Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-06-18


persons: that they bathed early and bathed
often. may have been the cause of Spanish
dislike. for if there is any antipathy that
is racial 1t is that of the dons against the
use of water in general ablution. Not only.
in the dim and distant past. but of late
We have had instances to prove this For
example. the naive wonder expressed by
the officers of the regiment in which young
Lord Churchill fought in Cuba year he
fore last who We're more than aston!Shed
at the frequency with which he took his
tub With them it was looked upon as
a sort of extreme JUNCTION, to be taken, if
at all, but once in lifetime.
So, as the natives went about naked AMI
yet were unashamed and virtuous; as they
bathed often and We're. exteriorly at least.
cleanly AM wholesome and in this re-
spect superior to the Spaniards, it was
looked upon reprOach. They might,
the Spaniards reasoned. have clean AMI
shining cou1:enances, but they gave no
thought to their souls: hence they We're. in
all probability. inwardly corrupt and I'M
clean. fit subjects for determination. Act
ing upon this superstition. at all events. the
conquistadores pursued their policy of ex-
termination until. of the millions found on
their arrival, half a century later not
many thousands remained.
Mixed Races.
II II wei hiONH indI the l<dlln peoples
do not share in the aversion felt by the
Teutcns and Anglo-Saxons for the races
that have compilations more deeply dyed
than theirs. French utilization with aborig-
fnal peoples is matter of notoriety: but
between the French and the Spanish is
this difference. that while the former were
spontaneous in their expressions of affec-
ton for the red and black and copper-coI
ored inhabitants of lands they conquered,
the latter courted them only with Interior
motive The result is shown in the mixed
peoples. the product of amalgamation with
either nationality. for while the French
resultant is agile. witty. laughter-lovino
and afectionate, the Spanish is more often
morose treacherous, calculatinsly villain
Gus.
Now. to specialize from these generaliza-
tions: The Spanards in Porto Rico and
other West Indian islands did not 60 thCr-
oUShly eliminate the aborigines that no
traces remain of Indian blood the veins
OF the present inhabitants. In other words
there are many half-breeds or MIXED peo-
ple-'mestizos" and "mestizas'-who can
trace connections, more or less remote and
uncontaminated with the ancient race of
Porto Rico
Add to these the Africans the Minorcan
Jews. the Canary Islanders. who have been
brought here at one time or another. and
the various half-castes resulting from
the mngling of these bloods with the Span
ish, and one may not wonder that of the
total population of Porto Rico pretty near
ly one-half is something else than Castilian
pure and undefiled.
Slavery was abolished many years ago
but during the time ii fourishei many
thousands were imported from Africa and
many other thousands born in the island of
african blood, SO that the majority of
people other than of Spanish birth can
point TO the dark continent as the koma of
their ancestors.
People of the Island.
Computing the population at 10000 in
round numbers. not more than half that
number, or say 10000. are of Spanish an
cestry, and the other half composed mainly
OF mixed bloods This statement is not
made as matter of reproach, out of fact
L the Spaniard chose to consort with tbs
taWny beauty of the forest and raise a
brood of semi-savage children that was
surely his business, and no reproach TO
him. so long as he remained faithful to his
family. But the records, 50 far as they
are accessible, do not show a idelity 10 The
marital vow on the part of the man that
is at all edifying. Perhaps the climate may
have been TO blame. for where children
may disport themselves in the garb invent
ed and worn by the sartorial artists of
Eden, crave no greater excitement than a
cock fight and no greater variety OF food
than raw banana or boiled yam the
tendency is toward natures way.
There may not have been sucn striking
Iecrudescence of aboriginal atavsm as is
seen across the channel in Haiti-where
and serpent worship is still practiccd; be-
cause the Spanish parent the stronger.
and held the offspring to the paternal type
There are some who think IT would Rave
been better If the aboriginal type had teen
preserved and continued, especially as the
Spaniard who came here to conquer new
lands did not come from any better motives
than that of acquiring wealth. nor from
any other desire than 10 crafty his lust for
gold and for blood. He rarely came as a.
colonist. as the Anglo-SaxOn regarded the
settling OF strange countries.
Doubtless. II the Spaniard had found all
he expected here. the race inhabitins these
islands today would be the most cruel on
the face OF the earth. If the gold the rich
mines. the opportunities for the ensiave-
ment of his fellow men, which were af-
forded IN the first century of lis settling
kere-if these had continued. with their
consequent license for unbridled pc ssions
for the perpetuation of unmitigated cruel
ties. such as stain the page OF history
wherever Spain has gone for conqucst-the
people of Porto Rico would be hardly fit
subjects for acquisition by Uncle Sam.
Ground Down by Poverty.
But poverty is the great leveier. 1t is
here il is in Spain. While the Spanish
government is hideous thing-a survival
o: the times of Charles and Philip IL.
smacking of the inquisition and autos de fe
the Spanish people are at heart honest,