The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-11-22

posts' must we wait until the children of
'his generation grow up TO fill them
mere Is much truth in the foregoing
translation. The unit is indeed in
Want q new blood TO lead it to better
tnlhSS, and the Porto Ricans are a PEG
PIE than can be easily led. The leading.
however, must be n the right wav-it
must ne development and an education.
1HeH are Il GOcle, peace-loying and quiet
people: they are in 4 large degree child
l>h. and a clear-headed. dispassionate
leader towards better things would surely
wan devoted followers. The insignia of
the country is a lamb and this can be
SAID 70 be truly cmblematic OF the people
al large.
Where the leader viii come from it is
hard to say. He may come Suddcnlv
from the people: he should NOT come
from among the men prominent to-day in
the islands affairs. these are aII tainted
with the troubled pest. The island looks
to the United States fer many things.
Could the leader net come from there
also! An American Of clear head and
balanced mind, Of independent means
ana Il student 4 man Interested in the
people and IN their progreS and develop
ment and welfare. an earnest and Scri-
oto man.. ttltl illllItu. l0Ict1uI ANA Ell
ergetlc. such Il man as would surely
gain prominence among the men of his
blood, this man would find an in
teresting field i'll Porto Rico. He would
find 4 million people awakening. \
people just freed from CALLING chains. Il
people keen and eager for the POSSIBLE
ties OF the future, but ignorant rs to
how they should Il" attained. y cul-
turcd and sensitive people, they are
ready TO be helped, but with Il keen
appreciation II what they already are
and resenttul of harsh and unfair
criticism. Their leader would be an idol:
they would cherish and love him with
all the cnthusiasmu of their Southern
temperamerts. 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 Il sailor from the
collier Oscar stole from a cafe Il pewter
sugar bowl. The native police followed
and attempted to arrest him.. The sailor
was drunk, and these facts are always
sufficient to Il general row
and much excitement.
When the American soldier or sailor
is intoxicated nothing Is more insulting
10 his American honor than Tor ii tOIto
Itican policeman to III amy way inter
1ere with his actions. The police are
not imposing. They are small men ana
have several time shown themselves
afraid of the Americans, and the sayag
brlwny soldier is Il match Tor 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
OH 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 nave almost always ended
in trouble that would be ayertcd it Ii
provost guard were maintained whose
duties were confined to keeping order
among our soldiers and sailors. (
Several policemen joined i'll the effort
to arrest the man with the sugar bow.
previously mentioned, but his friends
gathered boU 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
cn sailors head. making Il bad wound.
Immediately after performing this feat
the policeman ran for dear life, and
was soon lost to sight up a dark alley.
It was about eight O'Clock in the even
ing and the streets were filled With PEG
pie. The excitement grew quickly, the
MAYOR was called out and the police
went for their rifles and attempted to
dispcrse the crowd. Doors Of houses and
stores wore noisy slammed and barred
a over town, and those disturbing
sounds always work on Il 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
I,.r. arrival from tho Pa 11ca Thny
quickly scattered the crowd. and III an
hour the streets had resuned their
normal appearance.
There have been several similar in
stances recently. and the demand for It
provost guard. which would nip the
origin of such trouble in the bud, has
been very general.
Reports concerning the disorders in the
interior of the island have pointed
toward their diminution. The Aracibo
district. which was the most unsettled.
now seems to he quiet. But thes
troubles seem to have broken out with
renewed yigor near Ponce. 1t is the
same story. Bandits, f~ire-bugs and
thieves infest the country side; plan
tations and farm houses are
burned. and men are assaulted and oc-
caSionally killed. American troops are
quartered in the own and remote farms
and paciendas are often without pro
lection. Travelling is Unsafe and a
men go armed. 1t is said on the best
authority that the agriculturists cannot
raise money on future crops or on any
larm properties. and the Store-keCperS III
Ponce refuse to send any goods Oh credit
to the troubled district.
Cavalry is certainly needed to put a
stop to this unfortunate condition of af-
fairs. 1t is estimated that this years
coffee crop, which promised to be large,
will in reality suffer much loss and this
because the grower finds such difficulty
in getting funds to harvest and because
Of his tror bic III getting men to work in
the fields. In short. because of the gen
cral disorders. outlawrE and maraudin@
that have been more or less prevalent for
some months past. These conditions af-
feet other crops besides the coffee. ne
islands agricultural products will un-
doubtedly be greatly reduced this year.