The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1906-12-21

therefore. tAttr Was A"A"iN t.N = A."
that there was Ia the most prosper
Gus year under the spanish regime.
There we're 2lO.9T3 tons ~ sugar ex'
ported last year. ~ the value Of slA.'
lS6.2l9. SSb55l63 OF tobacco aud
eS.esl. 800 pounds 81 coffee 81 the value
of s3.4Sl .l0.. Unfortunately, what
used 10 be Porto Rico's prime crop
conee-has not shared this prosper
Ivy Il has never recovered from The
disaster OF the hurricane. and. more
over the benefit OF throwing open
our market 20 Il has not compensated
for the loss inflicted by the closing Of
the markets 10 Il abroad / call your
attention 70 the accompanying memo
rial on this Subject OF the board OF
trade OF san Juan. and earnestly
hope that some measure Viii be taken
for the benefit OF the excellent and
high grade Porto Rlcan coffee.
There is a matter 20 which wish
20 call your especial attention. and
that is the desirability Of comforting
fun American citizenship upon the
people OF Porto Rico. most earnest
~ hope that this viii be done. l can
not see how any harm can possibly re-
suit from IL. and il seems 10 me mat
ter Of right and Justice TO the people
OF Porto Rico. They are loyal. they
are glad 20 be under our fac they are
making rapid progress along the path
OF orderly liberty Surely We should
show our appreciation Of them. our
pride in what they have done. and
our pleasure in extending recognition
for what has thus been done. BY grant
ing them full American citizenship.
Under the wise administration OF the
present governor and council. marked
progress has been made in the difficult
matter OF granting 10 the people OF the
island the largest measure of selfgov-
eminent that can with safety be given
ar the present time II would have
been a very serious mistake 10 have
gone any faster than We have already
gone IN this direction. The Porto
Ricans have complete and absolute
autonomy in all their municipal gov
ernments. the only power over them
possessed by the insular government
being that 81 removing corrupt or In
competent municipal officials This
power has never been exercised save
on the clearesr proof OF corruption or
OF incompetence-such as 10 jeOpar-
die the interests Of the people Of the
island. and under such circumstances
II has been fearlessly used TO the i'm
mense benefit OF the people II is not
a power with which il would be safe.
/ for the sake Of the island itself. to dis
pense at present The lower house Is
absolutely elective. while the upper
house Is appointive. This scher'e is
working well; no injustice OF any kind
results from il. and great benefit to
the island. and II should certainly not
7 be changed az this time. The machin-
/ cry Of the elections Is administered en-
tirely by the Porto Rican people them
I selves. the governor and council keep
Y ing only such supervision as is neces-
sary in order 10 insure an orderly cleo
ton. Any protest as 10 electoral frauds
7 is settled in the courts. Here again II
would not be safe 10 make any change
in the present system. The elections
/ this year were absolutely orderly I'M
accompanied b. any distur bance; and
no protest has been made against the
management OF the elections. although
three contests are threatened where
I the maiorities were very small and
! error was claimed: the contests. OF
u course. 10 be settled in the courts In
short. the governor and council are CO
operating with all OF the most enlight-
ened and most patriotic OF the people
OF Porto Rico in educating the citizens
Of the island IN the principles Of order
~ liberty. They are providing gov
eminent based upon each citizens self
respect. and the mutual respect OF all
citizens: that IS. based upon a rigid
observance Of the principles OF justice
and honesty. II has not been easy to
instill into the minds OF people unac-
customed to the exercise OF freedom
the two basic principles OF our Ameri-
can system; the principle that the ma
jority must rule, and the principle that
the minority has rights which must
not be disregarded or trampled upon.
Yet real progress has been made in
having these principles accepted as
elementary. as the foundations Of sue
cessful selfgovernment
/ transmit herewith the report OF the
governor Of Porto Rico. sent to the
president through the secretary Of
state.
All the insular governments should
be placed IN one bureau. either in the
department OF war or the department
Of state II IS a mistake not SO TO ar
range our handling Of these islands at
Washington as to be able 10 take ad-
vantage Of the experience gained in
one. when dealing with the problems
that from time to time arise in an
other.
In conclusion let me express my ad-
miration for the work done by the con-
gress when il enacted the law under
which the island IS now being admin
istered After seeing the island per
sonally. and after five years expert.
ence in connection with it's admins
tration. II is but fair 10 those who de-
yised this law 10 say that IL would be