The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-03-12
PORTO RICO IS
AHEAD OF CUBA
Speaker Cannon Makes a
Speech to House of Dele
gates at San Juan.
FUTURE PROSPECT BRIGHT
CITIZENSHIP A QUESTION FOR
COMING YEARS.

San Juan, p. r. March 11-This
morning the congressional party in
charge Of Governor Winthrop and the
commissioner Of the interior. Lawrence
II. Graham, left here for a sixty-five-
mile run in automobiles over the mill
4! tary road into the interior of the island
At 4 o'clock this afternoon the con-
gressnen had returned TO San Juan.
where they attended reception of the
executive council and visited the house
or delegates. Mr.. Cannon was warmly
welcomed by the speaker. who made a
patriotic speech, in which he limited
strongly that Porto Rico was ready for
self-government.
EVaded Citizenship Question.
Mr.. Cannon replied. and while he
evaded the question of citizenship for
the people Of Porto Rico expressed
gfauncation over the wonderful agri-
cultural development made here since
his trip of four years ago
All government" said Mr.. Cannon.
Is for the protection of all the citizens
OF the government. whether they be
strong and powerful or weak In the
United States We call ourselves an An
glo-Arrerican population, while I'm Porto
Rico you are Of Spanish descent. You
pursue your best interests under your
changed condition. end we pursue our
best interests under our changed con-
ditiOns. We are being knitted together
as by hooks of steel. and your interests
are our interests. Your misfortunes. If
you have them, will be our nnisfortunes.
If you prosper and we prosper. we pros
per together, but II you fail to prosper
and we fail to prosper. We fail to-
gether.
Some Comparisons Made
The people of the United States view
with great interest the immediate flI-
ture of the West Indies. Cuba. with
greater material wealth than Porto
Rico, after four years of prosperity and
elf-government, has been convulsed
with revolution, and the United States.
Keeping her promise made when the
Cuban government was organized
which promise was written in the Gu
ban constitution, has been compelled to
intervene in Cuba
"Santo Domingo. In a hundred years.
has gone from prosperity almost to an
archy, and the United States. by treaty,
has promised to collect the revenues of
Santo Domingo so as to prevent the in
tervention OF the nations of the old
world. 1t Is to be hoped from this on
that there will be a stable government
in Santo Domingo.
sis Porto Rico Ready7"
Under these conditions the people OF
the United States look with great in
terest to the progress of the people of
Porto Rico, and they are asking: is
Porto Rico competent for self-govern-
ment@
Those who are best informed in the
United States point with pride to the
the educational and the moral
progress that you have made since YOU
became part of the great republic. 1t
is the universal desire of the people of
the United states that you may SO pro-
gress in prosperity as to demonstrate |
your capacity for self-government
There is not one citizen in the United |
States of the s5.000.O0O that does not
hope and pray that you will demon
strate your capacity for stable govern |
ment and for self government, not only |
on your own account. but on our ac- |
count as well. and especially as an ex-
ample to the neighboring islands that
peace. industry and prosperity are pos
sible in one Of the islands of the West
Indies This outcome would make 4
bright the star of hope in the breasts
Of the people of the United States and
Of the people in the other West Indian
islands, that those islands may follow |
the example that you are so MOLLY set
ting"