BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1904-12-02
AmericanizatlOn


great goal. The renaissanc. OF our
island and its industries. To attain
this end it may become necessary tor
us to revert entirely to our former
condition, which was far more accep
table and more adapted to our needs
than the presen. condition of our
economic life. Up to the present time
it seems to us that there has been
nothing attempted but deliberate
destruction, and that powerful forces
have been at work with the object of
laying low our laws and customs. The
work of reconstruction is such
stupendous one that no one can as yet
decide definitely where the task
should be begun, Fortunately public
spirit has at last awakened to realz
ing sense of the true conditions and
is imperiously demanding that the
necessary reforms be made.
From all parts of the island come
intonations strong and helthy, urging
some action tending to areiief from
the cha otic condition in which we find
ourselves. This is exactly what our
people have needed, A spirit of
independence should be shown by
every people who are determined to
secure full rights and representation.
and those who have brought about
the present condition of affairs could
surely have expected no other terni
nation that which must be eventually
brought about by the demands of an
abused public.
Those Objectionable features of our
present social and economic life must
be erased from our misdt and we
must once more resume the even
tenor of Our way in the paths which
we were for centuries fashion1ng and
which have served us an hundred fold
more than those which have been so
ruthlesSly thrust upon US by icono-
elastic demagogues.
We must reestablish once more in
it's entirety that legislation which
guaranteed to every one those rights
which were sacredly his. That legis-
lation which was suited to our lido
sincrasies and to the demands of our
modes of life and of Our race.
Beginning thus we can much more
readily complete the task which we
have undertaken--the complete rege-
neration of our present system. We can
the more easily bring ourselves back
to our natural condition, which is so
diametricslly opposed to the so-called
American methods.
There is no doubt whatever that
should anyone unfamiliar with those
things which have ocurred in Porto
Rico the past few years examine our
immense Volumes of new laws he
wouldbe immensely surprised at the
wonderful progress wich we have
made in the art of americanization.
1t is almost impossible to ccncieve to
the extent which we as people have
suffered through these changes. Even
our language has been converted into
an unintelligible jargon of sound which
causes laughter sometimes and pro-
found Indignation at others. What we
have gained can never in any sense
atone for that which we have lost,
and in spite of all of the efforts which
have been made up to the present
time there is no indication of the sup
posed to be fact that we are rapidly
becoming americanized. Nothing wha-
tever has been done to give the people
an insight into American methods
and manners. We have begun at
the ending and we will undoubtedly
leave off at the beginning. There is
nothin to show that American meth
DDS are superior or even as good, as
those to which we have always been
accustomed. Up, TO the present time
no representative of the new regime
has ever felt called upon to explain
to US or to convince us in just what
particular they are more progressive
Just where their practices are better or
suited to us or their customs more to
be admired than our own.
We have heard of no instance in
which anybody has ever felt called
upon to impress upon the public the
manner of living in the Great Repu-
bile, or of how they look upon life
there. There has been no attempt
upon the part of any representative of
the race to indicate to us why the new
customs and manners of living would
prove more to Our liking or wherein
they were more perfect than those to
which we have always been accustomed
Tf xwo xvAre really tO have entered ,1non