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3rUNE.3, 1910
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Mr. Bryan in Porto Rico
Below wilf bo found the speeches delivered
by Governor Colton and Mr. Bryan at the ban
quet temdered Mr. Bryan at San Juan, April 9,
by citizens of San Juan. Dr. Zeno Gandia acted
a toastmaster and speeches were also made by
Mr. Delgo, speaker of tbe Porto Rico legislature,
and by Mr. Degetau, former representative of
Porto Rico at Washington, but as they were not
reported they can not be reproduced:
Governor Colton spoke as follows:
"Mr. Toastmaster and Gentlemen: I esteem
It a privilege to join you tonight In honoring
our Illustrious and sympathetic fellow country
man, the Hon. William Jennings Bryan.
"I have had the honor of- doing some things
contemporaneously with Colonel Bryan. Wo
settled in the-great state, of Nebraska in the
same year; we went to war together in, the
same year. Having finished our term of mili
tary service, we laid aside our swords, -itnd al
though we are of different political parties,
neither of us have since, to my knowledge, ac
quired any sticks of large proportion.
"The colonel has traveled extensively through
out our island; he nas been impressed with its
beauty; with the luxuries of its products, he has
experienced the hospitality of its lovable inhabi
tants. He appreciates the fact that it is tne
Ideal spot for a Pan-American University,. where
the youths of the two races may meet and know
each other, to the advantage of their respective
Countries. He knows, and ho appreciates, that
It is the most conveniently located and best
equipped place In the western Hemisphere for a
great winter playground and resort.
"No one could inspire happier thoughts among
its no one will say kinder things about us, than
he."
The speech of Mr. Bryan was as follows:
Mr. President, Toastmaster, Governor, Gen-
tlemen: I appreciate .the kind words spoken and
this opportunity to meet so many of the promi
nent men of Porto Rico.
It seems to me. that the main object of this
banquet has been gained through the speeches
of others. It is not nearly' so necessary that; I
should talk to you as that you snould inform me,
and'-I -rejoice that" dur 'people have taught' free
dom of speech because It is just such 'freedom of
speech as we havo had tonight that helps "both
those whom the speakers represent and the
country to which they address their remarks.
Some two years ago I heard a man explaining
that freedom of speech was given, not that peo
ple might say things that were pleasant but
that they might say things that were unpleasant.
He said that it had always been possible for
people to say things that were enjoyed by those
who heard them but that it was only under the
guarantees of freedom of speech that people
were permitted to say things that those who
ljeard were not glad to hear. I do not moan to
apply this in full to'-this occasion, for nothing
that has been said tonight has displeased me or
would displease the representatives of our gov
ernment. In fact, I believe that freedom of
speecli is as essential to those who are criticised
as to those who criticise. I once had an oppor
tunity to speak to one high in authority in a
country where freedom of speech was denied
and I made an argument in favor of freedom of
speech. I told 'him that those in authority need
ed the aid of those who wanted to criticise, even
more than of those who wanted to praise; that
those who praised might conceal the truth but
that those who criticised were more frank than
those who praised, and that a good ruler ought
to be glad to have his defects, and the faults
of his administration, pointed out that he might
correct them., and so I -was glad tonight when
one of the speakers emphasized the fact that
in Porto Rico there lias been freedom of speech.
I have enjoyed all of the speeches that have
been made. I am glad that the governor, who
represents in his executive capacity the whole
people of the United States, Is here to 'partici
pate in this banquet. I am not sure but that
our -presence at the same banquet may emphasize
an important lesson. He and I do not agree in
party affiliations. He represents the government
and at the same time the majority .party, while
I have represented, as a candidate, the minority
party. But there is this significance in our
meeting together. We illustrate an Important
fact in the life of the United States, and that
is, that in our politics there is nothing personal
and that people can fight each other in cam
paigns and yet stand side by side as the repre
sentatives of American ideas. Our fight ends
when the votes are counted and the defeated
party is as loyal to the administration as the
victorious party. I have threo times boon de
feated and each time I sent a telegram of con-
- gr&tulation to my successful opponent as soon
as I was satisfied of the result and I wished his
administration success as sincerely as his most
ardent supporters. All through South America
this fact that I had sent telegrams of congratu
lation, was referred to and they told mo that
it was not always customary down there. They
thought that It was a matter worthy of note that
it had been done. I assured them that I had
done nothing that my opponent would not have
done had I been successful instead of ho. It
is important in a free government that there
should be this recognition of the rights of op
ponents and this acquiescence in the will of the
majority.
I have been glad -also to hear the kind words .
spoken by our governor. As an American I am
anxious that those who represent us, whether
they belong to my party or any other party,
shall represent the best in our country and. thus
give the best impression of our country. I'havo
enjoyed also the speech made by the gentleman
who is now doing me the honor of being my In
terpreter, Mr. Degetau, This Is the first time
that I have heard a man interpret himself and
the fact that ho seems equally familiar with the
two languages reminds mo of a campaign in
which the doublo standard entered quite promi
nently into the conflict. I thought that I no
ticed a little more fluency in the Spanish lan
guage than in the English but the ratio was not
"16 to 1." I was Interested in what he said
and especially impressed by the suggestion that
he made in regard to- this island being, as it
vere, the middle ground upon which North and
South America will meet. His suggestion is
entirely in harmony with the suggestion made
by Governor Colton with regard to a Pan-American
college here, and I am glad to inform you
that" both of these suggestions aTe In lino with
a suggestion that was made only a few weeks
ago. In speaking of Panama I suggesteTl that
the canal strip ought to have Tjeen made the
center of American influence down there, and
- that we ought to haVe a college there that would
be' representative of American ideas. I still be
lieve that, the canal z'on'e- is a good place for -a
college, because the people of thj western coast
of South America will come through that canal
to reach the United States, and those who go
from the United States to the western coast
will pass through that canal and It is also
near the Central American countries but when
one goes from the United States to the east
coast of South America he passes near Porto
Rico. Porto Rico is a most admirable strategic
point and I .hope that the suggestions made by
( Mr. Degetau, and by Governor Colton, will im
press the people here, and the people of the
United States, anc(, result in making Porto Rico
the center of our effort to unite the Spanish and
English speaking people. The same thought
has been emphasized by the honorable speaker
of your house of representatives, Mr. Diego,
and I shall carry, away from this island, as a
result of my visit a thought, much enlarged if
not first impressed here: I believe that Porto
Rico is the key with which we can unlock South
America; I believe that we can in Porto Rico
best train the men who will go as the repre
sentatives of the United States among the peo
ple of South America. If in these schools that
aTe multiplying with such rapidity, and in the
colleges that will naturally follow, Porto Ricans
learn the English language, learn something of
the methods of business in the United States,
and then go to the United States and acquaint
themselves with the details of traue, they can -represent
the American business houses which
are extending their trade in South America.
But while these gentlemen have placed mo
under a debt .of gratitude by the information
which they have giyen me, th'ey have embar
rassed me- beyond measure in another respect;
they have spoken with the earnestness that
characterizes men who speak from the heart
and who feel that in speaking they represent'
the wishes of a large number of people. I could
not hope to Interest you as they have interested
you unless I discussed the same subjects, and
yet the proprieties of the occasion prohibit the
discussion of these questions. I think that you
will all admit the impropriety of any discussion
on my part of the questions at issue between
those who' speak for Porto Rico and those who
in the American congress are vested with the re
sponsibility of legislation. If I happen to differ
from any position taken by those in authority
at Washington it would certainly be improper for
mo, & flJPfcscntatlve of the minority nartv. to
conic hero and before you volco my criticism
of tho government. Not only would it bo a
broach or propriety, but If in tho futuro I tried
to bo of any sorvlco to you any such action as
that hero would cmbaTrass .mo in the effort
to help you. If, on tho othcrharid, I happen to
differ from anything said by those who speak
for Porto Rico, I would 111 repay tho cordial -hospitality
1 have received If I entered Into a
joint debate here. My lips aro thoreforo sealed
on these questions, so interesting to Cyou and
not without interest to mo. If 1 put those -ques1
tions aside aud speak upon themes entirely sop?
arato nnd apart from tho things upon which
your minds dwell, I am afraid that it will bo
with difficulty that you will follow mo. In fact
I am limited and restricted to a. very narrow
field. About tho only question which I foej
that I can discuss with absolute freedom is fib
weather, and I have not been here long enough,. $tf
to be well acquainted with that. And yet yoif
expect me to say something, however lama and
halting my speech may seem aftor tho eloquence
to which we haye listened, and I hayo been
casting about for something that will tako mo
as near to tho subject as possible without load
ing mo into forblddfcn fields. I have been try
ing to think of some line of thought that might
encourage you to bolieyo that you will got
-everything that is right without defining tho
word right.
I am not sure that I can bo as adroit as a
politician in the United States of whom I heard.
Ho was able to secure, at times, tho unanimou6
and hearty applause of both sides. He was a
candidate for a legislative ofllce, and a certain
contested question was to come boforo the legis
lature. In the midst of his speech one of tho
.audience rpso and asked him a question. Ho
said you aro a candidate for the legislature, and
a certain measure, describing it, will come before
that lOgislativo body, and you, if elected, will
have to voto upon it. "Will you vote for tho
measure If elected?" He answered, "I will,"
and those who favored the measure applauded
vigorously; when they had ceased he said "not,"
and those opposed to tho measure then applaud
ed; and when they had ceased he added "ex
press an opinion," and nolther side applauded.
That is my position tonight. If a Porto Rican
were to rise and ask -me "will you favor oui1
demands," I might say "I will"and have tho
applause of all tho Porto Ricans, and then add
"not," and have tho applause of all who do not
agree with them, but after being applauded by
both sides I would have to add "express an
opinion." . 4
But I can give you a word of encouragement
without any disloyalty to those in authority In
my own country, and without any offense to
. those in this country. I can point out the
irresistible course of events, and it Is not my
fault if either Porto Ricans or Americans aro
not pleased with the course of events. The
whole progress of the human race is towards
better things. There' is no reason why any
one, either In Porto Rico, or in the Unitod Stafes,
or anywhere else, should be pessimistic.
Reference has been made tonight to the pro
gress of education, and it has been very justly
attributed to both the AmoricinK and Portp
Ricans. ' I have been informed that whereas
there were only between 20,000 and 25,000
Children in school twelve years ago, there aro
now something oyer 100,000. While it is true
that the taxes have been paid by the people of
Porto Rico, and while it is true that the appro
priations have been supported by the representa
tives of the Porto Rican people, still I think no
one will deny that the United States has shown
much more interest in education than the Span
ish government did while you were under
Spanish rule. It would not be fair Or just for
the United States to claim entire credit for this
remarkablO Increase in the attendance at iho
schools, and yet it would be equally unfair-'to '
deny to- the United States credit for its primacy
and Its commanding -influence in the educational
work. It is entirely probable that you would
have made progress under Spanish rule, and still
more likely that you would have made progress
If you had been independent of Spanish rule -and
not connected with tho United States. I
say this because progress Is being made every
where, not under the American flag alone, but
under all flags. Progress is being made in the
Spanish speaking countries of South America,
, and yet as I traveled through South America
nothing gratified mp more than to learn that
they have not only borrowed from us, but aro
borrowing from us, and speak of it with pride.
The first South American country that I visit
ed was Peru, and there I found men and women,
Americans, who had been sent for by the Pe--
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