Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-01-04
Most of Them Have Seen the
Inside of Prisons.
MANY PAPERS SPRUNG UP
During Each Political Campaign--
Gen. Henry'S Hint as to
American Ways.

VI NAS lt
life of a Porto Rico journalist or editor, in
Porto Rico, has been known in the past as
a career full of trials, vicissitudes and dis
gustos. There was ample reason for this
opinion, and even today the editor Of a local
paper is subjected to peculiar conditions
and many difficulties.
Politics are, and have been, the reason
or being of almost every Porto Rican
newspaper. And politics in Porto Rico
have been peculiar. They have been con-
tests filled with all sorts of bitter PERSONAL
tiles, of rancor and squabbling; contests
where principle, platform and party idea
are lost and forgotten in the fght against
your opponent, as a person. 1t Is, seldom
a politician would seem to be opposed be-
cause of the party principle he represents,
but because of the rascal, the ~blackguard
and the robber which he is asserted to be.
So newspapers spring into existence with
the main idea of attack or defense: attacks
always personal, defenses against the
groundless and base insinuations of men
who are no better than they should be. etc.
This condition of affairs, as can readily be
seen. was sufficient to bring excitement and
annoyance into the lives of editors. Coupled
with these normal and accepted circum-
stances was always the possibility of gov
eminent interference and the retaliation of
your political opponent should he ascend to
power. Both of these contingencies meant
Imprisonment.
1t is said, and the writer has learned
that many truthful remarks are made in
Porto Rico, Notwithstanding the average
Americans tendency to disbelieve all that
is told him, it is said that after the cleo
tons of this year, the political leader who
in spite of the efforts of his many oppo-
,ny,i UNA ~
every editor in San Juan city with the ex-
ception Of two, one being a close personal
friend and the other the editor of his
own organ. as well as every editor in the
whole island who had been his enemy dur
ing the troublous days of his campaign
ing.
There is no Porto Rican editor of any
prominence or who has been long engaged
in Journalism, who is not thoroughly famil-
lar with the inside of prison walls. Papers
sprung up and grew with mushroom rapid
tty until the editor was hauled to Jail, then
they We're forgotten, and today exist only
I'm the recollection of the fearless young
editor who is still particularly bitter
against the man who sent him to prison.
The war was an especially troubled and
dangerous time for journalists. AS a re-
rult of the times and consequent troubles,
many papers ceased to appear, some for
reasons of wise discretion, others for rea-
IONS entirely beyond the power and control
Df their editors.
- tooA as liz AIitV lSGh loItSS loOh
possession of San Juan, one after another
Of these journals resumed business, some
with a few remarks explaining the rea-
IONS of their recent diScontinuance. others
with a brief outline of future policy, and
Eli with a flowery welcome to the. new
power in the land. Editors were feeling
their way under the new conditions and
were anxious to learn what freedom they
would enjoy. The writer was approached
by several and asked to explain the meas
IRE of the liberties enjoyed by the press Of
the United States.
1t was not long before the press of Porto
Rico overstepped the liberty allowed by
The military authority in the land. Two
papers in Ponce published scurrilous and
lying articles about the American soldiers
uuartered in that city. This regiment was
The First Kentucky. They were not blame
less in the matter, their conduct was many
Things that 1t should not have been, but
they did not deserve the criticism melted
but to them by the newspapers in question.
lfeneral Henry, then commander of the
Ponce district. called the editors of these
two papers to his presence. These men
quickly acknowledged to him that their
remarks about the soldiers We're not all
true. Then General Henry told the two
editors something about Kentuckians and
their customs when at home. He exagger-
ated a little, to be sure, but he had his
good reasons for so doing. He spoke of the
yCntuckians' objection to being slandered,
and said they were a people who often took
the punishment of offenders against the
national and state honor into their own
hands. He incidentally described rawhide
whips, told them how they We're prepared
and how they We're sometimes used, spoke
of the effects of being beaten by them.
at is seldom that a man dies from such
r whipping said the general, but he is
often pretty we'll disfigured."
Then the general said he was really
sorry for the two editors. He offered to
give them a guard of regulars for their
protection, but they family answered that
they did not. think it was necessary. The
next morning one left the country in a
sloop for st. Thomas and the other went
into hiding outside of the city. Now that
the First Kentucky has gone home, the
latter has again been seen in Ponce.
In General Henry's outline of policy, as
expressed in his two letters addressed 10
the home secretary and the insular cabi-
allowed to criticise the American govern
ment of Porto Rico. 1t so happened that a
certain paper. called FL Pals, had recently
done this, and General Henry had the edi-
tor Of FL Pals brought to the palace. The
general there told him that such things
could not be, and the editor promptly prom
ised never to do so again.
When the Spaniards had to bring an edi-
tor to the powers for reasons of warning
or for arrest, they sent to him a short note
which requested him to call at his earliest
opportunity. This he never failed to do.
The note sent uron these occasions began
with the officials name, followed by the
words "Eeso sus manos,' which means
Kisses your hands, Thus: ''Senor Don
Eo and So. chief of police of the loyal town
of St. John, the Baptist, kisses your hands
and will you come around to the Office as
coon as you have timer
Upon receipt of such a note an editor was
likely to grow suddenly pale, but generally
lit a cigarette and went to prison with
good grace.
The American way of doing this same
thing is a little less courteous, perhaps,
but under our rule there is much less
chance of confinement within the hour.
We send a corporals guard with an officer