Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1899-09-01
PORTO RICAN LAWS
The Work of the InSuIdT
Commission.
Provisional System Under which
Administration OF the Island Can
Go on Pending ACfion by Con.
qreSS.

report will be laid before the president
as soon as he returns to the capital
| The commission assumes that there
must remain a provisional or military
| government in Porto Rico for some
years, as congress will not be ready to
admit the island as terri
tory to give it free trade with the
/ United States at once. The code of
laws prepared is therefore one to be
put in force by PRONUNCIATION by TIE
president. It is a report for the presi-
dent, net for congress- L is assumed
that congress when ready to take up
the question Will send its own COM
mission to Porto Rico to investigate
as to the advisabiIity of giving it a
territorial form of government But
congress EGW hiss the report of the
Hawaiian commission still before it
with little prospect cf immediate ac-
ton, and Alaska is still subject for
legislation. The legislative branch of
the government will probably not be
ready to take up the question of adj
hitting Porto Rico as a territory un-
til it has disposed of Hawaii
In the meantime Porto Rico needs a
new code of laws which will be more
like those of The United States and less
like those Spain gave to the island,
which The natives hated. The presi-
dent has the power to give such pro-
visional laws a military government
which, by the way, is the only govern
ment the executive has the power to
maintain in any of the islands acquir-
ed by war Pcwer until congress acts
and creates civil governments for
them.
The difficulties about congress act
ing at once are many The people OF
Porto Rico, while anxious to become
part of the United States, are not
ready for such power as must be given
them by a territorial fern of govern
ment. Only about ten per cent of the
people can read and write any Ian
guage, and the educated have little or
no knowledge of the English language
They are anxious to learn, and adult |
schools have been opened to give the
young men an opportunity to learn
English But until at least these who |
are educated can read and write the !
English language it will not be pos
sible to give them a territorial gov
ernment with the laws in the language |
OF the United States and the records |
kept in English Another difficulty is /
that the act which makes Porto Rico |
a part Of the United States with a ter
ritorial government will put in force |
the constitution and all its rights, such |
as trial by jury, etc, and the people |
are hardly ready fer that 1t is also
regarded as beyond dispute that when |
Porto Rico becomes a territory there
must exist free trade between the isl
and all other parts of the United |
States.
There has been much talk about
some form of colonial government
which will permit tariffs, and those
who have given much thought to the
investigation regard this as impossi-
BILE. When Porto Rico becomes a ter
ritory, legislated for by congress, it
Will become a part of the United
States, and the constitution assumes
free trade between all the states and
territories CT the government. This
is not yet ready to abolish all
tariffs on Porto Rican products; nor is
ID L., So f,-oo
cause the government there is main
.ained by the revenues from customs
1uties
The president has the power to :
a military government in
Porto Rico until congress takes the
island out of his hands by legislating
for it. He can, under the power of
government, introduce civil
government in a provisional form
throughout the island so that it will
be only military in name and au-
hcrity. The insular commission's
work has been for this purpose, to
make the military government as near
L civil government as possible. The
commission has rewritten a code of
avs and tried to bring the adminis-
ration as near to our form of govern
nent as is practicable, with military
,ff1cers in control. It has recommend
ID that congress shall give the presi-
lent power to modify duties so as to
)ut the island On an equal footing
With Jamaica and other West Indian
md South American countries that l
re negotiating reciprocity treaties
With the United States. The president t
las now power to modify the tariff
iuties imposed by congress, but con- /
;ress can give him the power to SO s
Modify the duties regarding Porto