The Washington times., 1903-06-19
PORTO RICANS CLAIM
THEY ARE CITIZENS
Lawyers Wanted to Prac-
tice in Local Courts.
BAR EXAMINERS DECISION
Permitted to Take Examination, But
Denied Practice Until Supreme
Court Settles Status of Island.

The status of the citizens of Porto
Rico has again been made the subject OF
much comment, because of the decision
recently rendered by the committee of
examiners of the bar of the District of
Columbia, permitting Porto Ricans TO
take the bar examination, but denying
them the right to practice in the local
or Federal courts until the status OF
their country has been decided by the
Supreme Court of the United States.
This decision of the examiners has
caused two prominent citizens of Porto
Rico, who came to Washington for the
purpose of taking the bar examination,
TO refuse to do so. basing their action on
what they term their rights" and GER
tain violations of the Constitution OF
the United States" which they have in
corporated in a letter to the examiners.
Sure They Are Citizens.
I'VE are sure" the letter states. that
we are citizens of the United States. and
protected by the celebrated document
approved in Philadelphia by delegates
from the several States who met in that
city in response to a resolution of Con-
gress and among whom appeared as
foremost leaders the honorable patriots,
Washington and Jefferson. who never
thought that the Constitution then
adopted to secure the liberties of the
people at the end of the eighteenth
century should serve to cover the great
est injustice to a defenseless and un-
fortunate country at the beginning of
she twentieth century"
They say further the Constitution is
the strongest palladium In support of
their contentious, and a person born in
Porto Rico is as much a citizen OF the
United States as a person born in New
Mexico or Alaska Continuing, they
say:
we. having a right to be American
citizens, ought not to accept the gen.
erous concession offered to us of being
permitted to take the examination sub
iect to the decision of the Supreme Court
upon the question OF the status of Porto
Rico. A man having a right conception
of his rights and duties cannot, with
out helittlement of his manhood. con-
sent to a discussion of his absolute
rights. To admit that would be an i'm
piled expression of doubt.
Refuse to Take Examination.
eve refuse to take the examination
because we must not accept as an aims
what belongs to US as a right. The
United States Government has deprived
the Porto Ricans of their Spanish citi-
zenship, giving them nothing in lieu
thereof, or, to speak more clearly, IL
has given them a burlesque and depres-
sive character by calling them Porto
Rican citizens. 1t is superfiuous to say
that we do not constitute an independent
sovereignty, and that, therefore, we are
incapacitated 10 have a citizenship
which guarantees US before the world.
Indeed, New York and Pennsylvania
have their own citizenship, but it has
effect only within the limits of the State.
Once beyond the frontiers. the State
citizenship disappears and only that OF
the nation accompanies the person. II
will not occur to a citizen of New York
10 say that he is a citizen of that State
II he has to defend his rights in
foreign country; he will simply say that
he is a citizen OF the United States"
Foraker Bill Unconstitutional.
In conclusion, they declare the For
aker bill. now in force in Porto Rico,
unconstitutional and in direct violation
of the Fourteenth Amendment, which
which says that "aIl persons born or
naturalized in the United States and
subject to the Jurisdiction thereof. are
citizens of the United States" They
further argue that according to this
bill persons. by becoming citizens OF
Porto Rico through naturalization, are
afforded greater rights and privileges
than persons born in Porto Rico. and
that as a consequence Porto Rico is able
TO grant foreigners rights and privileges
that il cannot grant its own people
1T is not our purpose they add, TO
cTiticise the action OF the officers OF the
bar. but, on the contrary, we heartily
thank that honorable body for the
courtesy shown TO US. as we realize that
they are not the competent authority
20 settle questions of such transcenden-
tai Importance, although. in our opinion,
the political status OF Porto Rico should
never have been questioned"
The letter is signed by Felix Cordova
Davila and Manuel de j. Boneta.
The members OF the board OF exam
liners OF the District OF Columbia bar
corroborate the statements Of Messrs.
Boneta and Davila and declare they
were following the rules laid down by
the Supreme Court in general term.