BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1902-01-13
SAN JUAN, JANUARY )3
Impossible Legislation

Impossible Legislation
There are some things IN this world that
cannot be legislated into existence. The
belief that all evils can be cured by legisia'
tion ls as ludicrous as the belief that a cri
minsl can reform by simply saying to his
friends that he arill. There are however
m my evil ings which are the diret SUBJ
j ct of legislation, and which can be Gu. et
only by a sensible and equitable law respect
ing th+ same Of the things possible OF 10
gi,la'i"n and those impossible of the sane
It seems tho the Legislature of Porto Rico
has absolutely ignored every subject On
VIII ch they can't legislate and have tai en-
up with m alters which are as impossible Of
legislation by the Iusular Legislature of
Porto Rico as an elephant is of fl lag.
When the Governor Ct Porto Rico read
his message in the Theatre q great pretense
was made OF carefully listening to the
words of the Chief Executive and the legisia.
tors sll attention we're apparently just drink
ing in the facts and figures Of all the measu
res advocated in that excellent document.
Indications now are, judging from the legis.
lation which has been proposed so far, that
they were thinking their hardest how they
could best absolutely ignore the message
and its contents.
The recommendations in regard to harbor
regulations and Port Captain have been
absolutely forgotten as have also the recOm-
mendations regarding ths code commission,
the reduction of the number of municipal
tiles sanitary regulations the right to carry
weapons and dozen excellent suggestions
made by the Governor and presented by
him because ho believed them to be the
leading and most important matters before
the people Of Porto Rico. In their place
we have had bill to limit the amount of
abuse that might be heaped on iulges and
-atiscals. another TO .hsyash halhA the Judges Of the
Supreme Court liable for their judicial con.
duct, another to regulate Sunday closing,
another to appropriate money for reform
school any where, and still another to inves
tigate an ipsular department sgaiDt whici
there never has been whisper Of suspicion
of any kind, and which department had never
been asked for facts or figures upon which
an investigation could be based, and one
more, the one to compel heads of depart
ments to employ no one but Americans and
Porto Ricans in the various Insular Depart
ments.
Ii our erstwhle Legislators had been hunt.
ipg for years for topics upon which they
could, not lsgislate they might not have
produced more choice lot of sutjec.s which
they have no more right to discuss than
they have the ANNUAL appropriations Of the
State of California. The matter respect.
ing liberty OF the press is happily regulated
by the Constitution of the United States,
and the legislature Of Porto Rico might do
well to learn in the start that muzzling does
not pay as q matter of political principal,
and is illegal as matter of American law.
Respecting the judges of the Supreme
Ccurt of Porto Rco It may suffice to say
thar these judges have been appointed By
the President Of the United States, and that
as q matter Of courtesy, if for no other
reason, il might be Well to leave th,m SUB.
iect TO him, but aside from this the Judges
of tue Supreme Court of Porto REQ have
always. been respor 70 bic for their judicial
conduct, despite the protests Of Mr. Fsjlr
do. II Indeed Cur highest Trituual was
smenable to the acts Of our legislature il
would present apretty picture, that Of the
Supreme Court Of Porto REQ haaled dolrn
before tho Municipal or Police Courts Of
Juan or any etAer toun on the island
la regard 10 the Sunday closing bill 10 might
s.iiice TO sayth ws pablishsd this wonder
ful document word for NOR In Friday 'sissue.
The motives thai prompted the invsstig
ation OF the Board Of Publsc Works are sllll
unkaowo TO the gs1sral public. TIE pop
u.ar legislative ehorona nowadays sseas 10
bs s.Os Let Us Iayssngzisr. IL would te
well fsfssh pr,tals cilss1s 10 lead vsry CIR.
camzpert nsss just about nos for thefs is 10
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