El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-05-22
Ell PAs0 DAILY HERALD, TUESDAY, MAY %, 1900.
OUR ISLAND
POSSESSIONS
Wriftaa Tor tho HrRAIn
Written for the HERALD.

Neither the general reader nor the
tourist who may travel through our
new possessions can form any accurate
conception of the amount and variety
OF the subjects that engage the constant
attention of the executive forces en-
ployed in the government OF our In
sular possessions.
The Spanish gOvernmen emit, II govern
ment 1t may be called, for centuries
had moulded their customs and habits,
and was paternal in the sense that 1t
did not hesitate to interfere with per.
sonal liberty, and looked upon its
subjects not so much as moral agents
as creatures whose chief end was to
| pay taxes and obey the laws of q
crushing, grinding, hungry, iniquitcus
representative of the king. Vice was
made to pay taxes, and indeed was
encouraged, as long IS there was any
| money In it for the authorities.
Lotteries fourished in Cuba, Porto
Rico and the Philippines, and the
profits from this source were counted
on az regular income. Drawings
| were frequent, and hawkers of tick
cts infested the street corners, hotels,
cafes, aud even the portals Of the
churches. These Institutions were
openly advertised in the press aud
preston that there was short, cure,
safe road to fortune. All this has been
changed. Papers giving space to
lottery advertisements are forbidden
the mails. The unholy business has
been put under ban, and this for On OF
gam bling shat had fourished for over
three hundred years under the
fostering care OF Spain has been
stopped.
Gambling has also been made the
subject Of general orders by the
military governors in the iusular
poss essions, and constant eff orts are
made to suppress it, and they Rave
succeeded in driving it into the dark,
so that 1t no longer, as In days gone by.
Aaunts itself openly. inviting tho
passer-by to venture his money on the
turn of a card.
The brutal, bloody bull-6ght has also
been forbidden, and will soon be only
memory among the people who owe
their deliversnce from this relic of
pagan Rome to American occu patton.
Orders have been issued also looking
to the protection Of animals, a senti
nens that needs much cultivation
among people whose ideas OF mercy
have been derived from Spanish
sources.
By general orders promulgated
respectively in Cuba, Porto Rico and
the Philippines, the laws relating to
marriage have been so changed that
the ceremony performed by the priest
or ministers of any Christian church,
cred valid in law, and the expense
hitherto con nected with such ceremony
has been so reduced that the poor can
no longer plead poverty excuse
for the Irregular customs that have
been so prevalent among large class
OF the population.
Ia briefly considering the moral
forces at work for the bettermsns of
the islands, reference must be msde
- the heroic task committed TO Major
Tasker b. Bliss, collector of customs
for Cuba. Proba bly, few spots on earth
have been the scene of more fraud,
deception, thefs and corruption than
the GUS ON lou at 81 vana.
Mayor Bliss took charge and n5titu-
ed new conoition of affair. 1t was
q Herculeau task. The old system
American methods were made to fit
the business, and the personnel learn |
ed that honesty was not only the best |
policy, but the only policy thst would |
be tolerated. Dishonest Officials were |
dismissed, arrested and prosecuted. |
Politicians, officers and others, both |
American and Cuban, who asked for |
special favOrs, were turned down with |
regularity. And as result, |
the reduced tariff collected under |
A American occupation is producing far |
more revenue than was ever collected |
and accounted for under the Spanish |
regime.
These measures, and indeed many
others that might be mentioned, are
sentiment, creating q higher |
standard of official integrity, and |
the insular possessions for
better things, both in social life and
in public business. 1t Is record that,
when seen through the vista OF coming
years, will be something of which |