The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1906-12-21

Tor the hcncht OF the excellent and /
high grade Porto Rlcan coffee
In addition to delegations from the |
board Of trade and chamber Of com.
mcrcc OF San Juan. ! also received |
delegations from the Porto Rican Fcd.
GRAFTON Of Labor. and from tho Coffee |
Growers association.
There Us q matter tn which ! wish |
TO call your especial attention. and |
that ls the dosi1hility of comforting |
fun American citizenship upon tho |
people of Porto Rico I most earnest |
ly hope that this will be- done I can |
not see how amy harm can possibly re-
suit from &c. and 10 seems TO me a mat |
ter of right and Justice 10 the people |
ot Porto Rico. They are loyal they |
are glad tn Dee under our nag. they are |
making rapid progvcss along the path |
of orderly liberty Surely we should |
show our appreciation Of them. OUT
pride In what they have done. and
our pleasure in extending recognition
for what has thus been done, by grant
Ing thcm full American citizenship.
Under the wise administration VI the
present governor and council. marked
progress has been made In the difficult
matter ot granting to the people Of the
island the largest measure of self gov
crnmcnt that can with safety be given
at the present time II 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
ornmcnts 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 Cloarost proof Of corruption OF
OF incompetence such as to icopar
dizo the interests Of the people Of the
island: and under such circumstances
It has been foarlossly used TO the i'm.
monso benefit of the people. II 10 not
a power with which Il would be safe
for the sake OF the island Itself 10 dis
pcnsc az present The lower house 10
absolutely elective. while the upper
house is appontivo This scheme II
working we'll. no injustice Of any kin,
results from 10, and great benefit Il
/ the island. aud Il should certainly no
be changed at this time The machln
/ cry of the elections is administered ca
/ tirply hv the Porto Rlcnn people thUm
selves. the governor and council keep
iug only such supervision as is neccs
sary In order To insure an orderly cleo
tlOn. Any protest AZ To electoral frauds
is settled In the courts. Here again II
would not be safe to make any change
In the present system. The elections
this year were absolutely orderly, un
accompanied 10y any disturbance; and
no protest has been made against tho
management OF the elections, although
three contests are threatened whore
the malorltlos were very small and
error was claimed. the contests. ol
course, 10 be settled In the courts. In
short, the governor and council are Co
operating with all OF the most cnllght
onod and most patriotic Of the people
Of Porto Rico In educating the citlzcnn
Of the island In the PRINCIPLES of order
ly liberty They are providing gov
eminent based upon each citizens self
respect. and the mutual respect Of all
citizens, that IL. based upon rigid
observance Of the principles Of justice
aud honesty. 10 has not been easy ia
instll into the minds Of people unac.
customod 10 the exercise OF freedom
tho two basic principles OF our Amori'
can system. the principle that the ma
lorlty must rule. and the principle that
the minority has rights which must
not be dlsrogardod or tramplod upon.
Yet real progress has been made In
having these principles accepted as
elementary, as the foundations of sue
ccssful sclfgoycrnmont
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 m one bureau, either In the
department Of war or the department
~ state. II Is a mistake not so 10 ar
range our handling of these islands at
z Washington as To be able To take ad
vantage of the experience gained Ia
one. when dealing with the problem'
that from time to time arise In an
. other
, In conclusion let me express my ad
J mlratlon for the work done by the con
gress when It enacted the law under
d which the island rs now being admin
, lsterod. After seeing the island per
p sonally. and after Ave years expert
b enco In connection with its admins
5 tratlon, II Is but fair 10 those who do
, vIscd this law TO say that II would b
: wellnigh impossible TO have devised
any other which In the actual working
p would have accomplished better 70
p suits. THEODORE ROOSEVELT,
4 The White House Dec II, 1905