The sun., 1908-05-10
DISCONTENT IN, PORFO RICO.
Belesats IArrlnsa Tells the House That
COnEre1 Has Killed Their Liberties.

COngreN Has Killed Their Liberties.
WASHINGTON, May 9.-Deegate Tulio
Larringa Of Porto Rico told the House Of
Representatives to-day that despite the
efforts Of the best and patriotic people Of
that island a feeling Of discomfort was
growing among its people discomfort with
political conditions imposed by the United
States. The act Of July ~, 1890, he pas-
sionately declared to be the leaden seal
upon the tomb Of the liberties Of a million
freemen.
Mr. Larringa spoke from tho Democratic
side Of the House and in the time yielded
TO him by Mr., Henry Of Texas member
Of the minority. Heretofore he had always
spoken from the majority side of the hall
and apparently a. Republican and sup
porter Of the Administration.
His remarks, he said, we're drawn out by
some statements made yesterday while
the bill making a permanent institution
Of the Porto Rioan bill was under discus
sion. Mr. Douglass OF Ohio had expressed
the opinion that the discomfort in the island
was due principally tn the tempermental
peoulartes Of the people Mr.. Williams.
the minority leader, told the House then
that the trouble WAS deeper.
Mr.. Iarringa rive etted the attention Of
members and many crowded about him,
and his several sallies in passages with
Republican interroRqtors gave satisfaction
10 the Democrats. Mr.. Douglass he said,
had reflected upon his people and Mr.. Will
iams was right.
Il call to the attention." Mr.. Larringa
said, -of every fair minded man the act
passed 10y the Fifty-siXth Congress by
which the nights and liberties Of our people
werc killed That we should he obliged
every day to hear such a reflection upon
the people Of Porto Rico, perhaps only to
justify the Government, that this Congress
has imposed upon us, ia adding insult TO
injustice. Instead Of the automatic self
government that the people Of Porto Rico
werc promised you will find that II has
practically ceased and officers appointed
by the Executive 90 down there 10 make
laws for the people whose customs they
do not know The House Of Delegates
does not amount 10 anything. No law
can pass there that those gentlemen do
not approve Of Those six gentlemen go
there and make our laws, they vote our
taxes, they collect them by the employees
they appoint and they spend them through
those same people, Is 1t strange that dis
content after eight years Of suffering should
be spreading through the island|
Let us come 10 the economic part OF
our bill What does it provide for the people
Of Porto Rico? It provides that the fiscal
laws Of the United States shall he applied.
They we're applied and ruined the country
because no provision was made 10 protect
our main industry, the industry OF the
poor man, the coffee industry. The Fifty
sixth Congress, a Congress committed TO
protection like every Congress that has
succeeded il, never thought for a moment
Of protecting the production Of our poor
people
Zone Of the best resources Of our people
has disappeared. Property was equally
distributed and every poor man had his
tract OF land where he cultivated coffee,
What has become Of that land' IL has passed
into the hands Of the rich, The way Is paved
for a third trust. We have the sugar trust
and the tobacco trust and pretty soon we
will have the coffee trust.
Il am sorry to have % bring before the
House those facts for you know for years
! made gospel Of American principles In
my country. And they sent me here because
they believed In me. What other provision
would any man find in that Foraker act'
He finds reduction Of our currency IN
day from six and quarter millions TO less
than three millions. Think Of that. just
think gentlemen, Of this country having
in one dav reduced the circulating medium
to one-third Of what it wasl
ITO be honest, Mr. Chairman, those
times have passed away 10 some extent
and we are prospering now. But hear
every day in the political campaign here.
We have made Porto Rico prosperous.
| wish you had Then ! could be looked
upon by my countrymen with more kind
regard. | wish you had, but you have
not. II was matter Of one crop, The
people Of Porto Rico thought, az Congress
was committed 10 protection, that they
we're TO be given a little protection. We
hear so much about square deal that we
believed we we're justified in assuming
that we would get it, We are n very crcdu-
lous people one Of the peculiarities Of our
character Mr. Speaker and the reason
that We somptimes get the worst end of it