Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1906-12-20

any one year was tnat OF 1870, Wncn II
reached nearly 1923. 900, 900. Last year.
therefore. there was double the trade
that there was In the most prosper.
Gus year under the Spanish regime.
There were 210.273 tons of sugar ex-
\ ported last year., OF the value of S14.-
lS6,319; s3,555.1 of tobacco, and
2S, 29J,322 pounds of coffee of the value
of $3.4Si, 102. Unfortunately. what
used to be Porto Rico's prime crop
cofee-has not shared this prosper
ity. II has never recovered from the
disaster of the hurricane, and. more
over. the benefit of throwing open
our market to 1t has not compensated
for the loss inflicted by the closing OF
h markets to II abroad. ! call your
attention to the accompanying memo
rial 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 Rican coffee.
There Is a matter to which | wish
to call your especial attention. and
that is the ~desirabillty of comforting
full American citizenship upon the
people OF Porto Rico. | most earnest
" nope mat tnis VIII DC dohe' ! can
no. see now any Marin can possibly re-
suit from II. and II seems to me a mat
ter Of right and Justice to the people
OF Porto Rico. They are loyal. they
are siau 10 pe unuer OUT nag .hey are
NAMING Iapiu progress aiohs the pain
-
VI orue'iy iioerty. surrey we shouiu
SHOW our ~appreciation Oh ,heni' our
pruo /" "nae 'ney nave uone' an
our pieasurc IN eA.enuins recoshit'on
,oI "na' mas ."us oeen uone' ny srah''
ms '"eih i"i american ci'iNe"ship
onde the wise administration OF the
present governor ana council, marked
progress mas been made In the dimcult
matter Oh granting TO the people OF the
Island the largest measure oil self-gov-
that can with safety be given
at the present time. 1t would have
oeen a very serious mistake TO nave
gone any raster than we nave already
gone IN TINS direction. The Porto
ieicans nave 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. h
power has never been exercised save
on the clearest proof OF corruption or
OF incompetence-such as to jeopar-
die the interests or the people OF the
island; and under such circumstances
1t has been fearlessly used to the i'm
mense benefit OF the people. 1t is not
a power with which 1t 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 IL
working well; no injustice of any kin
results from II, and great benefit to
the island. and 1t should certainly not
be changed at this time. The machin-
cry of the elections Is administered m
tirely by the Porto Rican people them
selves. the governor and council 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 It
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 majorities were very small and
error was claimed: the contests. OF
course, 10 De settied IN the courts. In
snort. the governor and council are CO.
operating with all OF the most enlight-
ened ana most patriotic OF the people
OF Porto RICO In educating the citizens
OF the Island In the principles OF order
~ liberty. Ihey are providing a gov
based upon each citizen S self
respect, n the mutual respect oil all
cltizens' that Is, based upon n rigid
observance oi the prihcipies Oh Justice
anu honesty. IL mas not oeeh easy 10
'ns.iii ineo 'he minus Oh people mac
cus,ohiea 10 the exercise Oh eeuom
'he TWO oasic principles OF our Ameri-
Tan sys'enh' inc prihcipie nat ,he ma
Jori's mus. ruie' anu 'he prihcipie that
Tue minority mas rish.s "hIch must
nut oe uisfesa'ueu u 'Iahhpieu upon
Jet rear progress mas oeeh maze IN
having 'hese prihcipies accepted as
eiemen'ary, az the iouhua.iohS OF sue
cessiui seiieo'erhneh'
Fahsnii. herewith ,he report OF the