Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-03-13
PORTO RICANs NOT FIT TO GOVERN
THEIR ISLAND.
YET CONDEMN AMERICAN RULE
MILITARY RULE THE BEST UNDER
PRESENT CONDITIONS.
SnciIiatIns Character of Port" Rica n.
Demonstrates Their Cnntne~a for
SeIf-GOvcrnment- En-
Lurcd by the American
Governing Onicinls.

SAN JUAN DE PORTO RICO. March II.
The keynote Of the real conditions in
Porto Rico. which is necessary that the
great American people should find out and
which i; is much more necessary the war
department should discover. seems TO have
been sounded in 4 pathetic note sent TO
General Guy V. Henry day or two ago
by the acting bishop of Porto Rico.
Bishop Chappel!e. OF Louisiana. who has
been appointed as head of the Catholic
church of Cuba and Porto Rico. visited San
Juan and talked with the acting bishop.
diSnitied scholarly Span!ard, who has been
many years on the island. Bishop Chap
pelle was delighted with the acting bishop.
believed that it would be unwise for him to
withdraw for time at least from the
church work in Porto Rico and left him
in control. The acting bishop visited Cen
eral Henry, and planned many reforms and
| innovations that would be beneficial to the
people of the island. and that it was i'm
possible to have carried out under the old
Spanish regime.
Among other things 1t was recommended
there should be no longer any of the un>
pleasant incidents which have 50 often of
late characterized Porto Rican funerals. All
OF the graveyards in the island are under
the control of the church and none but he
who died in the church was permitted TO
be DuFleu Within. Inc HOrtO luslStsu
on burying whom they pleased within the
cemeteries regardless of the consent Of the
church authorities. A day or two ago at
Ponce funeral profession was stopped at
the cemetery sates by two priests who re-
fused to admit the cortege. The mourners
crowded about the priests and loudly pro-
claimed their right to bury the corpse in
the graveyard. Finally. the priests were
showed aside and the procession entered in
triumph.
The acting bishop and General Henry
conferred with the municipal council Of
San Juan and it was decided that the
church's right to the control OF its own
cemeteries was not to be disputed and that
other church bodies and the municipali-
ties should construct their own burial
places This seemed satisfactory to every
one and General Henry issued q formal or
der 10 that effect This happy settlement
of what was to the American admin;stra-
tion rerplexins question was a source of
great satisfaction to the acting bishop by
whose instrumentality it had been brought
about.
Very early the next morning General
Henry received a note from the acting
bishop The note read:
THE municipal council has reversed its
action of yesterday. Ii declares now that
anyone. regardless of the consent of the
church, shall be buried in the cemetery
1t is perverse generation. l can do noth-
ing. May the Lord help you. l am going
back to Spain.''
'"rhe acting bishop" said General Henry.
slowly and sorrowfuily, throws UP the
sponge. l don't blame him.
The gray-haired old bishop was heart
broken at the failure of his efforts in har-
monizing ana conciliating the people with
whom he had 80 long labored. General
Henry read the words several times-"May
the Lord help you; l am going back to
Spain"
There is no question but that the Porto
R:cans have been given every opportunity
TO demonstrate their ability at se!f-govern-
ment and that the authority OF the Ameri-
cans is kept as far in the background as
possible. Almost all of General Henry's
officers believed that far too much power
wis given to the natives ana that they had
abused their prerOsatives so thoroughly
that patience had long since ceased to be
II virtue; ,, x,,, ,,o, O., ., ,
General Henry. But military government
is moi the best kind. do not believe In
military government. The American people
do no. believe in it, The army does not be-
!eve IL il. and. as far as possible. l wanted
these people To govern thenisslves and keep
miiturism in the hacksround.
II put the alcaldes and municipal coun-
established Il native police force. The army
was invariably kept from Interfering in
civil affairs unless the actions of the al
caldes and councils became SO outrageous,
as it has become in many places, that l
was forced to declare martial law i'll each
one"
General Henry's patience could not he
better illustrated than In the case of the
former secretary of state. Munoz Rivera.
States an ''agitator." He is restless and
excit;.be and leader of the most danger
Gus faction in Porto Rico His appoint.
blunders made by General Brooke when
the latter was military governor of the
island.
away TO Cuba and General Henry installed
In hi. place 1t was supposed that Rivera's
antics would have marked him as one OF
tice But. strangely enough he was MOI.
He Was i, tavorite with 4 great majority
of the natives, and General Henry tried to
Dol,! and defiant TO the governor. def, j
his authority. ard finally succeeded in COM
polling G.nerai f;enry to remove Him from
ton 10 protest .s,ins. General Henry ard
the conduct Of the Porto R!can admi.iistr,-
ton lie dossh EXPECT TO to accomp!is'
Porto Ricaus to himself ard secure the
ieade ship in whatever emergency may
Tie Porto R.cuns are The most inconslst-
ent aad contrary If people. Their charac.
ter l. Impossible 10 ana'yze. They never
yeb-l.si against tho Sraniards, vino mis-
ruled and mislreH'ed ;hem, but Yet pre-
test against the rule of the Americans who
freed them from their masters. fed their
hungry. brought stability and security 10
their island. and are preparing to open up
its wonderful resources. They never sym
pat. t.1i::el with -hc 'L6an Insurgents in their
: ri,: ,lss tor liberty and Were regarded by
The Snariur3S as friends and allies yet
tn.y srlno-r.i over To the Americans
when the latter iuvadoI the islands, and
s;t-wei their way Win I.S.ers.
tuctr the yok. oI SDaIa the Porto Ricars
remRinad passiv-. Now they are turning
Their eyes TO Cuba and sharing in the
republic The white mans burden in Porto
Rio : likely to press heavily on the Amer
Joan backs for while at least. and al
.eatv ae are watching .'sloth and hea then
foliy bring many hopes to naught.'