The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-11-20

This demand Tor new men ana new
| blood in the country's affairs has been
promptly met by the query:
"Where will they come from? II
there are among us to-day no men of
mature years with clear titles to the new
posts. must we wait until the children of
this generation grow up to fill themW
There is much truth in the foregoing
translation. The country is indeed in
want of new blood to lead it to better
things. and the Porto Ricans arc peo-
ple than can be easily led. The leading,
however, must be in the right way-it
must be development and an education.
They are docile, peace-loving and quiet
people: they are in large degree child
ish, and clear-headed, dlspassionate
leader towards better things would surely
win devoted followers. The insignia of
the country is lamb and this can be
said to be truly emblcmatic of the people
at large.
Where the leader will come from il is
hard to say. He may come suddenly
from the people; he should not come
from among the men prominent to-day in
the islands affairs, these are all tainted
with the troubled pest. The island looks
to the United States for many things.
Could the leader not come from there
also? An American of clear head and
balanced mind of independent means
and II student, a man Interested IN the
people and in their progress and develop
ment and welfare, an earnest and scri-
Gus man, determined, forccful and en-
ergetic, such n man as would surely
gain prominence among the men of his
own blood, this man would find an in
teresting field in Porto Rico. He would
find n million people awakening. \
people just freed from calling chains. Il
people keen and eager for the possibili-
ties of the future but ignorant as to
how they should be attained. A cul-
tured and sensitive people, they are
ready to be helped but with a keen
appreciation of what they already are
and resentful of harsh and unfair
criticism. Their leader would be an idol;
they would cherish and love him with
all The enthusiasm of their Southern
temDeraments. The winning and the
leading of the Porto Rican people may
prove an attractive experiment for Just
the right American man.
One night last week n sailor from the
collier Oscar stole from n cafe Il pewter
sugar bowl. The native police followed
and atteIFaxtnti-ts arI-est him. The sailor
was drunk 1Ilpyl - 1sssSse AArF always
sufficient to commence Il general row
and much excitement.
When the American soldier or sailor
is intoxicated nothing is more insulting
to his American honor than for Porto
Rican policeman to i'll any way inter
fere with his actions. The police are
not imposing. They are small men and
have several time shown themselves
afraid of the Americans, and the savage
brawny soldier is match for any three
of them. And the soldier can always
count on the entire help of every other
one of his comrades who happens to be
on the street at the time. The local
police can take care of the law-breaking
Porto Rican with more or less success,
but their efforts to control the disorder
~ American have almost always ended
in trouble that would be averted if a
provost guard were maintained whose
duties were confined to keeping order
among our soldiers and sailors.
Several policemen joined in the effort
to arrest the man with the sugar bowl,
mentioned, but his friends
gathered about him and the task
clearly had its difficulties. At length an
active policeman saw his chance and
brought his club down hard on the drunk
en- sailors head, making a bad wound.
Immediately after performing this feat
the policeman ran for dear life, and
was soon lost to sight up a dark alley.
1t was about eight O'Clock in the even
ing and the streets were filed with peC-
pie. The excitement grew quickly, the
mayor was called out and the police
went for their rifles and attempted to
dispense the crowd. Doors of houses and
stores were noisy slammed and barred
a. over town, and those disturbing
sounds always work on a crowds nerves
People did not know what TO expect.
and the tension might have given way
to some hysterical action. At this
juncture. however, six American sol
diers arrived from the Palace. They
quickly scattered the crowd, and in an
hour the streets had resumed their
normal appearance.
There have been several similar in
stances recently, and the demand for a
provost guard, which would nip the
origin of such trouble in the bud, has
been very general.
Reports concerning the disorders in tho
interior Of the island have pointed
toward their diminution. The Aracibo
district, which was the most unsettled
now seems to be quiet. But these
troubles seem to have broken out will
vigor near Ponce. 1t is the
same story. Bandits, fire-bugS and
thieves infcst the country side; plaL-
tations and farm houses ART
burned and men are assaulted and oc
casionally killed American troops arr,
quartered in the towns and remote farm
and paciendas are often without pro
lection. Travelling is unsafe and al
men go armed. 1t is said on the hes
authority that the agriculturists cannot
raise money on future crops or on any
larm properties, and the store-kcepers il
Ponce refuse to send any goods on credit
to the troubled district.
Cavalry is certainly needed to put
stop to this unfortunate condition of af-
fairs 1t is estimated that this year.
coffee crop. which promised to be large
will in reality suffer much loss and thi.
because the grower finds such difficulty
in getting funds to harvest and because
of his trouble i'll getting men to work il
IL