The Nevada County picayune., 1906-12-14

reached nearly $23,000,000. Last vesr therefore. there was double the trade that there was in the most prosper ous year under the Spanish regime 1 There were 210,273 tons of sugar ev. 1 ported last year, of the value of s14. 1S6,319; $3,555,163 of tobacco. and l 28,290,322 pounds of coffee of the valua of $3,4S1,1 ,102 Unfortunately, what used to be Porto Rico's prime cron--- coffee-has not shared this prosner. | ity. It has never recovered from inc disaster of the hurricane, and, more. over, the benefit of throwing omen our market to it has not compensatad for the loss inflicted by the closing of the markets to it abroad 1 call your attention to the accompanying memo. rial on this subject of the board of trade of San Juan, and l earnestly hope that some measure will be taken for the benefit of the excellent and high grade Porte Rican coffee.
 There is a matter to which I wish to call your especial attention, and that is the desirability of conferrjng full American citizenship upon the people of Porto Rico. I 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 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 for what has thus been done. by grant ing them full American citizenship.
 Under the wise administrator 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 self-gov. ernment that can with safety be given at the present time. It would have been very serious mistake to have gone any faster than we have already gone Tn 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 dearest proof of corruption or of petence-such as to jeopar- dize 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. Ii 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 is working well; 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 machin- cry of the elections is administered en- tirely by the Porto Rican people them selves. the governor and couIcil 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 1t would not be safe to make any change in the present system. The elections this year were absolutely orderly, un- accompanied by any disturbance; and no protest has been made against the management of the elections. although three contests are threatened where the majorties were very small and error was claimed; the contests, of tn hn n 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 ernment based upon each citizen sell respect, and the mutual respect or all citizens; that is, based upon rigid observance of the principles of justice and honesty. It has not been easy to instill into the minds of people unac' customed to the exercise Of freedom the two baslc principles of our Amerl can system, the principle that the ma iority must rule, and the principle that the minority has rights which must
 
 Yet real progress has been made Ill having these principles accepted aS elementary, as the foundations ot sue cessful self-government.
 transmit herewith the report or the governor of Porto Rico, sent to the president through the secretary oi state.
 All the insular governments should be placed m one bureau, either in the department of war or the department of state. It is mistake not so to ar range our handling of these islands ae Washington as to be able to take au' vantage of the experience gained in one. when dealing with the problems that from time to time arise ln ah' other.
 In conclusion let me express my au- miration for the work done by the con