Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1906-12-20

Gus year under the Spanish regime.
There were 210.213 tons OF sugar ex-
ported last year. Of the value OF S14.-
6.31s: s3,555,163 Of tobacco. and
2S.29O.S22 pounds of coffee Of the val
OF S3.4sI,10 Unfortunately. VIII
used to be Porto Rlco's prime crop
coffee-hRs not shared this prosper
ity. II has never recovered from the
disaster Of the hurricane. and, more
over, the benefit OF throwing open
our market to It has not compensated
for the loss inflicted by the closing Of
the markets to 1t abroad. l call your
attention to 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 Rican coffee.
There Is a matter to which / wish
to call your especial attention, and
that is the desirability OF comforting
full American citizenship upon the
people Of Porto Rico. l most earnest
ly hope that this will be done. / can
not see how any harm can possibly re-
suit from It, and It seems to me a mat
ter of right and justice to the people
Of Porto Rico. They are loyal, they
are glad to be under our flag, 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
.T..van hwre Mt
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 to the people OF the
island the largest measure of selt-gov-
eminent that can with safety be given
at the present time. 1t would have
been a very serious mistake to 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 of removing corrupt or In
competent municipal officials. This
power has never been exercised save
on the clearest proof of corruption or
of ncompetence-such as to jeopar'
die the interests of the people Of the
island; and under such circumstances
It has been fearlessly used to the i'm
mense benefit of the people. 1t is not
a power with which it 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 scheme IL
working well no injustice Of any kind
results from 1t, and great benefit to
the island, and 1t should certainly not
be changed at this time. The machin-
cry of the elections is administered en-
tirely by the Porto Rican people them
selves, the governor and council keep
ing only such supervision as Is neces-
sary in order to insure an orderly cleo.
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 absolutely orderly, I'M
accompanied 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 claimed; the contests, of
course, to 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
ly liberty. They are providing a 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. 1t has not been easy tc
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 tha'
the minority has rights which mus
not be disregarded or trampled upon
Yet real progress has been made II
having these principles accepted a
elementary, as the foundations of sue
cessful self.government.
: Transmit herewith the report of Tn
, governor of Porto Rico, sent to tn
/. president through the secretary o
0 state.
D All the insular governments shoul
}. be placed in one bureau, either in tn
i department of war OF the department
d of state II Is a mistake not so to al
g range our handling of these islands a
e washington as to be able to take at
s vantage OF the experience gained
e one, when dealing with the problem
t that from time to time arise in al
other.
e In conclusion let me express my a.
> miration for the work done by the COZ
d gress when it enacted the law unde
1. which the island Is now being admin
l. lstered. After seeing the island pc
|