Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1907-04-25
'TAFTIN PORTORIcO
secretary Of War Speaks Of tho
Government Policy Towards
the Island.
GpFto RIcans Told That They Enjoy
Every Other Liberty That
y Citizens Of Tie United
States Enjoy.

Ponce, Porto Rico, April 1S.-Sec-
rdtary TAFT and his party, Gov. Win
fhrop and the insuIar officials &C.
oompanying them, arrived here Tues
day afternoon. A banquet in honor
OF the secretary was given by the
city Tuesday night. The speech OF
welcome was delivered by Augusta
cautier, president Of the city council.
genor Gautier compllmented Gov.
Winthrop on the excellent work
done during his tenure OF office.
Gov Winthrop expressed graft
tude for the confidence Of the people
and promised always 70 lend his aid
IN matters affecting the island.
Herminio Diaz, Of the executive
council, made a long speech in which
he introduced Secretary Taft. He
made strong plea FOR citizenship
and expressed the hope that Secre-
tary Taft would unite with President
Roosevelt against Speaker Cannon,
who, when here recently, gave the
Porto Ricans little hope in the mat
ter Of citizenship.
Secretary Taft then spoke vigorous
" in reply, saying in part:
again am urged to make full
and specific declaration regarding the
policy Of the United States toward
the people Of Porto Rico. l am only
n humble member Of President Roose-
velt's cabinet. Whatever ! may think
or whatever / may do are matters OF
little Importance to the people Of this
island. can only invoke your atten'
ton to the fact that President Roose-
welt has visited Porto Rico and the
island has been visited by Mr.. Root,
the Secretary of State, and by Mr.,
Cannon, Speaker of the House OF
Representative and In some respects
the most powerful man in the repub-
lie. What those visits indicate Is
this: That the people Of the United
States have a deep Affection for the
people Of Porto Rico and feel more
kindly toward them and have great
or interest in them than in the peo-
q ple Of Cuba, or the Philippines, The
United States has gathered Porto
Rico to her bosom and given her
that which means the material pro-
Kress OF the island-the benefit OF the
markets OF the United States. She
has given her the markets and the
/, prosperity she enjoys today. She has
Owen every Porto Rican the same lib
erty- enjoyed by the people OF the
United States.
eo"You say you have not been given
citizenship. President Roosevelt has
recommended that citizenship be
given, but there have been congress
eional difficulties with reference to
this matter. l am not dealing, how.
eVer, with generallties, but with the
i6oKcrete facts. ask what 1t is that
IIG Porto Rican does not enjoy that an
American enjoysY You have every
guarantee and security which citi-
zen of the United States has under
the constitution. You have the writ
6f hRbeas corpus and the trial by
fury, and when you are in a foreign
country the same flag protects you
that protects a citizen Of the United
STATES, Therefore, while President
Roosevelt urges citizenship, he urges
I4f IN Che ground Of gratifying the
3 sentiment Of the people Of this island.
nRhh@hen you come to examine the
facts Of what you ask, the question
is whether It Is not nominal rather
r'InHN sffbstantIals