New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-09-07
PORTO RICAN CHARACTER.
STRANGE MIXTURE OF LAzINEss AND
HONESTY.
.ur CHARACTERISTICS OF AN OPPRESSED
RAcr-AH ARMY OFFICER WHO LOOKS
FOR TRoUBLE-THE PORTO RIcAN's
VOLATILE TEMPERAMENT
VOLATILE TEMPERAMENT.

po,ce Aug o1.-No one who has spent a fortnight
.,aveIinq through the island Of Porto Rico Will
INV that Uncle Sam has taken into his household
.e,rarge brood of new nephews and neces Not that
.- Porto Rican cousins not desirable acqu,-
,.,o,s n the American family-especially "a they
or,e cheap hut they are so different from any Of
.,a other ingredients Of the Nation that one can
-. help wondering whether they will ever become
.ss,n,ilated with the American citizen. and whether
such assimilation. II it does come will be effected
without trouble
high Army officer. IN speaking 10 The Tribune
,orrespondent yesterday. used these words: We
ave hound 10 have trouble with the Cubans and I
an morally certain that Porto Rico will not tamely
,,n,,, 10 the changes we have in store for her
:, fact I'm afraid shall have boodshed on this
,sland despite the fact that troops as
.s,led with roses instead Of with solid shot At
nresent everything looks peaceful, but rs M
sxperlence that looks don't count with people as
-,frcuria as the Porto Ricans. They want things
NO can't give them, and shall make demands
thew Will be unwilling 10 concede The outcome. Of
course. vii be our success. but fear 1t can't ne
attained except after trouble"
Taken as man the Porto Rican. ~xemplined
q, The stores and Offices OF the towns and In the
asss and forests OF the country first imp.esse.
as a coward-Inoral and physical Physically. as
a race he is small OF stature. though muscular
enough for his own needs Endurance he has 10
remarkable degree. and his ability to do a days
uo-k on a few baked paintans has been demon
Grated 10 the Americans many times since they
arrived on the island. With a great amount OF
,,,sncth garnered in MS small body, ne is.
,ue a man who would not resent blow In
fact the writer has frequently seen even the bet
Ter classes take insults and blows with a
chalance that was amazing .as 1t was disgust
.ns The Idea of fight apparently never suggests
Itself 10 him IL there were such thing in his
makeup as what is called red blood he would
hav IA woke that oppressed
him for with an island whose physical character
makes II easily defensible he could have cleaned
out the Spanish force which never in the last dec
sde has numbered over nine thousand on the ISL
and Instead OF rising UP 20 battle for his liberty.
the Porto Rican sat calmly down. ate the rice on
which his oppressor ievied high tax, drank the
miserable wine shipped him from, the mother
country and sold his own produce for mere
pitiance after Spanish greed had glutted Itself
the revenues derive! from It's Infamous export
tariff Worse than that-and this proves moral
kissed the hand thai smote him.
curried favor with the Spanish officials Joined the
volunteers and 10 all effects and purposes became
on integral par; Of the Spanish nation.
THE PORTO RICAN'S CHANGEABLE NATURE.
When the American Army landed. the volatile
character OF the Porto Rican became manifest.
He forgot his allegiance the boy King. the years
that he had served his harsh masters were wiped
out new era had dawned for him. and his first
thought was 70 welcome the conquerors. His
slogan became VIVIAN los Americanos" instead OF
viva EspaAar' Instead Of the ribbon Of red and
yellow ne wore the red. white and blue. or more
often button from American soldiers coat
He los, no time in explaining as best ne could to
ell who would listen that he Porto Rico
American" and slgnifying by drawing his hand
across his throat hat ne wanted all the Spaniards
TO be killed This true even OF the Guard!a
Civile-men who wore the livery OF the Spanish
crown and acted as a sort Of constabuiary, even
after the towns in which they had been employed
had fallen into the hands Of the invaders.
This phase Of the Porto Rcan character may be-
and perhaps IS the natural outgrowth Of centuries
Of oppression Whatever the cause. the effect Is
complete. Morally. the native OF al classes is a
coward; physically. he is beneath contempt so far
as personal bravery is concerned. The weakness OF
bis character was proved some two weeks after
Ponce was occupied when several hundred Porto
hicans assaied cafe with stones simply because
he owner was Span;ard and had served as an off,
,er in the volunteer battalion. When the provost
guard arrived on the scene the Porto Ricans In
sisted that the Spaniard should be arrested simply
because he was offensive to them. No attention.
II course was paid 10 this demand. but the riot
had its effect. for the place closed and ad
'ertised for sale while the proprietor declared that
he would live longer among such an unru.y and
unreasonable people.
Aside from his cowardce. the Porto Rican Is in
many respects an admirable character. He is hon
.st though his thrift sometimes gets the better
i his honesty especially In his dealings with Amer
cans Probably the fact that he gets honest Amer
can money In exchange for his arouses his
upidity. but az all events he IS not above
doubling his prices when his customers are
Arner icans The rate Of exchange fixed
~ General Miles and General Brooke. is par
tally responsible for this. In other respects the
Porto Rican is the very embodiment OF personal
TbieVery according lOCa. notice Is
most unknown. and one is perfectly safe In leav-
ng money lying about in his room in the hotels.
roviding there no Americans around. II these
Jew cousins Of ours retain their natural honesty
.ter the Army is withdrawn. 1t will not be be
ause they have not had example in the other d.
ec,ion for members OF certain volunteer regiments
lave shown in many Instances. that their moral
haracters were not considered when they were
mustered into the service.
POLITENEss is HIS wHIM
Next 70 his honesty. the politeness OF the Porto
aican is one Of his striking characteristics.
lie ready greet passersby with CHEEKY
Buenos dias" md he never moves woman
Without reverently raising his hat Even the chill
ren % the very poor have this innate poteness
much further developed than the same class In the
United States and IT is rare when one hears
IN impairment reply from child TO his elder. The
Owe Of the parents for the children is another
rat ~ the natives which attracts the attention Of
ore!gners. Cntil the child is o.d enough 70 work
receives the utmost care from its mother, no
natter VIVA, the station in life OF the family and
n the better classes the same care IS lavshed on
he child until II reaches its majority.
living in a land where n is but necessary TO drop
seed 20 produce a crop. It is only natural that
he population should be somewhat afflicted with |
azness This trait extends 10 all, rich and poor |
Merchant and peasant. Incidence. in this case is |
national sin. and one that, perhaps, can never
Be wiped out. In the country, the peasant has
but 70 step outside his house TO gather his break
last Of bananas from tree that costs him no
fouble or labor An acre Of beans vii supply him |
With the main par, OF his dinner ratons for year
mo few centavos will purchase A fou-smelling |
'odhsh OF the coarses grade which forms the prin-
slpa part OF hts feast. In such circumstances IL |
obvious that he need do little labor TO keep his |