Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1906-12-19
Federation of Labor, and from t
Coffee Growers Association.
Question. IF Citizenship:

Federation of Labor, and from the
Coffee Growers Association.
Question If Citizenship.
There is matter to which wish
to call yoar special attention, and
that is the desirability of comforting
full American citizenship upon ths
people of Porto Rico. I most earn
easily hope that this will be done. 1
can not see how any harm can pos
sibly result from it, and it seems to
me a matter Of right and justice to
the people Of Porto Rico. They ars
loyal, they are glad to be under cur
flag, they ere making rapid progress
along the path Of orderly liberty.
Surely we should show our apprecta
ton of them, our pride in what they
have done, and our pleasure iii ex.
tending recosnition for what has thus
been done, by granting them full
American citizenship.
Under the wise administration of
the present progress has been made in
the difficult matter Of granting to the
people Of the island the largest meas
ure Of self-government that can, with
safety be given at the present time.
1t would have been very serious
mistakes to have gone any facter than
we have already gone in this direc-
ton. The Porto Ricans. have COM
plete and. absolute autonomy in all
their municipal governments, the on
ly power over them possessed by the
insular government being that of re-
moving corrupt or incompetent mu-
nicipal officials. This power has
never been exercised save on the
clearest proof Of corruption or in
competence-such as to jeopardize
the interests of the people of the is
land; and under such circumstances
it has been fearlessly used to the
immense benefit of the people. It IS
not q power with which it would be
safe, for the sake Of the island itself,
to dispense at present: The lower
House is absolutely elective, while the
upper House is appointiye. This
scheme is working we'll; no injustice
of any kind results from it. and
great benefit to the island, and it
should certainly not be changed at
this time. The machinery Of the
elections is administered entirely by
the Porto Rican people themselves,
the Governor and council keeping on
ly such supervision as is necessary
in order to insure an orderly elec-
ton. Any protest as to electoral
frauds is settled in the courts. Here
again it would not be safe to make
any change in the present system.
The elections this year were absolute
ly orderly, unaccompanied by any
disturbance; and no protest has been
made against the management OF the
elections, although three contests are
threatened, where the majorities
were very small and error was claim
ed; the contests, of course, to be set
tied in tie courts. In short, the
Governor and council are co-operat-
ing with all of the most enlightened
and most patriotic of the people Of
Porto Rico in educating the citizens
of this.island in the principles ofEor-
derly liberty: They are providing a
government based upon each citisen'sS
,self2respect, and the mutual respect
of all citizens; that is, based upon
rigid observance of the principles of
justice and honesty. 1t has not been
easy to instil into the minds of peo-
pie unaccustomed to the exercise of
freedom, the two basic principles of
our American system; the principle
that the majority must rule, and the
principle that the minority has rights
which must not be disregarded OF
trampled upon. Yet real progress
has been made in having these prin-
ciples accepted as elementary, as the
foundations of successful self-govern-
ment.
I 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 De-
partment of State. 1t is mistake
not so to arrange our handling of
these islands at Washington as to be
able to take advantage of the ex-
perience gained in one, when dealing
with the problems that from time to
time arise in another.
In conclusion let me express my
admiration for the work done by the
Congress when it enacted the law
under which the island is now being
administered. After seeing the is
land personally, and after five years
experience in connection with its ad-
ministration, it is but fair to those
who devised this law to say that it
would be well-nigh impossible to
have. devised any other which in the
actual working would have accom-
plished better results.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
The White House, December IL, 1906.
Rob Bank in Broad Day.
Odessa, By Cable.-One of the most
daring robberies Of recent times in