Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1899-07-22
VIEWS OF PORTO RlCANS
Some Oppose, Others Favor An
nexation to This Country.
ARGUMENTS FOR AND AGAINST 1T,

Union to the United States Acceptable
Even to the Dissidents For Its Vast I'm
provement over spanish Rule New
Territorial Expansion Policy Depiored
a. u Sad Mistake-Thc Admission Of
Porto Rico rs n state Desired at the
Earliest Possible Moment Natives
of the Island Are Not Uneducatcd.
At this junoture in the relation of
the United States to Porto Rico the
views of representative natives Of the
island are doubtless both interesting
and valuable. Probably no Porto Rican
in this country-according to testimony
Of his fellow islanders resident in New
York--is better qualified by education,
career and eminence to speak with
weight on the theme than is Eugenio
M. do Hostos.
A native of Mayaguez-the last of
the towns to be occupied by the Ameri.
can troops-Mr. Hostos was educated
in Europe, and in his youth became
revolutionist upon whom the eyes of
Spain were speedily fastened. The abor.
tive uprising Of 1868, which he actively
promoted and abetted, drove him into
the exile which has lasted until now.
Before and after that event he spent
much time in Paris, where he became
acquainted with all the disaffected
Spaniards residing there. Among them
was Sagasta, with whom Mr.. Hostos
became personally intimate-and it
may be noted in passing that he bears
in personal appearance a striking like
ness to the queen regents premier, so
far as pictures of the Liberal statesman
allow ono to judge. One would say that
the two faces belonged to the same type,
and that the type was genuinely Span
ish. Notwithstanding their almost daily
intercourse and cordial friendship the
two men had radically different polit.
ical ideals and aspirations. The dream
Of Hostos was the establishment of n
republic in the mother country-a re-
public whose ample liberty would ex-
tend in equal measure to every colony.
Failing that, his desire was the enamel.
patton and independence Of Porto Rico.
To newspaper representative Mr..
Hostos recently said:
81 have just been reading in your
newspaper some remarks attributed to
ex.Secretary Sherman, with which !
find myself in perfect accord. He raises
his voice against colonial expansion,
against an imperial policy for the
United States. How right he is! How
sound has been The Evening Post on
this same topic! All, that policy of ex.
pansion, Of imperialism-it is u tire.
mendous mistake, il il a sad departure.
No one more than has reverenced the
United States for its high mission
in the world, none has more fervently
cherished the hope that the great coun-
try would be faithful forever to that
mission, executing it to the end Of time
and filling the earth with the rare bless.
ing of pure and noble national exam
pie. had always trusted that should
never see the republic diverted from the
path marked out for 1t by the wise fa.
theirs, to tread in the broad and down
ward way Of the conqucring empires OF
the past and Of tho Unsuitable empires
of Europe today. had desired for the
United States to see 1t preserving the
even tenor Of its established way, set
ting the world an example Of peace, OF
moderation, of freedom and Of freedom
from the lust Of land and dominion.
had desired that il America ever un.
sheathed her sword again it should be
only for the preservation Of her own
liberty and integrity, or for the exten.
sion of liberty to the grossly downtrod.
den without demand for or thought OF
self ACKNOWLEDGEMENT with soil and peo
pies. This ideal for America has been
rudely shaken, almost dispelled. will
not yet abandon it altogether, but have
grave forebodings I cannot resist.
"What / had desired for Porto RiC
was that, since her own arm was toe
weak to achieve her independence, il
might DO won for her by noble and
powerful neighbor no longer able to en-
dure the spectacle Of old world tyranny
at her very door; that this liberator
should tarry long enough to see the in.
FAINT republic born and assured Of Wig.
crous beginning Of life; that the eman.
cipator should then withdraw with the
love and gratitude Of q new nation,
rightfully bearing gladly yielded par
amount influence with that nation in
all continental and international mat.
tiers. This conclusion, am sure would
have been better in the end for Porto
Rico as well as the United States. Foi
America 1T would have meant SO much
the less Of the fatal imperial policy and
so much the more of adherence to the
wholesome traditions of the past. For
the island it would have meant develop
ment according to the genius Of the
people-not development which must
encounter at every step the difficult
raised by difference Of race, of tempera'
ment, Of language and Of education"
The population of Porto Rico are to-
tally ignorant Of the federal system OF
this government. Even those who fancy
that they understand it are, for the