Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-01-03
EDITORS I'm PORTO RICO
HE Career Of journalism Full Of
Trials,
oid limo Journalists Familiar with
Insitic or Prison wnirs-A scnrriI-
ous Article on American soldiers
Aronscs General Henry,s Ire.
correspondence Of Associated Press)

Z life Of a Porto Rican Journalist or ed
itor in Porto Rico, has been known
in the past as q career full of trials,
Svicissitudes anu disgustos. There was
ample reason for this opinion. and even
To-day the editor of a local paper is
subjected to peculiar conditions and
many difficulties.
Politics are and have been, the rea-
son of being of almost every Porto RI
Il can newspaper. And politics In Porto
Rico have been peculiar. They have
{ been filled with all sorts of bitter
sonalities, OF rancor and squab1!ns.
contests where principle, platform ana
party idea are lost and forgotten in the
tight against your opponent, as per-
! son. t, is seldom n politician would
seem to be opposed because of the par
ttyi principle he represents. but because
..of the rascal, the blackguard and the
robber which he is asserted to be. So
spring into existence with
& the main idea of attack or defense;
ATTACKS always personal, defenses
against the groundless and base insln-
4 uations OF men who are no better than
they should be, etc. This condition Of
affairs, as can readily be seen, was
ssuficient to bring excitement and an
4 noyance into the lives of editors Coup
& led with these normal and accepted
circumstances was always tho poss-
.sEility of government interference and
1.-The retaliation of your political oppo-
d nent, should he ascend 10 power. Both
& of these contingencies meant imprison-
Inent,
THE TRUTH OFTEN TOLD.
1t is said. and the writer has learn
ed that many truthful remarks are
y made in Porto Rico, Notwithstanding
the average American tendency to dis
lie al I, i'm 10 uoi IN
that after the elections of this year,
1.-The political leader who. in spite of the
i efforts of his many opponents, was
gselected to power, Imprisoned every ed
= 1tor In San Juan city, with the exceo-
y Stion of two. one being n close perso-
Z ma! friends. and the other the editor
< or MS own organ, as well as every ed-
tor in the whole island who had beer
mis- enemy during the troublous days
sEof his campaigning.
There is no Porto Rican editor of
n anyfpromlnence or who has been long
j engaged In journalism. who is not
& thoroughly familiar With the inside Of
s prison walls. Papers sprung UP and
3 grew with mushroom rapidly until the
eGitor was hauled to JAIL then they
s Were forgotten, and to-day exist only
sinathe 5rerollection of the fearless young
ditpr who is still particularly bitter
K p gains Il the man who sent him to
= prison. q,
4 The War was an especially troubled
IS and dan Eernus time for journalists AS
8: y result OF the times and consequent
stronples neny papers ceased to appear.
some for reasons of wise discretion,
4 others for reasons entirely beyond the
4 power and control OF their editors.
AS soon as the American force took
4 possession Of San Juan. one after an
other Of these journals resumed busl-
) less, some with n few remarks eX-
i platning the reasons of their recent dis
& cQntinuancc. Others with n brief outline
m n ii. .r,lf !.
81 welcome to the new power in the land |
Il &c. I'D tors were feeling their way under
7 the new conditions and were anxious
I to learn what freedom they would en-
JOY. The writer was approached by
i several and asked to explain the meas
{, ure of the liberties enjoyed by the press
5of the United States.
OyERSTEPPED BOUNDS.
1t was not long before the press of
Porto Rico overstepped the liberty al
lowed by the military authority In the
land. Two papers in Ponce published
Sscurrillous and lying articles about the
American soldiers quartered in that
ity. The regiment was the First Ken
lucky. They were not blameless in fine |
matter-theIr conduct was many things
y that 1t shotild not have been-but they
! did not deserve the criticism meted out
Ito them by the newspapers in question.
Z General Henry, then commander of the |
sIPcnce district, called the editors of
s these papers to his presence. These
\ men quickly acknowledged to him that
their remarks about the soldiers were
notsall true. Then General Henry told
the two editors something about Ken
stuckiaits and their customs when at
home. He exaggerated a little to be |
sure, but he had his good reasons for
so doing. He spoke of the Kentuck-
sians objection to being slandered, and
q IT N n
the punishment of Offenders against
the national and State honor into their
own hands. He incidentally described
,,ssss,awhide whips. told them how they
were sometimes prepared and how they
We're sometimes used: spoke of the eff
feots of being beaten by them. 1T is |
seldom a man dies from such n whip
ping. said the general, "put he is Of
Lien pretty We'll dlsngured." Then the
general faid he was really sorry for
the two editors. He offered to give
then, q, guard Of regulars for their pro-
lection, but they family answered they
did not think 1t was necessary. The
nextsmorntng one left the country in n
sloop for ST. Thomas and the other
went into hiding outside Of the city.
3 Now that the First ISentucy Regiment
has gone home. the latter has again
been seen in Ponce.
GENERAL. HBNRY's POLICY.
In. General Henry's outline of policy,
j as EXPRESSED In his two letters address,
ed To the home secretary and the insu-
! lar cabinet, he said that newspapers
wculd not be allowed to oriticise the
American military government Of
Porto Rico. 1t SO happened that a GER
tain paper, called lei Pals, had recently
done this, and General Henry had the
editor of ISl Pats brought to the pail
ace. The general told him that such
things could not be and the editor