The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-07-27
AN OBJECT LESSON.

AIN AILS6ONs
The demonstration made at San Juan
and other points in Porto Rico on Wednes-
day should bear an impressive lesson to
our national administration. No one can
say with truth that the Porto Ricans ever
showed any hostility to the American
flag to American institutions or to the
American connection at any time prior to
the recent pronouncements of policy. Yet,
as the news dispatches show, the nation
al anniversary of the United States was al
lowed to pass unrecognized among them
while on the occasion Of the celebration
of distinctively Spanish occasion the peo-
pie of the island turned out and made
plain their disregard of Americans and
American influence and their attachment
to the influences and conditions which the
American occupation Of the island sup
planted.
It will not be forgotten by the present
generation that the Porto Ricans extended
a cordial welcome to the American army
Of occupation; that the populace and the
public officials Wed with each other in
their readiness to accept American au-
thority, and that the political transition
was welcomed in every quarter with all
the indications of pride in becoming
part Of the great American republic.
What is 1t that has produced so notable
a change In the spirit with which the peo-
pie of Porto Rico regard the American
republic? Why is it that they now choose
to indicate their loyalty to Spain and to
Spanish institutions? The explanation Is
a very simple one. They have been told
that they are not American citizens, and
may never become such; that the consti-
tuition of the United States does not ex-
tend to them; that in ceasing to be sub
allied, and have no political status what
ever.
The following statement, made by a
prominent Porto Rican, offers the true
explanation of the strange spectacle of
people who so urgently welcomed Amer
lean control engaging themselves within
a few months of the establishment of that
control in public expression Of their
desire to see the old conditions restored,
and Spain once more in control Of the ISL
and. The gentleman mentioned Is quoted
as saying:
"Our people should not be blamed by
the Americans for expressing their feel
ingS in this way. The United States con-
stitution has not been extended to the
island. The privileges of citizenship have
been denied them In such circums tRnces
Porto Ricans cannot appreciate American
institutions and naturally would not OBJ
serve American holidays. Today'S cele-
bration, however, was purely Spanish,
and many native Porto Rtcans did not
participated
The more radical Of the inperialists will
doubtless be heard declaring that the ap-
pearance of the Spanish flag on the streets
Of San Juan involved reasonable conduct
on the part Of those who were response
sented by American authority Such talk,
however, will be Of no avail whatever.
The Porto Ricans are just as strongly
disposed toward American institutions as
which was dawning on them when the
Spanish evacuated their island home and
the Yankees took possession; but they
have found their mistake. They surren-
dered political subsection and bondage
without any compensating gain. Let them
but be assured that they will within
given time be invested with the powers
and prerogatives of American citizenship
and the American flag will soon receive
all the homage which can be bestowed
on it by the most patriotic Americans.
These people must be made free, or else
they must be accepted as citizens of the
United States. Their present state Of
servitude is as little acceptable to the
mass of the people of this country as it
is to the Porto Ricans themselves