The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-01-30


Service Government Is Desired.
Correspondence of the Associated Press
SAN JUAN DE PORTO RICO, Jan.
17.-While the Porto Ricans do not
offer the least resistance to the mill
tary administration they, make no Sc
cret of the fact that they do not desire
it's continuance. 1t is not that they OBJ
ject to the American control of the is
land, but they earnestly wish for a
civil government in some reasonable
and practicable form. Under the old
Spanish regime, they will tell you, they
enjoyed higher degree of freedom
than now, and though they seize with
sincere enthusiasm every opportunity
for putting themselves In touch with
the institutions and demands of the
new government they feel a pride in
working out their own political saliva
ton as free people and not as a sub
jugated ore. They love liberty and the
conservative element is confident that
under a civil administration the coun-
try would swiftly adapt itself to the
better conditions offered by the United
States.
The military government is thorough
and active. The whole island is effec-
lively patolled and quiet and order
prevails in every. quarter. But the
Porto RicanS sometimes think that the
military authorities interfere with the
civil authorities without adequate rea-
son.: Quite frequently of ate protests
have been lodged at S.adauarters
against what the Porto Ricans have
described as intrusions by United
States officials in municipal affairs, not
falling within the scope of their duties.
The mayor and city council of San
Juan demonstrated last week-in fact
almost rebelled-at what they consid-
cred and called ''unwarranted military
dictation.'' go
An enterprising Porto Rican just re-
turned from the United States had OBJ
tanned permission from the council to
place small business signs upon the
lamp posts around the plaza. These
signs were neat enough, but they Of
Tended the sight Of many of the Amer
leans, who complained to Gen. Fred
Grant, military commander of the dis
trict of San juan Gen. Grant sent a
peremptory summons to the council to
cancel the contract and to remove the
signs. Porto Rican pride could not en-
dure it. The councillors regard the
order as last straw and rendered
their designations to. Gov. Henry. the
governor of Porto Rico. There was no
bad feeling. The councillors merely
authority they preferred to give up
their positions. ~
Gen. Henry took their view of the
matter and assured them that there
would be no further cause for COM
plant on the score of military coercion
and he promptly issued an order di
recting the secretary of state to inform
the alcaldes of towns that there is no
authority for any officer or soldier to
enter council meetings or to interfere
with their proceedings
POOR POSTAL SERVICE
Every suggestion of Gen. Henry has
been responded to with alacrity, and as
a result there is a marvellous change
ir the order of things. Economies have
been effected in the various depart
ments at. the expense of the army of
satellites and the formality due to the
subjects of kings. The people have ac-
cepted, with good nature, the new san
itary regulations, though they have
wonderfully disturbed the unclean and
crowded tenants that had been regard
ed with complacency, and as a crown
| ing test of popular patience they put
up with the postal service, which is in
eXpressibly worse than anything they
were ever subjected to by the Span
iards
1t is next to impossible for one to
transact business in this island, if it
be necessary to use the mails for they
are unreliable to the last degree. Let
tiers mailed in the San Juan postoffice
frequently Go not reach their destina-
tion in the island for ten days, and
most irritating Indifference marks the
proceeding of the local postal authori-
ties.
The men of Porto Rico are not re-
ligiouS Only women and children at
tend church. Yet the church and it's
orders have many pleasant associa-
tions for them. Though they may dis
like the Spanish priests they have good
wishes for the Roman Catholic church.
which they wish to see conducted as 1t
is in the United States. An article re-
Gently appeared in EI5Liberal, the or
gan Of the Liberal party under the
caption Halt" 1t is known to have
been written by Senior Munoz Rivera
president Of the insular cabinet. 1t
called the attention of the military
government in eloquent terms to the
''incompatibility of military rule with
the development of the best interests
of the country" The writer appealed
to the wisdom and fairness of the
United States government to treat
Porto Ricans as docile citizens and not
as prisoners
The restraint and farsighted-
ness that distinguish Rivera's appeal
will do more to win converts to the
American spirit and the American sys-
tenn than the orders of military com
manders.