BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1902-09-23
SAFl JUAN, SEPTEMBER Is
The Coming Elections.

ne coming EleCuOilo.
The present indications are that the
coming elections will not pass OFT with
out considerable friction between the
parties There is also grave possibility,
i11dpinp from the present state OF teel-
ING that some blood will be shed, and
that 1io.ing between partisans will also
occ11r. Bitter denunciation will OF
course be hurle against all oppo-
nets. and bravado will be INDUCED in to
draw on the unruly of both sides.
The general public impulse on hear
ino of these rows is to accuse both SIDES
of being disturbers of the most violent
kind. But to call men who lose their
heads in the heat of political discussion,
disturbers, rioters and rutflans IS ooth
unfair and un-American. Our own
history that is our political history con-
tains some accounts where the nights
and the turbulence has been much more
serious and more disgraceful than any
vet reported in Porto Rico.
The introduction in most OF the states
of the Australian ballot system has
done great deal to remove the crock
edness' and the unffairnes OF Amer-
can elections
At the same time, however, 1t IS still
within the memory OF even the
Youngest American voters when the
"ward heeler" Or worker gave an,
elector a bundle of tickets and accom-
panied him to the very ballot box IN
order to make sure that he dropped the
IL, Rano0+inO
colonizing, box stuthng and all the others
tricks of an American election OF the
earlier days have been done 'ay with
to a great extent, but at the same time
they still exist and survive. Examples
can be given by citing our prominent
cities of N Y. and Philadelphia. Only
asst week two hundred men we're arres-
ted in New York for false voting at a
primary election. In Philadelphia the
power Of the "ring" still remains as
cendant despite the vigorous attacks OF
hundreds of reformers throughout the
continent.
Engaged in the heat of a political
campaign in the States the average
American is unable to see these things
in the light that they should be view
ed. But here in Porto Rico standing
off and watching the parties work from
disinterested standpoint, we are quick
to condemn this sort of politics. There
is no questioning but that it should be
condemned. 1t is unfair however, to
say on account of it, that the Porto
Rican will never become Amerlcanlzed
or that it is necessary to call out the
troops as suggested several weeks ago
by morning contemporary.
When the Governor of Kentucky was
shot to death in a political row, and
when from the interior of that state
armed men poured iuto the capital,
desperate and ready TO shoot on the
slightest provocation there never was
any Thought even for single instanl OF
calling into use the national forces The
state handled the situation itself, and Fl.
nally worked ou. 4 peace ul and order
ly solution.
In many of the states Of the south
where the restricted suffrage laws are
in force, where the qualifications for
voting were made and passed with the
special view OF disfrancnising thousands
of men entitled to vote under the cons
titution of the United States, there ne
yer was any suggestion that troops
should BE- called out. Of course no
forca was used, but at the same time
the state legislatures took away from
the mobs the necessity of resorting to
force, and Illegally, and under the cover
of constitutional right, closed the ballot
box to thousands of voters.
There are many instances that can
be given where our own elections do
not furnish examples of the most stir
ling honesty and uprighsecusness. In
all fairness we are in no position to cri-
tizise. Impartial, because disinterested,
we to-dayscan see the thing in its pro-
per light. We can look back at many
political deeds enacted in the Union, IN
a way that we did not see them years
ago There is room for healthy study 7,
in comparative politics
While dishonest electiods should not
be tolerated anywhere in the World,
the just position for the American
to assume in these political fights is tol
stand aside and think Of . some cleo
tions that I have known.