Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1906-12-14

obacco. The fruit industry i.
also growing. Last year was the
most prosperous year that the
island has ever knowon before OF
since the American occupation
The total of exports and imports
OF the island was forty-6ve mil
lions o. dollars as against eigh.
teen millions in 1901. This is the
largest in the islands history.
Prior to the American occupation
the greatest trade for any one
year was that of 1896, when il
reached nearly twenty-three mil
lions Of dollars. Last year,
therefore, there was double the
trade that there was in the most
prosperous wear under the Spanish
regime. There were 21O,273 tons
OF sugar exported last year, of the
value Of, $l4, 4,1S6,3l9; 1856, 169
of tobacco, and 28, ,29O, 800 pounds
OF coffee of the value of So, 481, 1O2.
Unfortunately, what used to be
Porto RiCo's prime crop-coffee -
has not shared this prosperity.
1t has never recovered from the
disaster Of the hurricane, and
neresver, the beasis Of throwing
open our market to it has not
compensated for the loss inflicted
by the closing of the markets to
it abroad. l call your attention
to the accompanying memorial on
this subject, of the Board of
Trade of San Juan, and | earnest.
ly hope that some measure will be
taken for the benefit of the ex-
cellent and high grade Porto
Rican coffee.
In addition to delegations from
the Board TO Ira de and Chamber
of Commerce of San Juan, | also
received delegations from the
Porto Rican Federation of Labor,
and from the Coffee Growers
Association.
There is a matter to which |
wish to call your special attention,
and that is the desirability of con-
ferring full American citizenship
upon the people of Porto Rico.
| most earnestly hope that this
will be done. | can not see how
any harm can possibly result from
it, and il seems to me a matter 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 ap-
probation Of them, our pride in
what they have done, and Our
pleasure in extending recognition
for what has..thus been done, by
granting them full American
citizenship. o.
Under the wise administration
of the present governor and coun-
Gil, marked progress has been
made in the difficult matter of
granting to the people of the
island the largest.smeasure of self
government 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 Ricaus
have complete and absolute
autonomy In all their municipal
governments, the only power over
them possessed by the insular
government being that of .remov-
ing corrupt or incompetent num-
cipal officials. This power has
never been exercised save on the
clsarest proof of corruption or of
incompetence-such as to jeopar-
die the interests of the people Of
the island; and under such cir
cumstances it has been fearlessly
used to the immense benefit of the
pople. 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
boueo &c ohcoIutolu olootiuo uhiln