The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-12-11

growing. Last year was the most pros
porous year that the island has ever
known before or since the American Oc-
cupation. The total of exports and i'm
ports OF the island was forty-hve mil
lions Of dollars as against eighteen mil
lions in 1901 This is the largest in the
islands history. Prior to the Amer1-
can occupation the greatest trade for
any one year was that Of 1896, when
il reached nearly twenty-three millions
of dollars. Last year. therefore, there
was double the trade that there was IN
the most prosperous year under me
Spanish regime. There were 21O.213
tons of sugar exported last year, OF the
value of $14,1S6,319; $3,555,163 OF to-
bacco, and 2S,290,322 pounds of coftee
of the value of $3,4S1,102- Unfortu-
nately, what used to be Porto Rico
prime crop-coffee-ha not shared
this prosperity. It has never recovered
from the disaster of the hurricane ana
moreover. the benefit of throwing open
our market to it has not compensated
for the loss inflicted by the closing or
the markets to it abroad l call your
attention to the accompanying me-
mortal on this subject, of the board OF
trade of San Juan, and 1 earnestly nope
that some measure will be taken for
the benefit of the excellent and high
grade Porto Rican coffee
In addition to delegations from the
board Of trade and chamber OF COM
merce Of San Juan, also received
delegations from the Porto Rican
F'e0eTaIlOn
Coffee Grow ers' association
Citizenship for Porto Rico.
There is a matter to which 1 wish to
call your special attention, and that is
the desira ability of comforting fuI
American citizenship upon the people
of Porto Rico. mos earnestly hope
that this will be DONE can not see
how any harm can possibly result
from it, and it seems 10 me a matter
of right and justice to the people or
1.,wrn al n r
glad to be under cur flag, they are
making rapid progress along the pain
Of orderly liberty Surely We should
show our appreciation of them, our
pride in what they have done, and our
pleasure in extending recognition Tor
what has thus been done, by granting
them full American citizenship
Under the wise administration OF
the present governor and council
marked progress has been made in the
difficult ma ter of granting to the peo-
pie of the island the largest measure
of self-governmen that can with
safety be given at the present time 1t
would have been a very serious mis-
take to have gone any faster than we
have already done in this direction
The Porto Ricans have complete and
absolute autonomy in all their munich
pal governments, the only power over
them possessed by the insular gov
eminent being that of removing cor
rupt or incompetent municipal Of
nCldlS. In1S power mas never O60n OK
ercised save on the clearest proof of
corruption or of incompe tence-such
as to jeopardize the interests of the
people of the island; and under such
circumstances it has been fearlessly
used to the immense benefit Of the
people. It is not a power with which
It would be safe, for the sake of the
island itself, to dispense at present
The lower house is absolutely elective,
while the upper house is appointiVe.
This scheme is working we'll; 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 cleo
tons is administered entirely by the
Porto Rican people themselves, the
governor and council keeping only
such supervision as is necessary in or
der to insure an orderly election. Any
protest as to electoral frauds is set
tied in the courts Here again 1t would
not be safe to make any change in the
present system.
The elections this year were absolute
" orderly, unaccompanied by any dis
turbance; 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 cooperating with all Of the
most enlightened and most patriotic of |
the citizens Of the island in the princi-
pies of orderly liberty They are pro-
yiding a government based upon each |
citizens self respect, and the mutual
respect of all citizens; that is, based !
upon a rigid observance Of the princi-
pies of justice and honesty It has not |
been easy to instin into the minds of
people unaccustomed to the exercise of |
freedom. the two basic principles of |!
our American system; the principle that
the majority must rule, and the princi- |
pie that the minority has rights which /
must not be disregarded or trampled /
upon. Yet real progress has been made /
in having these principles accepted as !
elementary, as the foundations of sue |
cessful self government.
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 1
placed in one bureau, either in the de- |
partment of war or the department of |
state 1t is mistake not so to arrange !
our handling of these islands at Wash
ington as to be able to take advantage
of the experience gained in one, when |
dealing with the problems that from |
time to time arise in another.
In conclusion let me express my adj
mirauon for the work done by the /
congress when it enacted the law under
which the island is now being admin
istered After seeing the island person
ally, and after Ave years experience in
with It's administration 1t is
but fair to those who devised this law
to say that it would be well nigh i'm
possible to have devised any other
which in the actual working would
have accomplished better results.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
Tho White House December IL 1906.