BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1901-06-04
SAN JUAN, JUNE 4, 1901.
The Status of Porto Rico.

The recent decision Of the United States
Supreme Court which has at length detln
itely settled the status of Porto Rico has
provoked wide spread ard rather adverse
comment throughout Eur07e, The grounds
upon which the findings of the court are
based are challenged by the for-iga press
as being inconsistent with cur history and
traditional policy. Upon this the opinions
Of our own constitutional l1wy yers have dit
fered and the party lines ii the last pres
idential campaign were, as all know, chiefly
cast upon the mooted questions involved
in these important principles OF national
policy.
1t may be safely said that no problem
has ever confronted the Alherican people
since thu days of the slavery agitation which
has been fraught with more concern TO them
than that contained IN cur new colonial
relation.
While many are undoubtedly disappointed
by tAe character Of the vle;y the court has
ta<en 1t is well that the question bas been
removed froE politics and that the prac'
ticaI work OF developing ,the islands re
sources may nov c undertaken with the
same sphit as that which, III the present
era If commercial activity, is making the
United states the most prosperous among
the cations.
There is nothing n the decision to prev.
ent the extens of future territorial
status to Porto REQ saoud congress SO
elect and The ultimate entrance OF tne island
into the galaxy OF tue union as state
Indeed, this must be the inevitable issue
when in the course Of time the people OF
Porto Rico are in position to press for
their rights, from which. in tue end, con-
gress nor no other rover can deprive them.
AS Texas, California, UtaG, and Montana
lave been made integral parts Of tle fed
eral state, and as Alaska: will be. so IL
good time must and VIII bh Porto RICO.
The wild wreckage from the recent storm
Of stock speculation in New York was So
far reaching that the results Of TIT panic
have not yet entirely ceased and the hs
Of unfortunateS is daily glowing. NeyT
be ore has the money force so revealed tee
20 er il hclds over values, and it would
s. IN nJw ID ldis latest rad upon The mar
kots as if the very solyency OF the nations
Of The world lies al the feet Of SIX or eight
maguates in New York.
Great fnancial houses, not alone in
America bat in Europe, we're made to tTems
bic upon their base and were brought to
the very verge ot ruin IN tue storm; and
wery only saved by the intervention of those
wd0 imperilled their oWn resources 10 CIV
ilg the timely aid TIE general impression
which prevails IN Jls be}ef f0at ouly tie
sock gamblers were aflec.ed or put in
ie0pa dy SEEMS NOT to be bouTn out 10y The
fac S. Careful and C nserVajlve busllcSS
houses ere drawn IN The maestfom aud
oyerbourn and firms whose credits nad never
been d.sturbed in thirty years conld NOT
meet the Obligations suddenly pressed uIon
them Their ruin came VITA the sudden
ness Of an earth quake or a tidal wave,
President James j. Hill If the Great
Northern in an interview in New York
deeply condemns the acts of the raiders, and
seyery crjticjses the preya'iing methods
which make the creation OF such cliIna
possible.
What the eud may sometime be in the
face of the possibilities thus revealed can
scarcely be foresbado1eed, even by the ~is
et,
MIR. George Il. Edieards and family will
leave by the transport Mcclellan" for New
York whence they viii go to New Canaan
aud DarieD, Connecticut, the last named
having Deen their former home.
Mr.. Edwards, who formerly held some
very important places IN Washington came
TO Porto Rico as Secretary of tne Peace
Commission, and he has been employed io
the office u tue governor, both unier The M
ltary ard civil administrations, ever snce.
AZ consequence OF bis pTctracted resIden
c. IL the tropics, sir. Edwards healfh bas
become seriously impaired md he goes away
f)t 'ouch needed rest AMI change Of elm.
ate
3f nds wisa the gem emsn and bis
esti1sole amsly q safe and
happy return.