The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-04-09
The Last Porto RIean sreetaeIe.

Tor the British.
The Last Porto Hican Spectacle.
II the horrible execution by the garrote
of five miserable wretches in Porto Rico
on Saturday was intended by the Admin
istration to accentuate 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 ali its attendant circum
stances o. medieval parade and public tor
,urC. He has been modestly reticent con-
CevHiug the alleged change in his opinions
as to the political status of our Antillean
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 fiendish invention of the
Spanish Inquisition, the garrote, is an
questionabIy 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. II that
basic law covers Porto Rico-as there is
not a scintiIla OF doubt that il dOcs-then
the Administration has offered the coun-
try fresh and startling proof Of its cnn-
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 iniiction OF death by
the garrote being -honored Spanish
custom. affording. incidentally. much pub
lie entertainment. il 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-were
represented on the ground however. by
q company Of American soldiers, who were
merely there in a perfuncJory manner TO
illustrate the Administra TONS approval
o. the proceedings.
\ press despatch published in New York
yesterday alleges that Governor General
Davis some time ago communicated with
the Washington authorities protesting
against the production OF such "a horrifyiug
spectacle. bat was overruIed. 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 a matter
Of present concern. In either ease the
fact OF the execution is a dark blot upon
the Administration 40 should have been
prevented i'm the interests of American
reputation for the humane and decent ad-
miuistraGou OF justice. The event at
Ponce was neither humane nor decent
| The doomed creatures. after being seUJ-
ratcly subjected TO religious exercises dur
ing The whole night preceding. we're car
ried in tWo-wheeled carts i'm procession
through the streets. headed by Jhc execu-
TONERS. themselves cODvicts who we're TO
receive fun pardon for their part in The
disgusting business. One Of she condemned
spent the whole time OF his journey in
addressing the escorting mob protesting
his innocence and cursing those who had
brought aim TO his awful situation. When
his turn came 70 be mangled he fought like
a demon and il required i've cxecutioners
10 bind him to the torture apparatus.
Women screamed and sobbed and the i'm
prCssiyeles Of the scene could hardly
have been exceIled in the days when such
things enliyened The holidays Of the popu-
lace in old CASTLE.
II. in order TO Keep the Constitution out
% Porto Rico. IL is necessary to foster such
stringent measures Of alienation. why may
IL not b also considered imperative 10 pre-
serve other Spanish institutions IN the ISL
andy We all know something about the
ingenious torture Of the compoute. under
which, after three OF four days OF appll-
cation. the Philadelphia dentist. Doctor
Ruiz. was murdered in a Havana prison /,
The compOnte was common TO all Spanish
jurisdictions. aad. hence. must still survive
among the punitive OF detective methods Of
Porto Rico.
II the garrOte is TO be preserved. why not
the compOEte, and the boot and the wheel ,
II the first must be maintained. lest
American liberty and the Constitution
creep in. it follows logically that resort to
ne others might he rcce=szry- IN keen tho
same things out With such vital pur-
pose in view is it supposable that a trust
Administration would stop to think twice
before using the lot?