The evening times., 1900-04-09
The Last Porto Rican Spectacle.


of five miserable wretches in Porto Rico
on Saturday was intended by the Admin
istration to aecentuate its contention that
the island is foreign soil, and that the
Constitution does not extend TO il, the OBJ
ject lesson may be considered effective.
Perhaps from his own point of view Mr.
Mckinley was justified in permitting the
spectacle. with all its attendant circum-
stances of medieval parade and public tor
ture. He has been modestly reticent con-
cerning the alleged change in his opinions
as to the political status of our Antiliean
I Territory. For anything he is known to
have said for publication he might still be
held to stand by his plain duty" utter
ance and ready to veto the Payne-Foraker
iniquity. But the garroting bee is calcu-
lated to dissipate the last doubt in re-
gard TO his real position.
Death by that iendish invention of the
Spanish Inquisition, the garrote, is an
questionably cruel and unusual punish
ment," according to the standards and
moral convictions of the American people,
and as such, comes clearly within the
prohibition of the Constitution. If that
basic law covers Porto Rico-as there is
not scintilla of doubt that it does-then
the Administration has offered the coun-
try fresh and startling proof of its con-
tempt for the instrument.
The five miscreants whose lives were
slowly and with awful agony crushed out
of them in the public square of Ponce
richly deserved to die. That has nothing
TO do with the question arising from the
manner of their execution. 1t is said in
behalf of the executive authorities in
Washington that the infiiction OF death by
the gsrrote, being a time honored Spanish
custom afIording. incidentally. much pub
lie entertainment. it was not deemed nee
essary or advisable to interfere. So the
exhibition of (Spanish) justice was al
lowed to be given with all the old proper
ties. scenic effects, and traditional incl
dents The flag and sovereignty of the
United States-less the Constitution on-were
represented on the ground. however. by
. company Of American soldiers, who were
merely there in perfunctory manner 10
illustrate the Administration approval
Of the proceedings
\ press despatch published in New York
yesterday alleges that Goveaor-General
Davis some time ago communicated with
the Washington authorities, protesting
against the production of such horrifyng
spectacle. but was overruled. The same
authority states that counsel for the con-
| demned pleaded with President Mckinley
to mitigate the punishment TO hanging or
shooting and that the latter refused to do
SO Whether these allegations are true or
! false. in whole or in part is not matter
Of present concern. In either case the
| fact of the execution is dark blot upon
| the Administration II should have been
| prevented in the interests of American
! reputation for the humane and decent ad-
! ministration OF justice. The event az
Pence was neither humane nor decent.
The doomed creatures. after being sepa-
! rately subjected t0 religious exercises dur
! ing the whole night preceding. were car
/ ried in two-wheeled carts in procession
through the streets headed by the eEecu-
TONERS themselves coDvicts who were 10
receive fun pardon for their part in the
/ disgusting business One Of the condemned
( spent the whole time of his journey in
addressing 4he escorting mob protesting
his innocence and cursing those who had
/ brought him 10 his awful situation. When
! his turn came to be mangled he fought like
a demon and it required five eXecuuoners
10 bind him to the torture apparatus.
Women screamed and sobbei and the i'm
pressiveness of the scene could hardly
have been exceIled in the days when such
things enlivened the holidays of the popu
lace in old CASTLE.
If. in order 20 keep the Constitution out
Of Porto Rico. il is necessary 10 foster such
stringent measures Of alienation. why may
il not be also considered imperative TO pre-
serve other Spanish institutions IN the ISL
and? We ali know something about the
ingenious torture of the compoute, under
which. after three OF four days of appli-
cation. the Philadelphia dentist Doctor
Ruiz was murdered in a Havana prison!
The componte was common to all Spanish
jurisdictions. and. hence. must still survive
among the punitive or detective methods of
Porto Rico.
II the gaTrote is TO be preserved. why not
the compoEte and the boot aud the wheel?
If the first must be maintained lest
American liberty and the Constitution
creep in. ii follows logically that resort to
the others might be necessary to keep the
same things out. With such a vital pur-
pose in view. is it supposable that a trust
Administration would stop to think twice
before using the lot?