t is true that the project was killed
in the Executive Council, as was the
case with all desirable measures.
But the will of the Executive is not
the will of the people, the criteri OF
the Executive is not the criterion OF
the country; the House of Delegates
reflects that; which should have been |
noted by the functionaries who are
the servants of the people and must
always be ready to satisfy the sover-
eiqn will of those who are maintaining
them in opulent employment, truth
apparently not recognized by those
subjects.
Which is not what they are doing.