BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1902-03-25
SANJUAN, MARCH Is
"Hittin' the Nail
On the Head .

1t is hardly probable that Doctor Russell.
In his discourse ct the Theatre last night,
felt how truly appropriate and fitting to the
situation in Porto Rico, were his earnest
pleas for democratic thought, open demo-
: cratic discussion Of principles, and demo-
cratic submission to sounder judgment and
: the will of the people. His admoniticn to
teachers to use every effort to destroy the
81 don't want to play" spirit, in the young
boy and girl, fitted 80 many OF our grown up
population so snugly and exactly that many
Z people In tae audience, familiar with the
situation in Porto Rico really believed that
DR.. Russell had lived here amongst US. and
seen some Of the incidents of Porto Rican
daily life.
If the advice given to teachers last night
10 carried out there is a strong possibility
that some time within the next twenty-five
years it may be possible for two people be-
lieving in different political parties and
principles to live in the same town, and in
fact in the same house.
Not familiar with the stu alton 10 Porto
Rico, being here but few weeks, DR.. Rus
sell, has repeated to the native the lesson
which it has been sought to teach him for
many days since the American occupation.
That the South American republic where
every citisen works against every other
citizen is not the ideal government, but is
/. rather, startling example of how far self
csntered thought and s.bitterness will go to-
wards making government miserable.
The example Of large number of Porto
Rican citizens remaining away from the
polls on last election, simply because things
had nokgone I'M theway they desired, was
: hardlya good lesson for the generation
wkich,is growing, and which takes the ac-
tion Of . grown up man as thing of reason
and right. The spirit manifestated at that
time was dangerous one to foster in aIy
republic. Absolute reputation of the duties
Of citizenship is as unfair and dishonest as
the repudiation of ones personal obligations.
Oitixenship is more than personal obliga-
.tion, tits public one, due to the commun.
ity, and due to generation which is to
come, into world good or bad, as it has
been left by the last generation OF citizens.
Too much can never be said on this sub
jest. In educating the citizen of Porto
Rico up to full appreciation of his duties
% citizen Of the American republic, every
effort must be made to inculoate profound
respect. for the rights of democratic citizen.
ship and the honor that attaches to full
, performance of ones duty as minute
portion Of self governing community.
When smen have learned that upen them
alone sits the reign Of government, that the
servants sent by them to fill the functioLary
branches of the civil polity are simply fol-
lowing cut the will of the people, then will
they better understand the real RESPONSE
bility that rests on each individual shoulder.
The feeling which is manifest in Porto
Rico without extra search or effort is that,
20 and 30 10 Alcalde and 80 and 80 is Judge,
and this fellow is Polics Captain, and they
can run the government: we are simply the
people, and whatever they tell us to do we
will do. We simply exist for the purpose Of
flling in the space go that the governors will
have something to govern. Rsal democracy
and freedom cannot exist while this feeling
co-exists with it. The people must learn
and that which has long since been declared
lilo trust" The people govern through their
representatives the public officials, and the
will Of the people is determined by the laws
which they pass, and which must be observ.
ed by public officials in carrying out the
desires Of the community or body politic.
There il and has been lacking full in
tsrest in the duties and responsibilities of
citisenship, and DIR. Rnsselps words lastt
night were peculiarly appropriate to the
situation. While talking to the teachers on
matters which applied to the education of
the young, almest every utterance so fitted
The present state of affairs that the talk will
long be remembered by the persons who
were fortunate enough to listen TO it.
In his advice to the Porto Rican people |
to retain whatever was good and to reject
whatever was bad in their old lives, he |
stated that the American people were
people Of many languages and many Gus.
toms, and that he adoption Of American I
Ideals did not necessarily mean the destruc.
ton Of the Latin people or the obliteration
Of the Spanish language. It would almost
seem that DR. Russell had read many of the
.obstxuetionist pleas &. the Latin people to
retain their individuality, and not to permit
them selves to be absorbed by the Anglo
Saxon race. Some days ago the B0LETINI
main aimed that the American republic was
not "a Anglo Saxon republic, but that it
vasSinstead . rspublis made up Of the nations
Of tie world thnving in . better political
than they had ever before
kno1en.
There can be no question as to the truth
of this statement. We have received on
our shores The downtfodden and the miser-
sble Of every European people, have given
them ehanoe with every other man. and
i1f The tesult Ne may 70 dsy look amongst
~ T1E r g eur Io01'RR Gif'6ene, in both