The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-08-19

800 HE month Of July has always
been an eventful one in the
island Of Porto Rico as well
as in the United States, but
not in the sense that we are
regarding it today. In fact, it has been
q month to which we always looked
4 Forward with dread. as that in which
the hurricane season begins. You must
know that we have the SO called hurra-
cane season down fine" in the west
indies and know almost to a dot when
ft begins and when it ends by
strange chain of fOrtuftous clrcu1h-
stances, however, the very day on
which the ''ouragans" commence 10
rage officially is that which we are now
"A celebrating as our day Of deliverance
from Spanish oppression say OH
. cialIy'' because in some islands, nota-
bly, over in the little Danish possession
Of st. Thomas, the 25th Of July, on
which the Americans first landed IN
Porto Rico three years ago. has long
been observed as a day of humiliation
and prayer on account of the advent OF
the hurricane season. We adopted the
Fourth of July a national holiday
the year following Yankee occupation,
. but the real holiday of the Porto Ri
cans-sla fiesta Puerto Riquena'-is the
25th of this suspicious month. for on
that day the United States forces, COM
handed by General Miles. first landed
at Guanica, on the south coast, and be-
gan their triumphal march to Ponce
and over the military road to San Juan
Now. again. we have further cause for
rejoicing, inasmuch as the formal proc
lamation of President Mckinley declar-
ing absolute free trade between this is
land and the United States was issued
on that date so pregnant with events
I'm Porto Rico This official proclama-
tion was already anticipated, of course.
since it was but the natural cOnsum-
nation of a series of events leading up
to it almost without a break We feel
greatly gratified, however, that the
president should have acted on the sug-
gestion of our legislative assembly, if
only from considerations OF sentiment
The march of events has been so rap
id during the last three years here in
Porto Rico that the people may
well be pardOned some confusion
as to their proper status and a nat
ural doubt that still exists with
some of them as to whether they are
subjects OF Alfonso XIII or free citi-
zens of the great United States. They
have been informed that they are now
citizens Of los Estados Unidos del
Norte America" over and over again.
but many of them cannot realize the
fact. They have been INDUCING in a
Rip Van Wrinkle sleep of centuries and
have to be pinched-and pinched
mighty hard at that-to be brought to
q realizing sense OF their greatly chang
ed conditions. This may explain some
what the fact that Porto Rico has been
slow to accept those conditions and has
rebelled against them even when for
their ultimate good. Now, however,
that the proclamation of free trade has
been issued and promulgated here by
Acting Governor Hunt there is univer-
sal expression of rejoicing. Even the
ignorant "Jibaros'' whom the Ameri-
can soldiers contemptuously aIlude to
as ''Spiggottys." have awakened to
their new environment and are begin
ming to show signs of interest in public
affairs. Hitherto they have been con-
tent to live improvidently from hand to