The Grenada sentinel., 1903-01-17
CONDITION Is WOEFUL.
Porto Rico II w0rse on Vow Than
Under Spain, Says n Native
at Cornell.

Martin Traviesco, Jr., of San Juan,
Porto Rico, now a senior in the Cornell
law school, declares that conditions In
Porto Rico are far worse than they
were under the rule of Spain, and that
the government party is carrying on
with high hand, favoring a minor
ity which consists of worthless poll
ticians, while the best and honest peo-
pie suffer. These statements, says the
Chicago Chronicle, made in speech
which was delivered at one OF the
meetings of the Cornell class in ora
tory, made a profound impression, for
Traviesco is well liked by the students,
who admire his devotion to his coun-
try's cause. In part he said:
when the flag of Spain was pulled down
from every place in the island OF Porto Rlco
and that Of the stars and stripes supplant-
ed in its stead the great heart OF the for'o
Rican people was glad, for We thought that
liberty had for the first time made ITS ap-
pearance our dear island. We had reao
and heard of Washington, Lincoln, Jel,
ferson, and other immortal Americans ana
had also learned to love and admire them !,
We knew that in the American nation al
men were free and equal, ana we hau
| read the American constitution ana lhele-
fore We hoped that the blessings OF nOerty
guaranteed IN tudl COCuIASut " OA1u NC -
tended TO us.
"Have our hopes been realized? Nay,
| they have been dissipated and blasted ihe
supreme court has held that the constltu-
| ton does not extend to Porto RICO. Anu
| instead of autonomy which had been con-
| ceded to us by Spain we now have govern
ment which gives the governor more Ces-
potic powers than any Spanish governor
! ever had.
! 1.-THE election of November was the great
! est political crime of the century. All
| means were used from fraud to murCtr &c
| give the victory to the governmental party
| The insular police instead OF preserving
| order were used by the government &c
| tntimiGhte the opposing party and to pre-
| vent the honest citizens from casting then
| ballots and the criminals Will remain un
| punished because the ministers in the
! temple Of justice are politicians.
! I'VE have gone back to the dark days OF
Spanish administration OF 1881, When oul
| mothers and sisters were in constant zeal
| that their sons and brothers might be ar
| rested by the Spanish soldiers TO be thrown
| into a dungeon and suffer torture tor the
| sole crime of being a patriot. To-day unce1
| the present government they are IN con
| slant dread lest their loved ones may b'
| brought back to them MANNED or murdered
for the sole crime of being opposed TO tn
| party protected by the governor.
| But only the official reports reach thl
| country, and in them Porto Rico is repre-
| sented as being happy and prosperou
| country. But these reports are false ana
so 6enounce them Porto Rico is passlnl
through the greatest crisis OF its histor'
and the island is prostrSteG.
Il believe that my country is entitled 7
have a government founded on the sam
principles that have made this nation tn
greatest nation in the world, and beiiev
We are at least entitled, civilized an
Christian people, to have our natural right
guaranteed by the government to whlc
We owe allegiance. In heavens name :"
want insteaCi of profiigacy. honesty; In
stead Of extravaganza, economy; instead Q
rioting, peace. So that everyone from ou
beautiful shores to our evergreen ma
tains may learn to love and respect the ~
which floats overhead and be wiling to d'
| in it's defenSe.''