BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1901-10-15
SAN JUAN, OCTOBER IS
Editorial Comment.

One of the greatest needs of this island
for its re generation is the ameliOration OF
its impoverished condition. Tie financial
affairs OF the island do not permit what is
absolutely necessary on these lines.
Sometime ago we took the liberty in this
paper Of dissgfeeing with the Hon. ES.Gov-
ernor Allen. when he made an appeal to
private philanthropy in the United States.
We contended that our pauper question was
for our own solution, and that no help from
the outside world should be expected; but an
acquaintance with the true state Of affairs
and the opportunity given us to real zs the
magnitude of the needs, and the lit lie funds
at hand to meet those needs, compels us to
join the Governor in his appeal for ou'side
help. The extreme poverty and helpless
ness of so many people here, makes it po.
sitive impossibility for the insulsr govern
ment to solve this problem.
Patriotic and phil4nthropic Americans at
home must solve the situation for US. Our
needs are known here, and the necessities
fer the various helpless ones, have long ago
been tabulated and counted, town for town,
village for village and home for home, but
the prime factor, money, is lacking, and we
can 20 on till doomesday figuring what we
need, but getting what we need in this d.
rection to-day is beyond tina possibilities of
this island.
Although not applicants for charity, The
needs Of the island are 30 great, and so i'm
portaut for its future welfare that the peo-
pie interested in public philanthropy in the
United States should take into consider
alton the needs of Porto Rico before every
thing else.
The Island of Porto Pico, a new territory
Of the United States, and surely an applicant
some day for admission into the s'sterhood
of the states, should, from patriotic stand.
point be given that need and assistance that
puDlic and private charity gives tc its own
people, by the people of one nation, creed or
race. We, the United States, have taken
upon ourselves certain responsibilities which
should be assumed with full knowledge Of
the requirements Of Porto Rico and its
people. Fully realizing that charity under
certain conditions Of the people here is an
incentive to pauperism, and that such pau
peTization must be avoided in every way
possible, we are by education and legislation
doing everything in that line that can be
done to afford relief from the terrible prevail
ence Of pauperism and poverty that now
prevails.
The blind of which the nnuber is large,
are more or less surgical ci..-.is, which under
proper treatment and surgical care could be
cured. The cripples most Of whom are
congenitally. incurable, could simply be
housed and removed from an influence
So chs kn<l. % kho lsn
and to themselves. People, able bodied
n.en and women are meant, are constantly
seen on our public streets making living
on the decrepitude of an unfortunate indivi
dual. The disposition Of ths able bodied to
make living from the mistakenly oharit
able minded people who give freely from
their pockets fe,o "centavos" is absolutely
misappropriated in the majority Of cases
The ability to distinguish the worthy re
cipient from the professional faker, is facu..
ty possessed by few.
1t is . recognized fact that every country
- well IS every man must work out his
own salvation, and this country should do SO
as well as every other. Every possible effort
should be used to impress the people with
the necessity of labor. Those who cannot
cork, should be taken care OF, but those 0
can, must work. But the great difficulty is
that the financial condition OF the island and
the yer-population thereof ma6es it i'm
possible TO provide as should be done, and
the only hope lies in the education Of the
present generation, and the separation Of
the blind, crippled and helpless, from those
that live on their infirmities, and who garner
In more of the public pennies than the un
fortunates for whom they ere intended. An
important matter is the removal Of young
perfectly limbed, and mentally balanced
children from the degrading and enslav-
ing influence OF the helpless iHcufable.
The child can do no good for the grown
disabled, and the grown disabled can only do
harm, in bis Influences, to tho young child,
70 whom fortune had been kind enough to
make life worth the living. The prevention
Of the propagation OF infants from the i'm
properly balanced, mentally AID physically,
would be step or beginning in the right
direction. From philantropical and "great.
est good 10 the greatest number" standpoint
this is . practical necessity.
Regulations having all these points in
yieD could be made and enforced, but money
70 carry on the work, the true necessity, is
and would be lacking. and for this We must
look 70 our philanthropic fellow citizens At
home. From amongst the large cup Of
charity that is being oyerhowed yearly,
surely some small drop could b. SLOWED to
peIcolate into this island, which was By
nature intended to bo paradise, bat which
through great mlsfortunea aid careless re
GnlAtIon1, has come nearer to being picture
ol ihe other ultimate home Of man, than