Evening star., 1901-03-12
Interesting Review Of Work Of the
First Legislative Assembly.
COMMENT OF NATIVE PAPER, Ell Pals
Comparison Drawn Between Amer
ican and Spanish Control.
ADVANTAGES OFfN:EW ORDER

view and expression of opinion In "El
Pais,'' Porto Rican paper The editorial
has been translated into English by A. F.
Castro of this city. It deplores the outcries
against the laws enacted by the assembly,
and points out the great advantages of the
present form of government over that in
force during the Spanish regime. The edi-
torial translated in full is as follows:
''The outcry raised by the federal press
(the Porto Rico's democratic party) on ac-
count of the new laws enacted by the ex-
ecutive council and house of representa-
tives of Porto Rico is certainly without
any foundation at all To cry out is not,
indeed, to be discussed, neither is SANDER
in any way fit to convince. Thirty-seven
bills have been passed by the legislature,
and in ell of them high regard has been
paid mainly to the security of persons and
property; that is, to secure the most COM
plete order throughout the country, bring
ing to an end that anarchistic and cantonal
condition which mas been assumed by some
parts Of the Island, and which has been
caused by the diffusion of the bad federal
politics; without public security there could
be no true government, nor could American
civilization be pushed forward throughout
the island.
LAS the next thing to be attended to the
legislature has enacted laws to raise in
same. 1t is nothing to be wondered at that
a new system to raise revenue, to regulate
our public treasury and to remove the Is
per cent of the Dingley tariff on imports
and exports should have raised some pro-
tests among a few of the contributing
party. 1t is unanimous aspiration of the
Porto Rican people to obtain free trade
between the island and the metropolis as
a means to develop without obstacle or
hindrance cur sources of public wealth,
and, however, it does not seem that those
protestantS pay any attention whatsoever
to the fact that in order to reach the de-
sired end 1t is necessary to change the for
mer form of revenue and to adjust the
new one to the American system. The bind
ing contribution on behalf of the COM
munity is a necessity of all ages, and is to
be found in the most rudmentary social
organizations, but any lawful change in
the system of revenue brings forth as a
necessary sequel unjust charges partly
caused by ignorance and partly through
maia Hde. And those charges are mainly
caused by the mala ffde of those who pre-
tend to pay no contribution under any sys-
TEN whatsoever.
Discussing the HOlIander Bill.
Most OF those who cry out against the
Hollander bill have not even read it; others
attack 1t under orders of the federal party
and the leaders promoters of such a
loud cry ought to have noted that that
revenue law is to provide the treasury
of the island, during the coming fiscal
year, with the sum of 81 500 900, which are
required IN order to balance the estmat ed
amount of expenditures. And not only is
the Hollander bill adjusted to one Of the
methods OF the economical science for the
leVylng OF taxes, but so it is too, to a great
moral principle in the foundation of such
taxes, and this is, that; "tte expenses Of
government must be Just and profitable for
those who pay them''
The last law Of appropriation to meet
the expenses of the Spanish government
during the fiscal year OF 1898 to 1899
amounted to 81, 1863 The first section
Oh that law contained an appropriation to
meet the expenses of the 'ministerio de
ultramar Ia department created in Madrid
TO deal only with questions relating to the
spanish colonies), and which appropriation
amounted to $49S, ,501,s half a million
whose inversion did not bring any good to
tne Forto Rlcan people, The section of
army and navy amounted to S1475Ot5
million and a half spent in supporting in
the Island Spanish garrison and a useless
and pompous show of war While on The
other hand, the sections which necessarily
were of greater interest to our society
amounted to very small amounts and
sometimes they were nominal sums or
decorative hSufes, as We could call them
Only One Tax in Force Now.
Moreover, the Holander bill does not
Purport TO carry into the public treasury
%f'oVVouo, as the Spanish law did but to
iaise ana bflhg into the treasury of the
lsiaiiu nearly $1,000 900. That is the first
dement, Inc second isl that every con-
[ioutine party shall pay to the treasury
oL ti'e lsland one-half of / per cent of the
Wnole OF his capital, there being a single
laN III Iofce. and all the rest having been
remoVeu-only one tax therefore, instead
OF several, as they We're formerly Besides
t,eie ~ . nave peen excepted from the payment
VI 'aA ohoSe having only small capitals
H. .:...
working and poor class of the island. and
VINO We're the victims of the former col
lectors of internal revenue.
EastiS, 'he legislative assembly after
naVlns secured, through good laws the
public peace and provided a lust law Tor
internal revenue took UP the question OF
enacting laws for the Improvement of the
nn,a. in,ahu. Iuoiic instruction. so necessary in
oui socletv, mad in the Spanish law the
small appropriation of $23 823, while in the
present law the amount of $5O2 $50 Is an
ip.opriatea Tor that purpose, the municipal
iieasd havlns sva1 9een thereby and hereafter
iieVeu from the burden Which formerly e,,-
pressed them OF the same tenor are all
the nenencial changes introduced in the
asparttnents OF public works, jails. hospit-
ais charity etc, some of which were en-
t1rely neglected under the Spanish rule
Assembly Deserves Great Praise.
indeed the legislativeSassembly of Porto
Rico by It's work during the first session,
people recognize that fact, notwithstanding
the wrong and misleading information
given by the federal press The opposing
party IN spite of Its efforts to conceal IT,
is is ANIMATED and astonished by the brill
llant triumph reached by the republican
party IN the first Porto Rican legislative
assembly. They foolishIy expected down.
laA ana the result was splendid victory
Inere is no legislative assembly, European
OF even american, which ever enacted so
large number of bills of,the importance
ana tenor OF those which have been passed
by the present legislature Of Porto Rico.
washington said that the best politics
was honestly: If that is the politics fol-
lowed by our opponents they will certainly
recognize our assertion iand bow respect
fully to the fructiferank legislative work
OF our men. Victor Hugo has said: Some
times 1t happens that slander, envy and
hatred instead of hurnbifnR the persons to
whom they are addressed, eatol them; those
sianders ennohle. ana s,ich blemishes or
spots aggrandise: the Srlyr thing that the
bawiers get is to mix thes glory with the
general outcry.'' -
Owing to an increasesin the use Of opium
among the 'Tenderfodp" residents of
Charleston; s. c.. bill has oeen intro