The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1903-01-03
Now comes a native of Porto Rico,

Now comes a native of Porto Rico,
named Martin Traviesco, Of San Juan,
nephew Of the chief justice of the
island, who says that our colony is
shockingly misgoverned, and that the
American governor is unmindful of
the peoples sufferngs. Mr.. Traviesco
is attending the Cornell law school at
Ithaca, n. u, and is one of the bright
est students in his class. He says
Gov, Hunt and his horde OF officials
are living luXuriously and that UNI
scrupulous politicians rule the island
in Il tyrannical manner. Hear him:
Instead Of autonomy which had
been coded to us by Spain, we now
have government which gives the
governor more dcspotic powers than
any Spanish military governor ever
had and he exercises them to the
detriment Of the people. In order that
his will may be done and that his
power may be absolute, Gov. Hunt
supports the party OF the minority,
composed of American Adventures
and native renegades who have no
regard for the welfare of the country
and are ready to applaud as long as
they enjoy official protection.
1.-The election Of November was the
greatest political crime of the century.
All means were used from fraud to
murder to give the victory to the gov
ernmental party, which Won, although
far in the minority. The insular po-
lice, instead Of preserving order, was
used by the government to intimidate
the opposing party and to prevent
honest citizens from fulfilling their
sacred duty of voting. 1t fills my
heart with anger and Indignation
when think Of the number Of crimes
which have been committed to carry
such elections, but the murderers will
remain unpublished because the min
listers in the temple of justice are poll
ticians.
Life for honest people is becoming
impossible in Porto Rico, because they
see that the government protects the
criminal and Furnishes the law-abiding
citizens. The government there has
tainted the flag with dishonor. am
sure that il the true facts were known
the honest-hearted Americans would
be filled with indignation. But only
the official reports reach American
ears and in them Porto Rico is repre-
scented as a happy and prosperous
country"
The people of Porto ltico welcomed
Gen. Miles with open arms and chcercd
for the flag of the free when he prom
Used that their island would become II
state Of the American union. But
Gen. Miles had no authority to prom
Use them anything. He was like the
American generals in the Philippines
who told the natives that they had
come :s friends and to act as allies
against Spain, but every promise made
by them was repudiated by the i'm
ptrial administration at Washington.
Gen. Miles never lima gined that Porto
Rico would be governed by the United
States as the thirteen original colonies
were governed by the British. Gov.
Hunt. Of Porto Rico, is just as des-
potir us was Gen. Andres, of Connecti-
cut. in the reign Of Charles III. But
the American people do not care.
They have self government for them
selves, and what difference does 1t
make how others are governed, rS-
ppcally when they are not Anglo
Saxons! Five years ago Americans
thought differently and believed that
every people, whether strong or weak.
were entitled to self-government.
Perhaps some day the American pco-
pie may reverse the policy Of might
against right and allow the Porto
Ricans to govern themselves as citi-
zens and not as subjects Of the Amcrl-
can republic The sooner it is done.
the better for the people Of the little
island.