BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1901-12-05
SAN JUAN, DECEMBER s
Editorial Comment.

In bis annual report to the Attorney Ge
neral OF the United States Judge Harlan
the District of Porto Rico 1e supported
by the United States government, and that
the Ipsular government be relieved from
the expense incident to the maintenance OF
that UCurt. 1t is stated in support of the
position taken be our Attorney General
that the United States government pays the
expenses of the Federal Courts in the va
r,ous states of the Union, and further that
the business If the Court is largely for the
b,nefit of the people of the United States,
Viii g the BoLETIN is not prepared, nor
does it even pretend to argue the question
on any legal merits it may contain, it Ger
tainiy does appear in view of the excellent
record of this Court in Porto Rico, that the
money expended by the people of Porto
Rico for its maintenance is used to better
purpose and with better future results in
view than the money spent or expended in
the maintenance of our own Insular Courts
and the many municipal and local tribunals
which are supported at far greater expense
to the Island than the Federal Court.
Ever since the institution of the Federal
Court in this island, the duties of that Court
have been such that to the citizen not always
sanguine of the exact justice and procedure
of our local and Insulsr Courts, Its existence
and maintenance has been looked upon
as an insurer of greater liberties and
as superior protector of right The
Attorney General has stated The reasons
whj the United States government should
pay the expenses of the Court, and the Bo-
LETIN is compelled to take issue with the
Attorney General, not on questions Of law
CT practice, but on the general broad ground
of Insu'ar good, ard absolute security to
Porto Rican and American alike.
..It can safely be SAID that the Federal Court
OF PcIto Rico is the only tribunal on that is
lands where the American system Ofjurispru-
dence and legal procedure is trictly adhered
to In all its forms, where jury tria are had
in the large majority of cases, where hearsay
evidence is relegated to the place
it properly belongs and where the defen-
dant is not compelled by way of opening a
case 10 give evidence against himself, to be
used as part of the plsintiffs case.
All the rights and safeguard which are
thrown about the parties to an acti, ! in
an American Court of law, are absolutely
guaranteed in the Federal Court, and a
man is not compelled to throw open the
history of his whole life in order to estab
lsh the fact that John Smith owes him
hundred dollars for bill of goods duly sod
and delivered. Facts, and nothing but
material facts, established according to the
rules of the greatest and tairest Nystem of
evidence that has ever been in operation,
are permitted to be Introduced. and to ct
feet The opinion or the minds of jury.
Absolute lmpartialty and oqaal justice is
as ured and guaranteed to all
10 tn CT M nal classes the Federal Court
bas been bugaboO ever since its inaugura.
tion here. Men who with impuuIty will
commit all sorts Of crimes on Insular prop.
erty, and who will without tie slightest
fear or hesitation d.sobey and absolutely
ignore lusular and Municipal laws and
regulations, become sober and exemplary
citizens when they approach Federal ground
or sben they think there is danger of coming
into contact with The powerful arm of our
Federal Conrt. Men VINO have had crimi
nal records for years, even during the
Spanish occupation, have been so pro
perly punished by The Federal Court
that their followers have taken proper
heed of the lessons intended for them, aud
have never committed any of their de.
predations since then There are to day
men running about or this island who
have been leading moEs and committing
everything but munder, who have never in
one single instance been brought to justice
or have had properly meted out to them the
lust penalties Of the law TO these people
who believe that the Federal Court.should
be supported by the United States govern
ment it can safely be said hat if the most
notorious Of all our law and order offenders,
should be placed on trial before the Federal
Court, the measure of equal justice admi.
nistert d to that gentleman would lie such
source Of universal qualification to all decent
people on this island that the cost would
appear insignificant to the good results
achieved!
1t might be said that the men who CON-
NIT violations of the law over which the
Federal Court has jurisdiction, OILY ignore
the laws OF the United States. In answer
10 this statement it can truthfnliy be said
that these men are in the large msjoiity,
criminals with notorious careers, or men
who have such criminal instincts that they
are sure to crop out at some time or
other.
In order to ascertain what the Federal
Court means to the criminal classes Of thus
island, people who are interested in the
subject should make inquiries among our
Insnlar policemen, wao have on more than
one occasion hoped that all the Courts on
this island were Federal Courts
II can further te said that while the In.l
sular Couns have not fully tasen up the
system II American juri6prudence, that
ultimately they will DO 50, end that by /