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.
I DECEMBER U, 1906
' The democratic party declared for the principle in
fl896, and the democratic candidate advocated it
in 1900 and the party was defeated both times.
Now a republican president deliberately recom
mends not merely an income tax but a graded in
come tax. The world does move and a righteous
cause does grow. What greater victory have re
formers secured than the conversion of a repub
lican president to a democratic doctrine. The
income tax will come. The growth of sentiment
is slow, yes, very slow when you consider how
plain, and unanswerable are the arguments in
favor of an income tax, but it takes time for the
people to understand it.
Ten years ago the republicans boldly chal
lenged the quantitative theory of money. Now it
is universally admitted and we all rejoice over
the larger prosperity which a larger volume of
currency has brought. Our opponents said in
189G that we had money enough. Now no public
men would advocate a return to the quantity that
we had then or to any material reduction of the
immense increase that we have enjoyed since.
They are even advocating an asset currency or
an emergency currency, in order to secure a still
larger volume. The new demands ought not to
be granted, but the desire for more currency
is in itself a vindication of the quantitative theory
of money.
How often the democratic party has gone
down to defeat on the tariff question, and yet,
tariff reform is growing. Every day find3 more
tariff reformers in the republican party. Each
new year strengthens the arguments of the demo
crats in favor of a reduction of import duties.
Reform is slow to bo sure, but it is sure to come
even on the tariff question.
In 1898 the republicans thought that colon
ialism was going to be very profitable to the
country, although the leaders did not dare to
mention a word. They thought they saw great
possibilities of trade in the Philippines, and in
addition to that, they thought Manila would be a
stepping stone to the Orient. The delusion has
gone. They find that the holding of the Philip
pines is a weakness instead of a strength to the
nation and that the trade we buy is not worth
what it is costing us. No longer seeing a profit
in the enterprise, they are not so sure that they
saw the hand of God in imperialism. In this
case as in others the policies for which democ
racy stands are constantly gaining strength.
On the labor question the democratic party
has suffered the usual fate of the pioneer opposi
tion, abuse, defeat but the president urges ar
bitration, which the democrats have demanded in
three national platforms. He emphasizes the im
portance of the eight hour day, which the demo
crats have been asking, and he even warns the
courts against the abuse of the writ of Injunction.
While he does not go as far as he should on the
last proposition, it Is encouraging to have him
go as far as ho does.
On the trust question he Is not as explicit and
as emphatic as the conditions to be met require,
but he is doing something and saying something,
and all these things help in the work of educa
tion. Last of all, he is awakening the people to the
evils of swollen fortunes gathered by immoral
means, which demoralize both their present pos
sessors and the expectant heirs. He proposes
an inheritance tax to keep these swollen fortunes
from descending to posterity, which is good as
far as it goes, but the people will soon learn that
it is better to take away the privileges and the
governmental favoritism by which swollen for
tunes are accumulated than for the government to
permit the accumulation and then claim a part of
the plunder.
Sentiment is growing In favor of better gov
ernment and more just conditions, and no reform
er has reason to falter in his work. Let him re
new his strength by a review of the progress made
and then with renewed zeal take up the fight
again.
The Commoner
The President's Special Message
The Ohio republican who is asking the courts
to disburse the remainder of a republican state
campaign fund is advertising himself as a mighty
easy prey for the gold brick man and the green
goods speculator. The idea of there being any
remainder after the "boss" had the handling.
.Madame Patti is farewelling again. Her final
farewell is running a neck-and-neck race with
tariff revision by the friends of the tariff.
It seems that the society reporters of the
.Pittsburg daily papers spend most of their time
in reporting police and district court trials.
On Tuesday, December 11, the president EQnt
to congress the following special messago:
nn i Ul01SenatG unl House of Representatives:
Sfrn H?!?ber ?l ' V,3ltd th0 IsId Ol Porto
nov ? Cayoy to San Juan an" returning
fr nraorl"B over the new American road from
hn f ,t0 rn?e' Th0 8conery was wonderfully
2fn1' cfo?lally among the mountains of the
$ ', ?llcrh consUtt a veritable tropic
Switzerland. I could not embark at San Juan bo
cause the harbor has not been dredged out and
??? ,noA !'ec,e,ve au American battleship. I do not
think this fact creditable to us as a nation, and
I earnestly hope that immcllato provision will
be made for dredging San Juan harbor.
I doubt whether our people as a whole realize
the beauty and fertility or Porto Rico, and the
progress that has been made under its admirable
government. We have just cause for pride in tto
character of our representatives who have ad
ministered the tropic islands which came under
our flag as a result of the war with Spain; and
of no one of them is this more true than of Porto
Rico. It would be impossible to wish a more
faithful, a more efficient and a more disinterested
public service than that now being rendered in
the island of Porto Rico by those in control of tho
insular government.
I stopped at a dozen towns all told, and one
of the notable features in' every town was tho
gathering of the school children. The work that
has been done in Porto Rico for education has
been noteworthy. The main emphasiB, as is emi
nently wise and proper, has been put upon pri
mary education, but in addition to this there is
a normal school, an agricultural school, threo in
dustrial and three high schools. Every effort is
being made to secure not only the benefits of ele
mentary education to all the Porto Ricans of the
next generation, but also as far as means will
permit to train them so that the industrial, agri
cultural and commercial opportunities of the island
can be utilized to the best possible .advantage. It
was evident at a glance that the teachers, both
Americans and native Porto Ricans, were devoted
to their work, took the greatest pride In it, and
were endeavoring to train their pupils, not only
in mind, but in what counts for far more than
mind in ciitizenship, that is, in character.
I was very much struck by tho excellent
character both of the Insular police and of the
Porto Rican regiment. They are both of them
bodies that reflect credit upon the American ad
ministration of the island. The Insular police
are under the local Porto Rican government. The
Porto Rican regiment of troops must be appro
priated for by the congress. I earnestly hope
that this body will be kept permanent. There
should certainly be troops in the island, and it
is wise that these troops should be themselves
native Porto Ricans. It would be from every
standpoint a mistake not to perpetuate this regi
ment. In traversing the island even the most cursory
survey leaves the beholder struck with tho evi
dent growth in the culture both of the sugar cane
and tobacco. The fruit industry is also growing.
Last year was the most prosperous year that
the island has ever known before or since the
American occupation. The total of exports and
imports of the Island was forty-five millions of
dollars as against eighteen millions in 1901. This
is the largest In the island's history. Prior to
the American occupation the greatest trade for
any one year was that of 1896, when it reached
nearly twenty-three millions of dollars. Last
year, therefore, there was double the trade that
there was in the most prosperous year under the
Spanish regime. There were 210,273 tons of sugar
exported last year, of the value of $14,186,319;
$3,555,163 of tobacco, and 28,290,322 pounds of
coffee of the value of $3,481,102. Unfortunately,
what used to be Porto Rico's prime crop coffee
has not shared this prosperity. It has never re
covered from the disaster of the hurricane, and
moreover, the benefit of throwing open our mar
ket to it has not compensated for the loss inflict
ed by the closing of the markets to it abroad. I
call your attention to the accompanying memorial
on this subject, of the board of trade of San
Juan, and I earnestly hope that some measure
will be taken for the benefit of the excellent and
high grade Porto Rican coffee.
In addition to delegations from the board of
trade and chamber of commerce of San Juan, I
also received delegations from the Porto Rican
Federation of Labor, and from the Coffee Grow
ers' association.
There is a matter to which I wish to call your
special attention, and (hat is tho desirability of
conferring full American citizenship upon tho
pooplo of Porto Rico. I most earnestly hopo that
this will bo done. I can not soo how any harm
can possibly result from it, and it seems to mo
a matter of right and justice to the people of
Porto Rico. They are loyal, thoy are glad to be
under our flag, thoy arc making rapid progress
along tho path of orderly liberty. Surely wo should
show our appreciation of them, our prido In what
thoy havo dono, and our pleasuro in oxtendlng
recognition for what has thus boon dono, by grant
Ing them full American citizenship.
Under the wlgo administration of tho present
St nnd S10!1' mnrkccI l,rKT3 has been
made In the difficult matter of granting to tho
people of the Island tho larKcBt measure of self
government that can with safety bo given at tho
present time, it would have been a very serious
mistake to havo gone any faster than wo have
already gone In this; direction. Tho Porto Ricans
havo complete and absolute autonomy In all their
municipal governments, tho only power over them
possessed by the insular government being that
of removing corrupt or incompetent municipal
officials. This power has never boon exorcised
save on the clearest proof of corruption or of In
competence such as to jeopardize tho Interests
of the people of tho Island; nnd under such cir
cumstances it has been fearlcsslv used to tho im
mense benefit of the people. It is not a power with
which. It would be safe, for the sako of the Island
itself, to (lispnse at present. The lower house
is absolutely elective wh'le tho upper house Is
appointive This scheme Is working well; no in
justice of any kind results from It, and great
benefit to tho island, and it should certainly not
be changed at this lime. The machinery of tho
elections is administered entirely by tho Porto
Rican people themselves, the governor and council
keeping only such supervision n3 Is necessary In
order to Insure nn orderly election. Any protest
as to electoral frauds is settled in the courts.
Here again It would not bo safe to make any
change in the present system.
The elections this year were absolutely order
ly, unaccompanied by any disturbance; njid no
protest has been made against tho managenone
of the elections, although three contests are
threatened where the majorities were very small
and error was claimed; the contests, of course, to
be settled in the courts. In short, the governor and
council are co-operating with all of tiie moat en
lightened and most patriotic of the people of
Porto Rico in educating the citizens of the island
in tho principles of orderly liberty. They are
providing a government based upon each citizen's
self-respect, and the mutual respect of all citizens;
that is, based upon a rigid observance of tho prin
ciples of justice and honesty. It has not been
easy to instil into tho minds of people unaccus
tomed to the exercise of freedom, the two basic
principles of our American system; the princi
ple that tho majority must rule, and the prin
ciple that the minority lias rights which must
not be disregarded or trampled upon. Yet real
progress has been made in having these prin
ciples accepted as elementary, as the foundations
of successful self-government.
I transmit herewith the report of the gov
ernor of Porto Rico, sent to the president through
the secretary of state.
All the insular governments should be placed
in one bureau, either in the department of war
or the department of state. It Is a mistako not
so to arrange our handling of these islands at
"Washington as to be able to take advantage of tho
experience gained in one, when dealing with tho
problems that from time to time arise in another.
In conclusion let me express my admiration
for the work done by the congress when It enact
ed the law under which the island is now being
administered. After seeing the Island personally,
and after five years' experience In connection
with Its administration, it Is but fair to those who
devised this law to say that it would be well
nigh impossible to have devised any other which
'in the actual working would have accomplishpd
better results.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
SHOCKING!
What Is this? The Londou Times Is quoted
as declaring that had the people known when its
railroads were first invented that they were to
be the real highways of the country, they would
not have been entrusted to individuals. And thif
'from a conservative paper In conservative Eng
land! It is shocking what radical utterances nor
come from these respectable sources.
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