The sun., 1900-12-03
STATUS OF THE PORTO RICANs.

STATUS OF THE PORTO RICANS.
The disposition to make trouble over
the status of Porto Ricans and Fill
| pinos appears to us to be Il very foolish
one. 1t is clear we think that citizen
ship of this country can only be acquired
according to the provisions or the United
States Constitution. Inc requirement
for native born citizens twcnty-one years
residence and for foreign born citizens
| five years residence and foreswcaring
of all allegience to foreign princes or
potentates coupled with the oath ofallegi-
ence to the United States. Neither the
Porto Ricans or the Filipinos have met
these requirements. even though il be de-
cided that the constitution follows the
flag.
The constitution cannot make citizens
;ls every Porto Rican and Filipino
is Il foreign born he must in some way,
and there is only one way provided, meet
the constitutional requirement. There
antees extended to these people which
should lie sacrcdly regarded. These
guarantees ns we think give them all
the privileges enjoyed by American
citizens generally EXCEPT those of Y
purely political character. They surely
should not vote upon local or national
questions until they have acquired those
rights us prescribed hy the constitution.
The right OF these people 10 COME to
thr States, or to 20 TO amy other Ameri-
can territory, for any purpose except i
purely political purposr--to take part
in elections and votcis indiSputahc.
All that we think is included in the
treaty guarantees: is included in the eN-
ercise Of civic authority over them and
their obedience to that authority. So as
to the proposed migration of Porto
; Ricans to Hawaii, there certainly should
he no objection to it. The proposition
to stop them at New Orleans. under the
provision of the alien contract labor law
: is absurd. The object of that law was
to prevent the coming to this country "f
! hords of laborcrs who were not and did
: not intend to become citizens, under con-
tract to perform labor here in com
petition with American labor. 1t was in
v no sense intended to prevent amy one,
. American or otherwise, going to Hawaii.
" Ii could not have done that because
Hawaii was not an American territory
= 1T the time the law was enacted, An
other thing, the law was intended to
prevent the over crowding Of an already
/ over crowded labor market. The coil-
ditionS which caused its enactment Il,
moi exist IN Hawaii iljd they ID cNiat ii
Porto Rico. The migration lhrG'fogp i
:, intended to produce, nl American terri
" tory, Just the condition contemplated II
" the law to relieve II congcstcd lnhni
market. ON one portion Of American terri
tory. and to supply n depleted labor
market IN another American territory
= And further. his intention is to Ii,
carried ont by men who, though uu
citizens in Il political sense, are cnttlp,
= to all the privileges an benefits aecrn
~ ing to American citizens from Subirc
tion and obedience to its laws. They ar
citizens in the same sense that foreign
or who has declared his intentions +
~ become a citizen but who has not take
his final papers from the naturalization
- court. There would be no doubt abou
the right of man i'll that condito
going to Hawaii.