BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1902-02-28
SAN JUAN, FEBRUARY %
Governmental Policies.

uUxC.ii.!MluSntdl "a! Oii]i~o'
With the. 6rst publication of the Few co :
Ses, which are nov being considered by the
Legislature, spublic comment became very
general, particularly amongst the local legal
fraternity and the newspapers throughout the
is aud. Gong articles, some OF them cover
log -saHefxi issues .of Q paper, were. aoftteR
against >Eaes Gods, the Ideas; upon winch It
was based, It's general scope, and the psrti-
culas laws WhicE it contained. The most
general cause Of complaint was that which
is Most frequently mado use of to attack eli
innovations, that it was inapplicable TO
Porto Rico, and that it took no notice of the
. srscteristics of the Porto Ricau people.
Not alone has this been the objection to CO.
diied laws, but all laws in general have
been attacked ON the same ground.
With an inconsistency, which is bOth
illogical and remarkable the great confu-i0n
which to day prevails between the Spanish
laws, General Orders and the laws passed
BY the legislature since the Inauguration Of
civil government, is attributed to the au
horities and the Ian of the American admi
nistratiOn.
When Q mplaints have been made gaiusi
the conduct of the judges, or other public
officials, particularly those of the munlc pal
tiles, the never failing answer and excuse
has always been charge that the autbori
ties were responsible for the laws, and that
the officials merely administered them, hat
that if there were laws in force which were
against the spiftSof the American conss;.
tuti0n that the government was 10 blame,
md hat ho f,1si hafu nich
laacs, Military Orders and Legislative euacs.
m nts was 30 gleat that it RI qaired Scion
to decide whatlsw was IN force and efiec,
ard what. YVES not The result naturally,
of this contention has always been, that
judges In defending any position they might
have taken, have always jntrencned tbe IN
selves BY using esch sst of lass at will,
and in most cases legally so. To all this
divergence in the laws there has been great
objection, and still to day when new maasu.
res are introduced to revoke the old laws
which have long since outlyed their usefu-
ness, or become inappl cable, a bosl Of anger
goes up all over the island, AID dsrespect
for the precepts OF the people and an attack
on the liberties of the island are charged,
The great nfnsion in the laws " hich it is
said has prevailed ever since American oc
cupation has been universally criticised, tut
never has there been an honest inqu ry into
thecauses which have led TO this confusion.
or even desire,-tO IA ke any such an inves.
tigaticn. Every new law has been attrjbut.
cd 10 desire to Americanize, without
reason or int ttliigeuce, by the Introduction
OF arbitrary measures, noleDs volens, upon
people provided with the best set Of law in
tx'steDc'.
In all the attempts of the administration
to simprose the laws, 5tbere has never
been any charge that tie, Spanish Jaws
In general or tie system upon which
they We're founded Swas naatquafe rather
las there been' u desire to enforce sll
these laws which had proven their strength
AID use, and at the sams time to revoke
these ID ch had outliysd their useflIu. ss
b, reason o: remaining u"ch4uged for many
.rars, sud TO introduce those whic1 were
N de NJ cessary by the change OF conditions
and the transfer Of government Three
has principles Wou therefore se IA 20
Drderlle tie goverumen'a policy for the
administration of laws in Porto Rico; frs
the retention Of good modern Spanish lava.
second the revocation OF u;h old laws as
were insppicabl; and third, new laws de.
manded by changed conditions.
In pursuance Of this plan tbs policy has
been TO go slowly and not vithouf great
cara: AS the result of this policy the con-
fusion which is now attribute to The failure
OF the government to make good laws, has
resulted. The cause of this confusion has
never been looked into by the people gbo
are foremoGt in their attacks, out the fact
that; the ccnfusion existed was sufficient tor !
tLe,purpose of long newspapers articles, |
AndxF general condemnation of Amsr can |
laws.
Thus it can be 81 en- that from desire to |
giveSthe people Of the island eyey freedom
in Jsgsrd to political and civil rights hes
grown This great confusion which is made
80 much Of To-day, the authorities in
aecosdap6e with this same desire to go I
slowly, have introduced Laws which plainly
shosO the greatest respect for these pripci
pes. The Civil code and penal code pro,
this. The changes in the former hove been
very slight, for the reason that the Law
in this volume regulate tie
sveryds, O. mmercisl and bus ness affairs f
the people, ard these should not be revOu
tionised in day. In the Penal Code
however radical changes have been made,
for the reason that these laws are public
guards and projections against a spic al
group Of people who might be included In
E.e criminal class. To the great mass If
he people the penal laws mean nothing,
sut notice to offenders that there is D
INIT to their action; that the difference
,stween liberty ard license is drawn some {
where.
Despite the truth o. these sta emen 8 we
ave our Delegates hesitating bst~e tie /
Id and the new, and setting he ma t.r
side until this late day % If the whole thing