BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1901-11-22
SAN JUAN, NOVEMBER D
Editorial Comment.


sJust as soon as the colonists approach q
degree of culture similar to that Of the
mother country, the association between the
two becomes irksome and difficu to sustain
unless indeed the later practically renouDce
all participation and Intervention in colonial
affairs.n
Henry G. Morris in his work ssThe His
tory of Colonization From The Earliest
Tines To Tbs Present Day, in discussing
the general principles which underly success
full colonization, gives voice to the above
statement.
Apropo the recent discussion in one Of
eur local newspapers favoring a territorial
from of government, and the efforts made
by our apparently misinformed Merchants
Commission in The United States to lm
press upon the Administration, the desire
in this island for q territorial from of gov.
ernment and our aptitude and capabilIty
for the same at this time, the above truisn
comes as beacon light thrown on the subject,
q logical conclusion which should be taken
into account by our people before an,
attempt to obtain territorial form of gov
ernment for this island is made.
When Porto Rico attains degree of cul
ture similar to that of any of the States OF
the Union then the time for state and
territoria. government is at hand By cul
ture is not meant individual education OF
intelligence, for in Porto Rico the man Of
learning and culture is the equal OF his
fellow citizen at home. Culture III sell
government, in administrative intelligence,
in self dependence and in political experience
is the important essential that Porto Rice
must have before it can say that the time
for Territorial government or Statehood is
at hand. When that time arrives, sci
government must come and at once, and
the statesman of the Union has learned his
lessons from his fathers that when any de.
pendant territory becomes fit for self govern
ment, the time for Statehood must not be
delayed. And tie his Ory of the American
nation speaks loudly and plainly in proof
of the fact, that no territory Or dependency
has ever been delayed in its right to sell
government. Instead of endeavoring to
delay the time Of self government ID any
territory the national authorities have Away
evinced desire to hasten the attainment Of
Statehood.
To the mind of a careful thinker or one
unprejudced it would indeed be rather diff
cult to find any material object that the ma
tioDal authorities could have in preventing
Porto Rico from governing herself, if tks
time was at hand. A CAREFUL survey OF
the conditions and administrative actions
during the three years of tba American
occupation would indeed fail to disclose any
benefit or profits that the United States has
from Porto Rico, which it could not obtain
If this island were state or territory. In
80 far as the argument being made that we
might have representatives in Congress,
there can never be any fear that the
few CoDgressmen that Porto Rico might
Lave, could in any scay destroy any political
program or administrative plan. On the
contrary the United States have as much to
gain by Porto Rlco's admission into the
sisterhood OF states as Porto has.
Hundreds of years of monarchial form
of government, cannot be removed with a
sweep Of the hand, and the island of Porte
Rico has many lessons to learn in the school
Of self government before any one can cons
cientiously say that she is ready to rule
herself. The coming generation must be
taught that they have a duty to perform,
and the lessons to be learned in the school
house must furnish the precedents and the
foundations Uf all plans for self govern
ment.
The progress OF American institutions
from the date Of their inception up to the
present time, the political exclusions aud
changes and their relation to
and bearing on Porto RICO must be learned
by the boys who will in the near future be
for this island. For the present
generation immediate self government would
come as bewildeIing and puzzling condl
tion which they would fail to understand. |
and which would cause descriptions in all |
Dircles. The lessons which the States have
learned in the bitter school OF experiences
and trouble, should be learned by Porto
Rico without cost. When our citizens can
Iay that they have profited by the experien-
,e of otheIs,sand when they can honestly
Issure tae home government that they uo-
Ierstand the ful scope and meaning Of
American self government, then and not a
moment before then IRE se ready for sell
government.
And when that time arrives our notihca
lon OF that fact will be met with the earn.
st cooperation of the home government.
Jncle Sam who has helped us to crawl,
ill help us to walk, and when the time
rrives for Us to assume or own responeib
tiles, hewill be the first to give us the
'oper send of, and the start In life.