Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1899-09-07
IN THE AMERICAN MANNER.
InsuIar Commission Recommends a
Radical Revision of the system of
Government Now Existing In Porto
Rico.

Rico.
Washington, Aug. 31.-The insular
commission, consisting OF Gen. hcf.-
nedy, Judge Curtis and Mai. Watkins,
which has given six months study to
the conditions in Porto Rico. on We'd
ncsday reported to Secretary Root. 1t
recommends a form of civil govern
mcnt of the islands to take The place
OF the present military regime, and
submits for adoption a code of laws.
These laws it recommends should he
placed in operation by executive de
cree, arguing that IA congressional
enactment of general laws would
change the status of the island to-
ward the United States and make it
part of the constitutional territory of
the United States.
The code of laws and the civil gov
ernment proposed do not give the Por-
to Ricans the elective franchise for
| any offices, nor extend TO them the
privilege of trial by jury except in
| United States courts in cases of fel-
onics involving an amount in excess OF
$500 1t recommends that the mill
| tary force remain in the island. hut
be kept in the background and touch
the people only with a soft hand. Eng
! lish 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 laws
| and rovaI DEGREES and all systems OF
procedure and substitutes the provis-
ions of the code modified after the
laws of the states of the United States,
and declares the common law and prln-
ciples of equity TO be in future the law
of the land where no specific direction
is found in the code.
In place of the Spanish system Of
courts an American system is proVId-
ed: a supreme court, district court
and a probate court with limited civil
and criminal jurisdiction, and justices
of the peace and police courts in the
cities. also federal court to have eN-
clusve jurisdiction of all federal ques-
tions and concurrent jurisdiction in
civil and criminal matters.
A complete civil county, township
and city government is to be provided
and all the civil administrators are to
be natives. the higher officers 10 be
appointed by the president,
A public school system with pro-
vision for superintendent and board
of public instruction and compete
system of public schools conducted in
English by American teachers IS pro-
vided and also night schools for Hitter
ate adults. The right to teach Span
ish where demanded is given.
Full general corporation and rail
road laws with the right of eminent
domain are provided, thus opening the
island to competition and ending the
system of franchises to favored cor
norations. All taxes which bear heay-
iIy on the poor and all double taxes
on non-residents are abrogated. y
marriage law is provided like those
in the states, with plan for legallz-
ing consent marriages and legitlmZ-
ing children. one-half of whom on the
island were born out of wedlock.
The commission recommends that
this code be put into effect at once ny
the president without waiting for con-
press TO legislate on the question, say
ing that the people of the island are
in distress and are still being OPP
pressed by the old Spanish laws and
customs, A,aving for congress the
question of such after-legislation as
may be deemed best.
There ought, in the opinion of the
commission, to be a general revision
Of the tariff rates on articles Import
cd by the island from the United
States, and reductions made on ar
ticlcs of prime necessity and total re-
lease on some articles. 1t is suggest
ed that congress grant authority tc
the president to arrange schedule
of reciprocal tariff duties with Porto
Rico. The commission lays stress on
the need of currency reform in the
island.