New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-04

Of view We ought not to wish to make them
Yankees, but to help them to be enlightened
Porto Ricans. Our task is not to give them
veneer of Americanism, but to enable them TO
develop themselves in harmony with us. There
fore we may well rejoice to see respectable
native party Mt once animated by thoroughly
American sympathies and primary principles
of government and at the same time represent
alive of local feelings traits and traditions.
The platform of the new party In all respects
but one will meet the unqualified approval or
everybody in the United States. It's declaration
of absolute loyalty TO this Government and
pride In annexation to 1t is highly satisfactory.
II Is good TO note also that the Porto Ricans
regard themselves as fit for their own civil gov
ernment and yet are wise enough and pa
tient enough to view with entire complacM1cy
the present military rule. They only ask It's
abolition when they shall demonstrate that 1t
ought 10 be abolished Their desires In regard
to suffrage education, taxation, commerce,
finance and courts are entirely unexceptionaDle,
and show that the Porto Rico Republicans have
practical ideas of craftsmanship. and are not
led off 10 chase moonbeams Of political theory
as new freemen-particularly of the Latin races
are likely to do.
In ONLY one respect do we think their aspira-
ton extravagant. In several places their plat
form speaks of future Statehood. This Is n
scheme which should be definitely abandoned.
The idea naturally appeals TO Porto Rlcan prlde'
and it may seem hard TO the people of the ISL
and to say that they ought to be shut out from
the Union of States But il Is better for them
and for us We cannot safely go outside the
continent and admit other peoples to share
in the government Of our land, even II we do
give them the benefit of our protection. we can
rive Them and mean to give them. the largest
measure Of self government that they are capa-
bic of exercising. In good time they can prom
ably he ms free in all except international mat
TORS rs our States or as independent nations.
Detached rs they are from u.s. they VIII he
hotter off uninvolvpd in our home political con-
troversies Their affairs would cut so small
Agure and their influence he so slight in Ma
,ionoI notifies that they would he ground be-
tvoen the INNER and neither milestone OF the
two great parties II they once put themselves
between these struggling political giants Ihey
will he better off and the Nations interests
among them will be better conserved by having
them kept entirely outside of home politics ana
thar welfare guarded as n National trust.
The new party is called Republican, but IL
has no relation to the Republican party or the
Tinted States And It should not nave. Inc
same reason that makes Statehood unadvisaoie
forbids the carrying of our political con'roVer-
sizes among them. We do not wish 10 DE par
tlsons in their affairs or have them partisahs i'll
Ours. General Henry IS reported 10 be III ell
fire accord with the organization OF TINS party
hut we cannot imagine for an instant that lis
approval is more than for the attempt OF for,o
Ricnns TO place themselves In sympa'ne''c
attitude toward this country and to prepare
themselves for their own better government
He cannot have given any encouragement 10
the idea that Porto Rico IS TO he state.