The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-01-14
The Estimates Formed in Porto Rico
Do Not Materialize.
BOTH SIDES ARE DISAPPOINTED.
The Porto Rican Business Man Finds
That His American Compeer Does
Not Come Up 60 His Expectation
and Vice Versa.

been largely with old established ana
reliable European concerns ana No-ues
he Is making comparisons between Nhe
pioneers OF American commerce who
with baggage and sample trunk, are daily
landing upon the shores 81 his island
home. and the business men OF the con-
fineHt whom he has known in the past.
The result OF this keen scrutiny ana
comparison Is not Overwhelmingly IA
Vorable 10 the American pioneer, II mas
in fact, brought into life the old Span
ish word buscOncs Buscar, 10 hunt, 70
seek. buscones, hunters seekers. adj
venturers and some even say the term
means cheats and pilferers
NOT so GREEN.
Tho Porto Rican Is hard 20 fool. Be
cause his island y I'm far away corner
of the West lndfs the location OF which
had only lately become known 90 the
majority OF Americans not I'm schools
and because he has lived quietly at home
and attended 10 the business and pleas
ures OF a community of some eight hum
drod thousand people. DE IS none the
less a pretty good judge Of men and
manners. The Americans who are to-
day IN evidence upon this island have
been weighed and found wanting.
Commercially we are making the same
mistake here that We have already made
in another Latin American country and
that has been 70 underestimate the in
selligence. The perception and the Gull
ture Of the business men thereof.
As tho Porto RJcan is quick 10 detect
the rouEhness the bad manners. the lack
OF courtesy. the receptions and the guile
OF some of his recent visitors, so Is he
equally quick 10 perceive contrary quail
tiles in others among them. on the first
points he is perhaps over sensitive and
may he said To fail in appreciation Of
che rough diamond. on the other hand
e ID. 10
Saxon gentleman OF breeding that are
ss incomprehensible TO the men Of this
capital as IS the idea OF cold and snow
10 the ignorant labOror OF this tropical
island. SIS.
HE is DISAPPOINTED.
In tbe beginning the Porto Rican over
estimated us. and part of the awakening
he Is now experiencing Us natural re-
action. In the beginning the word Amer
lean stood for an that was best I'm the
way of government. civilization. advance
fnent education manners and COM
merce. Our country and iis institutions
was looked up 20 hy the masses IN way
that is difficult 10 understand to-day
Americans fresh from the States were
regarded as almost superior beings; when
we landed here before the war. the
islanders invested us with a glamor Of
the wonders I'm Washington and New
York that We had bur recently sazed
upon. Anything and everything Ameri-
can was considered 10 be pre-eminently
the best Of its kind. In the beginning
our welcome was based upon. these con-
cepuoBs. II was thought that the pass
ing Of Spain and the acceptance Of the
Stars and Stripes would carry with fl
some mag cal influence from the great
country up north. sufficient in itself 10
put an end TO an that was unjust and
wrong and 70 straighten out the affairs
OF this unhappy island as with u fary's
wand. From this unreal mental atti-
tude there has cCme the consequential
awakening which has been furthered
and forced 70 the other extreme by the
representative of the United States who
are nov in evidence i1 Porto Rico
TROOPS WDRE ROWDfES.
The misbehavior Of the American troops
came first. u was Disappointing 10 dis
cover that the saViors Of the country
behaved with unmistakable rowdyism.
this was hardly Ia accord with precon-
ceived ideas. But tho misdemeanors
seemed to continue. and although we
found many staunch defcnders-men and
women. toO-who said that % was unfair
10 judge an army by the actions Of some
few OF its soldiers. and much more UNI
just 10 judge q people by volunteer sol
diers recruited from the lower and worst
classes; that soldiers on campaign
W.T." never ktiOWA ANl NAlNM EfllANf man
ners; that things would soon be better.
etc. talk OF our undisciplined troops pre-
vailed In the local papers. and examples
OF their misdoings We're printed and re-
peated ny word Of mouth. Some men
reasoned that these actions were I'm
truth no fair criterion of a people such
men could perceive the seifrespecting
men in the army. In a way that was
pathetic because Of its ill-c0ncealed dis
aruged for fair judgment and the re-
framing from hasty and unjust general
criticism. Some natives saw the matter
In this light, hut the majority did not
the majority Judged the army and tho
country by tho acts of the few and the
mal-reputation of our troops grew apsce.
The pendulum swung back too FAR IN the
other direcuon--this IS a country and
language of exaggerated w0rds-and
the army got worse than 1t deserved.
StiH. there was much truth IN the many
assertions. A gentleman OF the writer's
Acquaintance. "A thirty-years resident
OF Ponce and "a man OF culture, education
and much know ledge Of our country and
Europe. said that be had lived I'm Porto
Rico during many troubled years and
under many modes of administra ton.
that he had always avoided politics ana
attended quqietiy 20 his profession Of doc
tpft tNh ilAi nNIlNE oil MS lfHlNFiAN
here life had not seemed impossible.
But that now 81 did lln the past his
family had always been able 20 attend
mass. 10 walk on che plaza OF a Sunday
evening and 10 Sit ont on their porch,
which Is on the second foor without
molestation OF any kind from anyone.
But that now his daughters could not
even sit at their own windows without
being subjected 10 insult. much less 10
20 on the street Consequently. his
Family were as prisoners within the
walls OF their own home. and 1t was his
firm intention 20 remove himself and
them 10 country where such things
did not prevail.
Ponce has been particularly unfortunate |
in this respect The Porto Rican IS no |
saint. Far from II. Indeed. be has his |
full share OF faults and vices but the !
rowdyism OF uncontrolled troops is par
REGULARLY distasteful and offensive TO a !
people who are at least gentle.
ONLY DREAMS.
People here looked forward 10 q com. |
mercial revival and an influx Of Amerl- ]
can capital TO follow the army; there |
were rose colored dreams as TO what |
American business would do FOR the ISL |
and. For these dreams we are not ne.
sponsible. They we're unreas0nably ex
aggerated by the islanders themselves |
a I'D Il l. not our fault II We have not |
FULFILLED their expectations. The capital
will doubtless come by means OF loan [
and trust companies and the business re-
vfval - retarded by the existing tariffs
But the islander expected so much and