Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-12-13

"a.
sugar cane and tobacco. The fruit in
dustry is also growing. Last year was
the most prosperous year that the isl
and has ever known before or since
the American. occupation. The total
% fexports and imports of the island
was forty-fve millions of dollars as
against eighteen million 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 it reached nearly
twenty-th1ee millions Of dollars. Last
year, therefore, there was double the
trade that there was in the most pros
porous year under the Spanish regime.
There were s210,273 tons of sugar eX-
ported last year, of the value Of $14.-
1s6,319; $3,555,163 Of tobacco, and 49,
290,322 pounds Of coffee Of the value
of $3,4S1, 102, Unfortunately, what
used to be Porto Rico's prime crop
coffee-has not shared this prosperity.
| 1t has never recovered from the dis
aster Of the hurricane, and moreover,
the benefit Of throwing open our mar
ket to it has not compensated for the
loss inflicted by the closing Of the mar
kets to it abroad. call your attention
to the accompanying memorial on this
subject, of the Board of Trade of San
Juan, and 1 earnestly hope that some
measure will be taken for the benefit
of the excellent and high-grade Porto
Rico coffee. 80.
| In additions to delegations from the
Board of Trade and Chamber of Com
merce Of san Juan, l also received
delegations from the Porto Rican Fed
GRAFTON of Labor and from the Coffee
Growers Association
| Would Confer Citizenship.
There is matter to which I wish
to call your especial attention, and
that is the desirability Of comforting
full American citizenship upon the
people Of Porto Rico. most earnestly
hope that this will be done. can not
see how any harm can possible result
from 1t, but it seems to me 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 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 administration Of
the present governor and council,
marked progress has been made in the
difficult matter Of granting to the peo-
pie Of the island the largest measure
of self-government that can with safe
i ty be given at the pre-ent time. 1t
i would have been very serious mis-
/ take. to go, any faster. than we have
already gone In this direction. The
4 Porto Rcans have complete and absc-
lutte autonomy in all their municipal
governments, the only power over
them possessed by the insular govern.
ment being that Of removing corrupt
i or incompetent municipal officials
i This power has been exercised save
only on the clearest proof of corruption
or incompetence-sllc as to jeaoupar
die the interests Of the people of the
island; and under such circumstances
!. 1t has been fearlessly used to the i'm
mense Jenefit of the people. 1t Is
not a power with which 1t would lie
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 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
--le machinery of tie elections is ad
ministered entirely by the Porto Ricar
people themselves, the governor ant
council keeping only such supervi
sion as is necessary in order to insure
an orderly election. Any protest as
to electoral frauds is settled in the
courts. Here again it would not BIZ
safe to make any change in the pre-
, sent system. The elections this yea
were absolutely orderly, unaccompan
, led by any disturbance; and no protes
has been made against the manage
ment of the elections, although tire,
contests are threatened where tht
majorities we're very small and erro
was claimed; the contest, of course
to be settled in the courts. In short
the governor and council are cooperat
ing with all of the most enlightened
!. and most patriotic of the people o
|. Porto Rico in educating the citizens
o fthe island in the principles of order
ly liberty. They are providing a gov
eminent based upon each citizen
self-respect, and the mutual respec
of all citizens; that is, based upon
. rigid observance Of the principles
! justice and honesty. 1t has not beel
] easy to instil into the minds of peopl
Q lunaccustomed to the exercise of free