The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-05-10

act to the joint action Of the execu-
tive council and the house of dele
gates as the legislative assembly The
house Of delegates proposes itself to
secure this Legislation without respect
to the opposition Of the executive
council, or else to pull down the
whole government. This spirit, which
has been growinA from year to wear
In Porto Rico. shows that too great
power has been vested in the house
OF delegates, and that it's members
are not sufficiently alive to their OATH
taking responsibility for the maiute
nance of the government to justify
congress in further reposing in them
absolute power to withhold appropria.
tions necessary for the governments
life.
For these reasons I recommend
amendment to the Foraker act pro
viding that whenever the legislative
assembly shall adjourn without max
ing the appropriations necessary to
carry on the government, sums equal
to the appropriations made IN the pre-
yious year for the respectire purposes
shall be available from the current
revenues and shall be drawn by the
warrant of the auditor on the treas
urer and countersigned by the COVER
nor. Such a provision applies to the
| legislatures of the Philippines and
Hawaii, and 1t has prevented in these
two countries any misuse Of the pow.
er of appropriation.
"The house of delegates sent a com.
mittee Of three to Washington, while
the executive council was represented
by the secretary and committee con.
sisting Of the attorney general and the
auditor. | referred both committees
to the secretary of the interior, whose
| report, with a letter from Governor
Post, and the written statements OF
both committees, accompany this
| message.
Had Personal Interview
81 have had one personal Interview
with the committee representing the
house OF delegates, and suggested to
them that II the house of delegates
would pass the appropriation BILL
without insisting upon the passage OF
the other bills by the executive coun.
| ell, | would send a representative of
the government to Porto Rico to
make an investigation and report in
respect TO the proposed legislation.
Their answer shows them not to be
I'm compromising mood
| Representatives OF the house OF del
egates insist in their appeals to con.
gress and to the public that from the
standpoint Of u free people the Porto
Ricans are now subjected under
American control to political oppres-
sion and to a much less liberal gov
ernment than under that OF Spain. To
prove this they refer to the provisions
Of royal decree of 1897, promulgated
in November of that year The decree
related to the government OF Porto
/ Rico and CuDa and was undoubtedly
a great step forward in granting
| certain sort of autonomy to the peo.
Pile of the two islands. The war fol
lowed within few months after its
PRONUNCIATION, and 1t is impossible to
say what its practical operation
would have been"
/ nCNlCWb SOHuItiOHbs
After reviewing at length the condi
| tion of Porto Rico at the time the
island came into the possession of the
! United States the improvements
made and conditions at present exist.
ing, President Taft says: III the Por.
to Ricans desire change I'm the form
of the Foraker act, this is a matter
| ra, n
| dent on the effect of such a change
on the real political progress in the
island. Such a change should be
| sought in an orderly way and not
brought to the attention of congress
! by paralyzing the arm of the existing
| government. | do not doubt that the
terms of the existing fundamental act
might be improved, certainly in quail.
flying some of its provisions as to the
respective jurisdictions Of the execu.
tive council and the legislative Assem-.
} bly,; and / suggest to congress the
, wisdom of submitting to the appropri-
ate committees this question OF re-
vision. But no action of this kind
should be begun until after, by special
amendment of the Foraker act, the
absolute power of appropriation Is
taken away from those who have
shown themselves too irresponsible to
enjoy It.
"In the desire of certain )f their
leaders for political power, Porto Ri
cans have forgotten the generosity of
the United States in its dealings with
them. This should not be an occasion
for surprise, nor In dealing with
whole people can II be made the basis
of charge of ingratitude. When we
with the consent of the people of
Porto Rico, assumed guardianship
over them and the guidance of their
destinies, we must have been con
scious that people that had enjoyed
so little opportunity for education
could not be expected safely for them
selves to exercise the full power OF
self-goyernment and the present de
velopment is only an indication that
we have gone somewhat too fast In
the extension of political power to
them for their own good.