La correspondencia de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 1890-1943, 1902-05-06
VIII at should be known.

| 50 Gn9rG exist reIAGlOns, likewise
mutual between the laws OF O
countr and the customs of it's peo,
pie.
TnAt laws exert an influence
over customs is proposition which
needs NO discussi sion. Thanks TO this
inflaence, peoples who were once
0Arbariaus, are now civilized aud
prosperous, while others, who
seemed worthy of better destiny,
have eithez disappeared, or sunk
into insiguificAnce. -. .....
Nor can it be doubted or ignored
that laws, in thsir turn, are power
fully influenced by customs; there
being, indeed. those who hold that
the former owe their existence to
the latter.
Let there be no misunderstood.
ing as to our meaning. To that end
Wa shall endeavor to be clear and
direct, in dealing with such an inte.
sting question, if only because,
as some or has remarked, in order
to impress the people, simple ideas
should be made use of.
L&ws are determined by customs.
Many examples from the experience
of the Island can be adduced in
support of this assertion. Had there
not been such . great irrsgulArity
in the systems Of tax&tiop, which
encouraged concealment of property,
peculation at the Custom houses,
and inequality in thu assessments,
would there have been any need of
such q law as the Holl&uder act,
prescribing thorough investig ations
and imposing severe penalties upon
violators Of its provisions? None at
all. Those customs or habits which
were the outcome of q neglected
education, and in their turn, depend.
ed upon loose and imperfect laws,
rendered imperative change in the
system of,tAxation by the enactment
of law, which, like the H9llander
bill, should place all citizens upon
the same level, in matters Of taxa
tion.
Aud when in the course of time,
IS is to be expected, the functions
of taxation shall Cffer no further
difficulty among our people, to what,
besides the lAtter's wonderful ad&p.
liability shall the change bs mainly
due, if not to the agency of said
law?
Thus we see the mutual induen.
ce of laws and customs.
Now, for another example. Every.
body knows that our methods of
| cultivation are not scientific. It
w.uld be easy to show that between
the methods now employed, as .
rule, and those practiced by the To-
dians at the time of the conquest,
there is hsrdly any N AteliAl diff sr,
ence. Tnese habits call for laws
C 1lculAte1 to improve the methods
f cultivation, such, for instnnce, as
laws establishing special schools
and model farms. The same WAS
the case with the American people
when founding their nation, aud to
such laws WAS due wonderful deve-
lopment of their agriculture. Should
our agricultural prosperity be deve-
loped in the near future, As is to be
hoped, could anyone hesitate to Gre
dit this result to the wise laws
enacted for the purpose?
It can be laid doW0, then, as o
rule, that such influence between
laws and customs are undeniable,
and that from this standpoint the
Island, like an open boo k containing
important truths, presents q wide
field for the study Ct our legislators.
1t becomes, therefore, of the
utmost Importance that when laws
are framed for the Island, these
considerations should bs TAX su into
account. The dearest laws are -beyed
the bsst, aud it is necessary that the
people should love it's laws, and
feel grateful for the good derived
from them. The study of questions
wdich have been considered by
other men aud other peoples, is not
. matter to ba look I'D upon With in.
difference. To act unthinkingly in
point of legislation; to adhere to
routine or the Influence of trasient
interests; to enact laws that are
prompted by p0rty reasons, instead
of the permanent and common needs
of all the citizens, is simply an i'm
morality which should not be tole-
rated by any enlightened people.
Ia order to legislate, it is nece-
sary to lean upon customs, and even
should these be removed on account
of their b bAdness, some sort of com
promise with them cSnnot wholly be
avoided; and except in the case of
vices involving disorder or delin.
quency, it seems that q cautious and
prudent method of proceeding should
be the criterion of all Thoughtful and
beuefcent legislation. Even where
the laws propose to bring about
char g in the customs of The people,
it is evident that thsy must refer to
such customs in order not to be re-
pulsed
Now, then, did the Puerto Rican
legislature take such proceedings
into account In all the matters
legisl&ted did it think Of respecting
the good habits of our people, and
Of supplying the bad ones with .
prudent aud wise corrector in the
law? We're our men, in Congress
assent bed, so sag&cious and thought
full ss to reAlize these things, and
not act blindly? We're they equal
to their mission?
In order to Snswer these ouas-
tious, n thorough study Of their 10
bors of four months, would be ne