The Washington times., 1901-07-10

! United States? Mr.. Frederico Degetau,
the resident commissioner from the island
to the United States. makes strong
contention that the native inhabitants of
! Porto Rico are American citizens. and as
| such are entitled to the rights and privi-
| Ieges enjoyed by either native born or
| naturalzed Americans.
| In speaking of his opinion regarding the
| status of Porto Ricans, yesterday Mr..
! DeEetau said:
a great deal Of confusion Of thought
/ seems to exist in the minds of Americans
! regarding the Porto Ricans and the ques-
4 tions which have arisen regarding them
/ and their status The discussion of af-
fairs relating TO Porto Rico is fnterming
| led with considerat tions affecting the Phil
/ ippines. Hawaii and other Territories and
| possessions of the United States, which
are entirely foreign and irrelevant to
| Porto Rico, questions which are not at all
! similar to ours. We are classed with the
/ Filipinos and Hawaians while as matter
| of fact We have almost nothing in com
mon with them. and came to the United
| States under very different circumstances
| and conditions Because of this confusion
the people do not seem to appreciate
either our capacities, abilities, or poll
teal and civil status
The question of citizenship arose dur
| ing the last session of Congress in the
| Committee on Insular Affairs. / inform
| cd the committee then that in my opin
/ ion we were American citizens The ques-
| tion was not discussed by the committee,
because, according to the opinion express
ed By the chairman, the committee could
not consider It until the Supreme Court
had rendered its decisions in the insular
| cases.
i contend now. as / contended in my
| addresses to the people of Porto Rico
| when I was a candidate for the Office Of
commissioner 70 the United States that
the Inhabitants of the Island Of Porto
Rico are citizens OF the United States.
I maintain that we were made so by the
Foraker act taken in conjunction with
| the declarations and stipulatioEs OF the
/ Treaty Of Paris.
IN Article TX Of The Treaty of Paris
the United States and Spain fixed the po-
! litical status ana rights Of the Inhabitants
of the territories ceded by Spain to the
! United States, considering them in two
! classes-the natives of the peninsula Of
! spain and the natives OF the territories
ceded BY the first paragraph they stip-
/ ulated that the natives OF Spain who re-
sided in the territories ceded BY Spain
| could preserve their allegiance TO the
J Crown Of Spain and fixed the form and
/ method Of their doing so. They were Civ
en a year from the time OF the exchange
1 OF ratification Of the treaty in which they
/ could preserve their allegiance by max
ing q proper declaration of their inten-
/ tion to remain subjects of Spain. 1t was
! then further stipulated that in default
( Of such declaration they shall be held
| TO have renounced it (the allegiance 20 the
Crown Of SPAIN and to have adopted the
nationality Of the territory in which they
may reside. In the case OF Porto Rico.
the nationality which they adopted is the
American Porto Rico having been held
by the Supreme Court 40 be a territory of
The United States. as distinguished from
the nationality Of Cuba.
BY the second clause Of the same ar
ticIe of the Treaty of Paris it is stated
that the civil rights and political status
OF tie native inhabitants of the terrific
ries ceded to the United States shall be
determined by Congress. Now We come
10 the Foraker law. In section I of that
| act it is declared that all inhabitants con-
tinuing 10 reside in Porto Rico. who were
! Spanish subjects, are to be deemed and
held as citizens of Porto Rico. Thus the
Foraker law fixes the political status Of
| the native inhabitants as equal to that
/ Of the natives Of Spain, who, according
I as having American nationality. The
/ term citizen Of Porto Rico is a local term
] for American citizenship. like that applied
/ to the citizens Of the District Of COlum-
/ bia, the State Of Massa chusetts, or the
/ Territory of Arizona.
The last part Of the same section Of
7 the Foraker law to which / have referred
provides also that they the inhabitauts)
together with such citizens OF the United
/ States as may reside in Porto Rico shall
{ constitute the body polite under the name
nT ~ Of arfE
polite, 50 constituted. has performed GER
tain functions, and those who were pre-
vioEsly American citizens and who now
RESIDE IN Porto RicO have taken part in
I the elections, and are among the IS 367
electors who cast their votes in the elec-
ton in which ! Was chosen as commits
sioner TO the United States. Others have
been elected TO various positions, as for
/ instance. one member of the House Of
! Delegates OF Porto Rico
SO, | ask, how could we form body
polite with American citizens if we were
not American citizens also2 An American
I citizen may form commercial body with
a foreigner. with Chinaman. for in
/ stance. in California: but Cinnamon can
not vote or be elected to Office unless
I born in the United States, because they
/ are not American citizens, and thus an
/ American and a Chinaman could not
/ form body polite. on the other hand.
! the Foraker law IN extending Porto Rican
/ citizenship 10 American citizens could not
alter OF modify their American citizen
I ship, because the Constitution provides
that no law shall be made which shall
abridge the privileges or immunities of
: citizens Of the United States.
/ Again We are made American citizens
by section s Of the same law, which de-
{ clares in fun force and effect the laws
/ and ordinances of Porto Rico, except as
| altered or modified by the military laws.
! when the act took effect. Now by the
/ laws OF Porto Rico the native inhabitants
/ of the island were equal to the natives
I Of Spain. II then, according To the Treaty
! Of Paris. the native Spanards who re-
1 nounce their allegience to Spain are to be
considered American citizens, the same
/ is true Of the native Porty Rican. Again,
by the military orders recognized by the
Foraker act as being in effect, those Por-
/ to Ricans occupying official positions. and
/ lawyers and teachers practicing their
] professions. renounced their allegiance to
! Spain and took oath TO support the Con-
| stitution % the United States, thus be-
! coming American citizens.
The Porto Rican judges have admins
/ tered the oath Of allegiance 10 foreigners.
! Frenchmcn. Englishmen, Italians, and
| Of becoming American citizens. The list
/ Of those foreigners can be seen in the
! report of the Governor Of Porto Rico.
Therefore, how could the Porto Rican
! judges do this II they are not American
citiZcus2
There is another matter" continued
Mr. DegCtau. in which the people Of
Porto Rico are much interested, and that
/ is their future relationship TO the people
/ Of the United States: they desire "A closer
/ association than they are at present en-
joying. Material progress IS not alone
! the aspiration Of the people OF Porto Rico.
a. fas