Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1906-12-11
Presidents MESSAGE
ON PORTO RICO
Rapid Progress in Agricultural Pursuits and in Govern
ment Coffee Trade Should Be Stimulated All the
Insular Government Should Be Placed Under One
Bureau.

ssl.lo2 Unfortunately. what used &
be Porto Rieo's prime crop coffe'
has not shared this prosperity, |
has never recovered from the disasie
0f the hurricane. and moreover. tia
benefit Of throwing open our mar
ket to II his not compensated for tn
loss inflicted by the closing Of tn
markets to II abroad, cali your at
tention 60 the accompanying memoE
iai On this subject, OF the Board o
Trade Of San Juan. and | earnestl,
hope that some measure will b. TAX
On for the benefit Of the excellen
and high grade Porto Rlcan coffee.
In addition to delegations from ths
Board Of Trade and Chamber Of Com
rnerce OF San Juan. also Veceivet
delegations from the Porto Rican Fed
GRAFTON Of Labor and from the Coffet
Growers association.
There Ia n matter to which | wish
to call your special attention. and that
Is the desirabtiity Of conferring full
American citizenship upon the peopl,
of Porto Rico, ! most earnestly hops
that this viii be done. ! can not ses
how any harm can possibly result
from II. and II 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
peth Of orderly liberty. Surely We
should show our appreciation OF them
our pride in what they have done
and our pleasure In extending reeog
ssition for what has thus been done
q sTautinE them full American eiti
xenship.
Under the wise administration oi
the prstent governor and council.
marked progress has been made In
the difficult matter OF granting tC
the people Of the island the largest
measure Of self.government that eau
with safety be given at the present
time. II would have been q very seri'
Gus mistake TO have gone any faster
than We have already gone In this d.
rection. The Porto Ricans have com
plete and absolute autonomy In all
their municipal governments. the
only power over them possessed by
the insular government being that oi
removing corrupt or incompetent
municipal officials. This power has
never been exercised save on the
clearest proof OF corruption or Of in
competence--such as to jeOpardi2e
the interests of the people Of the is
land: and under such circumstances
immense bgnefit of the people. II
has not a power with which II would
bc safe. for the sake OF the island IT
self. to dispense at presen1 The
lower house IL absolutely elective
while the upper house IL appointive
The scheme IL working well; no In
justice 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 10 insure an orderly election
ANY protest as TO electoral frauds IL
settled In the courts. Here again
1t would not be safe to make any
change in the present system. The
elections this year were absolutely or
derby, unaccOmpanied by any disturb
ance and no protest has been made
agaiH"t the management Of the cleo
tions, altho three contests are threat
ened where the majorities were very
small and error was claimed; the con
tests. of course, to be settled In the
courts. In short, the governor and
council are cooperating with all oi
the most enlightened and most pat
riotic OF the people Of Porto Rice
In educating the citizens of the island
in the principles Of orderly liberty
They are providing government
based upon each citizens self-respect
and the mutual respect Of all citi
zens; that Is, based upon rigid OBJ
servance of the principles of justice
and honesty. II has not been easy tc
instil 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
majority must rule, and the principle
that the minority has rights which
must not be- disregarded or trampled
on. Yet real progress has been made
I'm having these principles accepted a.
elementary, as the foundations OF sue
cessfui seIf-government.
| transmit herewith the report c'