BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1902-02-20
SAN JUAN, FEBRUARY 20
MODERNIZATION..

Treating Of the Americsnization of Porto
Rico In two discourses which displayed an
unusual amount of perception and twentieth
century foresight Senor Matienzo OIntron
has made q series of powerful pleas for the
modernization of Porto RICO, as represented
to DAY by some nations in Europe, but as
originally born and brought 10 lisein the crea
tions of the American republic, and as
best exemplified by it. The acceptatjon
by the leading nations Of the earth OF
American ideas and policies as representing
ID their full meaning the modern'zatlon OF
the world, is q sure guarantee that the words
Americanization and Modernization are
synonymous.
In asking the people Of this island to
accept the American idea of government
and life, there can be no discrimination
between America and other cou atries OF tie
world, the only difference being insisted
upon is that between European darkness
and the republic OF man the most modern
of the world The true period in which the
people have reigned supreme except as res
tricted and limited by serse and justice. 1T
+. js mistake to insist that the American
people represent only those things which
partake OF the nature of only those things
which are American. A plea in behalf OF
the Americanization of Porte Rico is just
demand that this island keep in step with
the march Of human progress as hest eEem
plified by the American people.
That in the United States to day there
exists many things which cannot be called
modern there ia no question, and that the
Most aumodern of those things is the belief
Al hnr nh dnan N n
eminate from United States.soh bat in due
Justice it must. be admitted taking all in
all that the American nation to day stands
for every idea schich has for its fnndamen-
tel object the emancipation of msn, and
his personal betterment.
Careful philosophers and historical stud
ents, have many Of them, contended, that
the discovery of the new world was brought
about by the desire Of the human family to
free itself from the thraldom of European
installations as they existed at that time.
This was not indeed the patent object, as
generally dedaced from study of history
but careful consideration of .cond! !tions as
they existed prior to the discovery Of the
new world, will certainly reveal the fact
that the m anifest dessiny of the western
Aelisphere became early discernable to the
wiser men In Earopa.
And indeed this view was early born out
By substqueat history, for hardly had the
story Of the d scoEery been made public
before the Eew land became the refu, ,e for
the oppressed Of all cou atr.es Iu some par
of the new world every prosecuted religioniss
fvnnd home and new life free from every
thing which pertained to religious slavery or
personal deprivation. From all lands they
ccms, and no eJuntry in Europe, but that
perseca,ed some class, some sect or some
com manity.
Hardly had the colonists been established
Ia the new country, before they, mostly in a
spirit OF self protection and reveaga, manif~
.ested the same spirit of intolerance and
A'gotry which had been 50 pitilessly eIh bi:ed
against them in the old world The Pilgrim
Fathers, giants of q new creation were, as
narrOW-%s the men who had persecu ed
E6em, and in every settlement, with tie
exception possibly of William Penn's, rel.
gious freedom wal as much restricted as it
had been from whence the people came.
The manifest destiny of the new World
would not down however, and before the book
of history had turned many pages we found
the creation of q new nation where the
fundamental principles Were life; liberty aud
the pursuit of happiness according to ones
own beliefs and conscience, restricted only in
90 far as harm to others was to be prevented.
The Americsnization Of the world has
originated from this time. The word Amer
icanisation of the world IS mistake, more
properly speaking it should be the M 'dern- |
isation Of the word. The rule OF man,
according to the precepts Of The common
law as foundsd on and proven by the moral
laws which have come down through the
eyes.
No man should be 80 narrow minded as
to insist on the Americanizstion of Porto |
kico, but on the modernization Of this
island should every thought for future pros
perity be concentered. Modern ideas as
best represented by the institutions OF the
United States should be followed Those
things which are bad In the United States
should be lett out. To insist that there are
NO bad Institutions in the Uaion is 10
insist that the human family has at last re-
ached infsllibility. But our fundamental
reasoning and ideas srepreseniingtle twen-
tieth century in lis true colors should be
taten. Those are to be found as best repre-.
scented by the United States. This has be a
admitted by all OF Europe II it hurts 10
be American, don's be it, but do be m'dsrn.