The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-05-19
POrtORiCanS
Desire
Freedom

Al ~ Ics'cuo intcfNfcW WI. ~. H. loil,
general secretary Of the Puerto Rican
junta in New York, says:
"The natives of Puerto Rico look 10
the successful issue Of the war with
feelings of delight. They know that
when the forces Of Uncle Sam have
whipped Spain the independence of
Puerto Rico will soon follow. The
Puerto Ricans hate the Spaniards every
whit as much as the Cubans did before
they decided to take up arms They feel
the yoke more heavily, for various rea-
sons, than the Cubans did before their
war began. There has always been q
pie of the two islands, and long before
the Cuban war began the Puerto Rico
junta had the solemn pledge of the Gu
ban leaders that the moment Cuba had
established her Independence she would
turn all her energies toward aiding the
Puerto Ricans to drive the hated Span
lard from his last possession in the west
ern hemisphere Patriotic Puerto Ricans
in New York often privately urged their
people to openly rebel as Cuba did, but
the fact Of the island being SO small
comparatively made an uprising i'm
practicable. No success could be expect
ed by poorly equipped force of insur-
gents against an army Of thoroughly
drilled Spanish soldiers.
The yoke the Puerto Ricans feel so
bitterly is the heavy taxes they are COM
PEELED to pay to Spain, for which they
receive little in return. The taxes last
year amounted to nearly %, 600, 900
from Puerto Rico For this amount paid
to Spain the island did not have dol
lar spent on public improvements other
than in Notifications Fancy how you
people in America would feel il you
were compelled to pay IS, 900, 900 every
year for the expense of sustaining an
army Of mobby foreigners to insult you
every day Of the year. And you must
remember that this $5. 600, 600 in Puerto
Rico is paid by only 500, 900 people
But even if we were not trodden on by
the hated Spanish government we all
realize that an island like Puerto Rico
can never be developed commercially as
tail end of a decaying and impoverish-
ed monarchy like Spain. She must be
free to do as she pleases in importing
American or other foreign capital for
the development of her rich resources.
"What we want in Puerto Rico and
what we expect will be the outcome of
the war is, first, that Spain will receive
her just punishment for barbarous treat
ment Of her own children, and in the
second place that if we are not annexed
to the United States there will at least
be established form Of government
that will allow MS an Interchange Of
perpetual good fellowship with our
mighty brother SO near to our hearts.
The Spanish are well aware of the ha-
tired the Puerto Ricans bear toward them
on account Of their odious misrule, and
they know also that the natives of the
island are simply waiting for the signal
to take up arms and attack the forces Of
Spain. But the Spaniards realize that
the small area Of Puerto Rico and the
general absence Of sheltering forests and
mountain passes make an insurrection
Of the natives an utter absurdity under
present conditions. 1t must be remem-
bered that the Cubans have extensive
forests and mountain strongholds in
which to shelter themselves, where the
physical condition Of the ground renders
it possible for single company of ar
tillery to check the progress Of an entire
Spanish army. This is ell different in
Puerto Rico, where, except for small
chain Of mountains in the center, which
would afford no natural shelter to the
insurgent army, the whole face of the
country is practically level plain.
Knowing the feelings OF the native
Puerto Ricans upon the question Of gain
ing independence, the Spanish have
gone to work and erected garrisons
throughout the island, where the ma
tives are watched day and night by
Spanish soldiers with loaded rifles, ready
to shoot down the first man who offers
resentment at the barbarous treatment.
And what makes this all the more gall
ing to the Puerto Rican is that he can
not lose sight Of the fact that his own
money is wrested from his family to pay
every cent Of the enormous cost Of his
being chained down in the miro. Eot>
withstanding the severe watch the Span
ish soldiery keeps upon the natives, a
rigid examination Of each natives cellar
or barn would bring to light satisfac-
tory amount OF cartridges, besides
sword or two and gun. These arms the
natives have acquired by stealth and
mostly during the night, but they never
dare to let their possessions be seen by
any but their sworn friends
"The object Of these arms is to have
every native equipped in an instant TO
kill every Spanish soldier on the island
tho moment they learn that tho Amori-
can feet has taken the seaports and the
Spanish army has no chance FOR re-en-
foroements from those places. Besides,
the native Puerto Ricans are confident
that the Spanish army in their own is
land are merely 30 many bags of wind.
and the moment they are faced with a
really equal foe they will lay down
thcir guns and beg sickeningly for mer-
cy. The army of Spain ia Puerto Rico