Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-08-31
PORTO RICANs LITTLE BETTER OFF
UNDER AMERICAN RULE.
INsULAR COMMISSION REPORTS
RECOMMENDS 4 NEW FORM OF CIV
IL GOVERNMENT.
People Not TO Have Right of Suffrage
for Some Years-American Syx-
tenn Greatly Needed-Capitai
Needed TO Make Porto
Rico Prosperous.

WASHINGTON, Aug 30.-The insular
commission, consisting of General Ken
nedy, Judge Curtis and Major Watkins,
which has given six months study to the
conditions of the island of Porto Rico. to-
day made its report to Secretary Root. 1t
recommends form of civil government of
the island, TO take the place of the pres
ent military regime, and submits for adop-
lion a code of laws. These laws, it recon-
lnends. should be placed in operation by
executive decree, arguing that congress
sional enactment of general laws would
change the status of the island toward the
United States. The code Of laws and the
civil government proposes do not give
the Porto Ricans the elective franchise for
any offices nor extend TO them the privi-
lege of trial by jury except in United
States courts in cases Of felonies inyolv-
ing an amount in excess of $500. 1t recon-
Inends that the military force remain in
the island, but be kept in the background
and touch the people only with soft hand
English is to be made the official language
of the island, but for the present all except
the federal courts are to be conducted in
Spanish.
The code abrogates all Spanish law and
royal DEGREES and all systems of procedure
and substitutes the provisions of the code
modified after the laws of the states of
the United States, and declares the com
mon law and principles of equity to be in
future the law of the land where no gDe-
cic direction is found in the code.
In place of the Spanish system of courts.
an American system is provided; su
preme court, district court and a pro-
bate COURT with limited civil and criminal
jurisdiction, and justices OF the peace and
police courts in the cities: also a federal
court to have exclusive jurisdiction of all
federal questions and concurrent jurisdic-
tion in civil and criminal matters.
There are TO be five supreme judges,
three of whom are to be American and two
natives: two federal judges, three district
judges and eleven probate judges: one at
torney general and one deputy; one dis
trict attorney and two deputies; one Unit
ed States marshal and two deputies: one
reporter; one clerk and one deputy of the
supreme court one clerk and two depu-
ties of the federal court, with a prosecut-
ing attorney in each of the several judicial
districts of the island; and an interpreter
for each court.
A complete civil, county, township and
city government is to be provided and all
affairs of the civil administration are to
be natives, the higher officers to be ap-
pointed by the president the others by the
governor ESher2i ana the county COInIIllS-
sioners. The boundaries of the civil d.
visions of the island are to FOLLOW the pres
ent Spanish boundaries.
A public school system, with provision
for superintendent and board of public
instruction and a complete system of pub
lie schools conducted in English by Amer
lean teachers, is provided, and also night
schools for illiterate adults. The right to
teach Spanish where demanded is given.
Full general corporation and railroad
laws, with the right of eminent domain,
are provided, thus opening the island to
competition and ending the system of
franchises TO favored corporations. All
residents are abrogated. A marriage law
is provided like, those in the States. with
plan for legalizing consent marriage
and legitimatizing children, one-half of
whom on the island were born out of we'd
lock.
Highway and poor laws are provided and
the courts are given full power to issue
writs of habeas corpus, injunctions, etc.
Speedy trials, coupled with humane pun
ishment, are sought to be secured by the
code. Foreclosure of mortgages and the
redemption of property are provided for
on the American plan.
The commission recommends that this
code be put into effect at once by the
president without waiting for congress to
legislate on the question, saying that the
people of the island are in distress and
are still being oppressed by the old Span
fsh laws and customs: leaving for con-
Eress the question of such after legislation
may be deemed best.
The commission states that the Porto
Ricans have lost their markets in Spain
for their coffee by reason of increased du-
ties and the industry is now languishing
Tor want of an immediate market for their
productions; that many of the people are
dependent upon this industry for employ
ment and subsistence, and that there must
he distress until the coffee raisers and cof-
ice handlers can build up a trade in the
- United States, and it recommends that the
government of the United States purchase
the coffee for our army and navy in Porto
ltico, which, the commission says, pro-
duces as fine coffee is found In the
world. and thus give our soldiers and sail
ors the best of coffee and at the same time
relieve the distressed condition of the Por-
10 Rican people.
Porto Rico says the commission, 'is
now a part of the United States and the
protection of home industries and the de-
tense and care of our own people is one of
the recognized principles of our govern
ment There is neither wisdom nor natri-
"tism in purchasing a foreign prodaction
of coffee to be sent to our soldiers in Por-
10 Rico while the coffee fields and the in
dustries of the. people of that island are
lanSuishing and in distress -
The commission also presented 10 Sec
retary Root joint letter setting forth
IN an interesting manner the general CON
ditions prevailing in Porto Rico the main
problems presented in extending domestic
rule to the island and particularly urging
prompt action TO relieve the distress and
depression incident 10 the present unset
tied state of affairs.
As TO the general need of an American n
system I'm Porto Rico. the letter said:
No other matters demand such imme-
diate attention as these. II IS n matter
be speedily relieved from their present
conditions and from the systems of on