davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1904-04-11
Multa CondOnada

El sefior Gobernador ha condonado,
por recommendation del Attorney Ge-
neral Mr.. Sweet, la multa de SIS, que
lie fue impuesta don Antonio Rodri-
guez, acusado de expender pan falto
de peso.
BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1904-04-11

DC IlICuiO Cal III NulOs 0C AOl v
en- zorro de todas las personals
que sc preocupan de la situa-
cion. hemos reSogido la misma
protssta. No hay forma de CO.
nocer la ley. nj Be lie ofrecen al
ciudadano los meoios que tiene
a su alcance en- otros paises para
que la conozca. No sc piensa
en- las regioues ohciales que, un
pueblo que no conoce la ley por
que sc rige. NAL puede cumplir
la; nj paran mieptes los funcio-
nsrios en- los sobresaltos { in
quietuces que proporcionan a
los ciudadanos ignorantes de las
leyes que rigen Y de las que han
sido por otras suplantadas, sin
mas aviso y sin mas explicacio-
mes.
Estas cosas no debieran CO.
gernos de susie. Cuando nj los
mismos Legislatures pueden pre-
cisar 81 estan vigentes las paten
tes municipales, nj saben ST el
bill mum. II Sc ha Incorporate al
mum. I3 para disimular el NAL
efecto que produjo en- la opinion
al ser conocido; y no sc sabe a
clencia cierta 81 eStan vigentes
las leyes de lioelo y desacato sin
enmie ndas o con enmiendas.
cuando todo ESQ ocurre entire
funcionarios y legislatures Ique
extrano puede ser el sosteni-
miento del mismo error para ell
publico, para ell pueblo!
Ouier 10 dude puede dirigir-
Sc en- soIicitud de un bill de los
pasados en- la extinguida legis-
laura; quien 10 dude no vaya
a pedir un resumen de la ley
VICENTE, porque ESQ habia de
ser impossible y de todo punto
inutil, pero es que tampoco, en-
10 que Sc re6ere a una simple
ley, puede alabarse de haber
tenido mejor slerte ning1n ciu7
dadano.
iQue injusto proceder y que
perIuicios ocasiona!
Estamos viviendo en- piena
anarquia legislative.
No satemos nj 10 que esta vi
gente nj 10 que esta derogado.
Las sombras del limbo parece
que rodean Ell palacio del Eje-
cutivo y una santa ignorancia
de todo posee a los funcionarioS
que nos ha deparado la suerte.
No viven mas que de la con
fianza y de la fe en- los destinos
providenciales.
Cuanto Sc perpetra en- nombre
de los Estados Unidos tiene que
resultar muy superior a juicio
de los ocupantes del poder; pero
por 81 acaso le echan la culpa
al pueblo de Puerto Rico, todo
Sc hace en- su nombre, todo Sc
ordena en- su nombre; y ell pue-
bio de Puerto Rico no sabe nada
de todo ESQ que sc hace a sus
espaldas, sin su conSentimientO.
porque no sabe de que Sc trata
nj Sc le da cuepta de 10 que Sc
acomete en- Su nombre.
Y no Sc crea que puede estar
tranquilo el pueblo, nj que la
despreocup ,cion sea convenient
te en- materia tan delicada, como
es la de conocer la ley organica
de un pals Y todas las demas
Ieyes. para conocer los derechos
del ciudadano y los deberes de
los funcionarios, casi siempre
incumplidos, CAST siempre NAL
entendidos.
En- la furia de reforma legis-
latIva que ha sufrido este pue :
bio, no ha encontrado garantias
Y respetos nj adn la misma ley
Organica que nos adjudic0 Ell
Congreso de Washington: nj la
misma ley Foraker.
- 1nf.I =
BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1904-04-11
Essudianses
do taquiurafia

Ell numero de estudiantes de ia lui
|graffa que existen en- San Juan. as
ciende $50; y las plazas que han de
cubrirse en- los Tribunaies solo son
BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1904-04-11


mas importante v que aiccta
mas al pueblo y le toca mas dc
cercn.
Aqui ha sido suprimida Ia
Cacefa oh0faf y la ley Foraker
Ia reconoce como nccesaria en-
las seccioncs 90 de Ia misma ley
Y en- Ia se tambien. que se rehe-
re a los n1edios que ha de uti-
liar el Secretario de Puerto
Rico. para que las leyes sean
promulgadas. sean conocidas de
todos los fciudadanos q quieneS
despues ha de exigirseles que
las acaten v observer.
Como ha 0sado el gobierno
deiar que perezca la "Gaceta
o6cial". en- una epoca que pu-
diera estar desempehando un
importantisimo papel. precisa-
mente cuando mas falta hace.
por que la fecundidad alarman.
te de nuestros legislatures no ha
reconocido diques nj trabas. nj
medidas, fecundidad peligrosa
como la de las tierras baldias. la
de las selvas Y maniguas, donde
vive la sombra y encuentra su
refugio la obscuridad.
Como ha callado Ell organo
del gobierno'
Es que esas leyes no pueden
salir a la luzi
les que no ha de conocerlas el
ciudadano. hasta que incurra
en- la penalidad Y rechace y
contravenga sus preceptos. ESQ
no puede ser. En- los paises
primitivos Sc tiene al prego-
nero para que al toque de clarin
v de tambor, de a conocer del
pueblo las disposiciones ohcia-
les. Pero aqui nj ESQ. Nj el
pregonero siquiera, como en- las
aldeas patriarcales. Y menos
NAL 81 hubiesen respetado Ell
monumento legislative que te-
niamos, porque va estaba nues-
tro pueblo familiarizado, con
aqueIlas leyes tan logicas y tan
sabias, tan equitativas y tan flo
sofcas; no tanto Sc hubiera echa-
do de menos la Suppression de la
"Gaceta" en- esas condolences y
menos tambien Sc hubiera nota-
do la violacion de la ley Fora
ker cometida al suprimir tan
1til E indispensable medic de
promulgaci6n de las leyes y dis
posiciones todas del mundo of
cial.
mo Sc nos estan irritando los
ofdos de tener que escuchar a
la fuerza. que nos encontramos
6 que atravesamos un periodo
constituyente? Pues ESQ va Sc
sabe 10 que significa. Y no Sc
puede constituir nada a espal-
das del pueblo, nj Sc deben su-
primir instituciones populares
dignas del mayor respeto.
~ con que Sc ha sustituido el
medic que la ley Foraker reco-
noce como Official para la pro-
mulgacion de las leyes1
~ como entiende ell senor Sc
.cretarlc de Puerto Rico el de-
Der que lie impone la seccion Io
de nuestra ley organica de pro-
mulgar 6 publican las leyes3
Pues, sencillamente. no va
lieudose de ningun medic de
promulgacion. puesto que aqui
no es verdsd que Sc promul-
guen las leyes.
Aquf Sc acaparan por el seTlor
Secretario las leyes aprobadas,
y como 81 fueran propiedad par
ticular de 81. las imprime donde
le place y no donde lie convene
mas al pals; y una vez impre-
sas. reparte ejemp1ares a los
funcionarios pdblicos. dejando
a., <yLhfc & 1oc ci,1d adams de
BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1904-04-11

En- la tarde de aver ingreso en- la
colonia de leprosos la mujer Jesusa
Figueroa, procedente de Ponce.
The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1904-09-01
The Growth Of Mob Law

Paper Read Before the Chalttauqata Circle.
If we, who consider ourselves
enlightened and progressive, could
see ourselves as other nations see
us, we would not be so proud Of
our civilization. All intelligent,
honorable and w-abiding people
look with horror upon the alarm
ing growth of mob law, and wonder
how such acts of violence are toll
Grated in a civilized and progress
i've country like the United States.
Mob law appears to have become
a mania among part of the peo-
pie. They apparently donot think
that mob law and lynching dis
grace Christianity and civilization.
Lynching is one of the most cow
ardly and barbarous crimes that
The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1904-09-01

er odd jobs about the place, while
1 drive to church with my Welsh
ponies, or visit some OF the
neighbors, they sit around the live
long day telling stories, or talking
about the grasping disposition and
cruelty of employers; and when
meal time comes they eat as much
as if they had been earning their
food, I tell you what, Hiram, this
country is going to the dogs unless
something is done soon to check
the insolence of farm laborers. The
class of men who now perform
farm labor are menace to estab-
lished society. But when we have
the gold mine in working order we
needn't care cuss for them.
The Short Run & Long Stop r.
R. has built a new depot at Slowgo
Station. Every available inch of
space on the walls, doors and win
dowsills has been utilized by resi-
dents hereabouts in which to carve
their names in big, deep letters.
many of them more unique than
artistic. L asked Mr.. j. Henry
Sleeponduty, the station agent,
why he permitted such doings.
'Oh, that's all right" he said.
''The railroad company has notices
posted up warning people that all
who destroy or mutilate the COM
pany's property will be prosecuted
according to law. Well, the law
in this case provides that person
convicted of mutilating or destroy
ing the railroad company's proper
ty shall be fined from S. to $500,
or be sent to the county Jail or the
nearest penitentiary for term not
less than thirty days, nor more
than five years, or both at the dis
erection of the court. It would be
an easy matter to convict any and
every one of the persons whose
names adorn the whole of the ex-
terror, and part of the interior of
this structure, bat that is not the
way to do business. All these
wielders of jack and pen knives
whose names you may, or may not,
be able to decipher, are at one time
or other patrons of this railroad,
and l charge every one of them five
cents extra for tickets, coming
or going, and the same amount or
more on shipments of freight. If
any of them have the temerity to
register kick [ put on an injured
air, pull little book from the
drawer, and after a few preliminary
has and Inns | say: rs it pos
sible I have made mistake? Lets
see. Your name is Silas Mangel-
mursel? Or Schuyler Colfax Rhu-
barbstock? And your name is
carved on the wall of this depot
facing the east so as to greet the
rising sun? Well, sir, then [ have
made no mistake And he willis
at once. This diplomatic plan more
than doubles my income. Some
times [ divide with the railroad
company, but more often | don't. :"
Hiram, business is business, and
Mr.. Sleeponduty evidently not
only knows his business, but at
tends TO 1t, likewise.
Tell me something about the
State of Minnesota in your next
letter.
Your loving father,
81. SLowGo, SR.
The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1904-09-01


that l find in them
anything that smacks of orlginail-
ty, or that your observations, wise
and otherwise, startle the MIND
with their refulgence. Your re-
marks. reflections, and observa-
tions, being mostly otherwise, :
bear the stamp of mediocrity and
leave but a slight impression on
the mind. But your letters have
a charm all their own: you often
express in unmistakabie terms
what other people hardly venture
to think about, much less to speak
about above whisper. But you
must not think that l condemn
you on that account, or that J.
accuse you of rashness; to tell the
truth, I rather like your charming
frankness. I will try to show how
YOU differ from other men and boys,
past and present.
I we'll remember, when [ was
young, we boys used to have fairly
good opinions of ourselves. We,
in our own estimation, were so
much wiser than our fathers that
we regarded them no better then
old fogies, years, decades, genera
tions behind the times. Butwe new
or ventured to say SO aloud-there-
in showing we were hypocrits, and
lacking in moral courage. In their
own hearts our fathers thought
their fathers were rather slow, but
they kept their thoughts to them
selves. This perhaps has been the
case from the very beginning Of
human existence, and traces OF
this same characteristic can be
found even in the animal world.
Thus, the average hen allowed to
run at large with her chickens loses
half of them because the chicks
think they know so much more
than their mother that they often
disregard her calls of warning, and
wander away into paths that are
devious and fraught with danger,
bent upon discoveries of their own;
until the cats. the foxes, the wea-
sels, the rats, and other lovers of
succulent feathered tidbits nab
them, and the mother hen clucks
for the missing ones, and clucks in
vain. And the boys of these degen-
crate days think themselves un-
fortunate in having fathers who
are intellectually miles behind
them, but they rarely let their
fathers have the benefit of their
private opinions. And in the dim
and distant future when according
to popular belief certain, or rath-
or uncertain, mystical character,
Old Gabriel, by name, will perform
a trumpet solo in the morning, if
the boys and young men of that
day be called upon by some enter
prising newspaper reporterto make
plain, straightforward statement
concerning the mental and moral
attitudes of their fathers, nine out
of ten will say: ooh, father is
all right, only Just triae SLOW.
The pace is too fast for him; be-
sides he is hampered with old
notions that rather drag him back
ward. He's all right, only he isn't
in our class. This isn't for publ
cation, mind you; it's just my
private opinion"
But you are not like them. You
never hesitate to say what you
mean perhaps you do not even
hesitate to say what you don't
mean. You tell your father he il
an old fool, an old sinner, a moss.
back, and the devil knows what
else, as if there were in your mind
not the least doubt about it. You
offer your advice as freely as il
The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1904-09-01

a man or a body of men can CON-
NIT. In fact, any man, or party of
men, forcibly taking a person from
! the custody of the law and depriv-
ing such person of his life, is guilty
| of murder. Still, such crimes are
perpetrated with seeming indiffer-
ence by the moband countenanced
by the people. l say the people;
for when the people stand by and
| allow such lawlessness to continue,
year after year, without making
an effort to stop it, they are, to a
certain extent, countenancing the
acts of the mob.
In Mississippi, mob law appears
to be supreme, and lynchings oc-
cur with such regularity that the
governor of the state proposed in
Producing law making lynching
a misdemeanor, punishable by a
fine or Imprisonment for short
period in the county Jail. L. it any
wonder that mob law reigns SUI
preme in Mississippi?
Not very long ago, in the state
of Delaware q mob, instigated by
the preaching of a minister of the
Gospel, forcibly took man from
a Jail and burned him at the
stake. And while the man was
being burned to death mob, COM
posed of men, women and chill
dren, cheered with as much gusto
as they would have done at a
Fourth of July celebration. Meth
er the minister nor any of the mob
were punished for this atrocious
crime. Like good Christians they
went to church the following Sun
day and prayed, sang hymns and
asked Gods blessings. This is
only one of the many crimes laid
at the door of mob law. There are
hundreds of similar cases, and in
every instance the perpetrators
have been allowed to go unpun-
ished. Such is mob law.
! I say that if this crime had been
committed in Turkey, these same
people would have denounced it
as horrible outrage and a dis
grace to civilization and humanity.
The newspapers would take up the
cry, and we should see printed in
faring headlines, 'The Barbarous
Turk" "The Inhuman Turk" etc.
In that light would we see the
Turk, and in the same light the
Turk sees us. [ have no doubt
that when the Turk hears of such
inhuman crimes being committed
by mobs in the United States, he
naturally wonders why, instead of
sending missionaries to Turkey to
civilize and Christiapize the in
habitants, we do not keep them at
home, to convert and civiljze the
mobs and their sympathizers in
our own country.
During the last fifteen years the
growth of mob law has continued.
There has been no concerted effort
to stop it. There is only one way
to effectually stop the growth of
mob law. That is to mete out just
punishment to the mobs. AS long
as the perpetrators are allowed to
go UNPUBLISHED, the growth of mob
law will continue. Within the last
rs years more than 5000 lynch
ings have occurred in the United
States, and in every instance the
perpetrators have been allowed to
60 unpublished.
Some of the better class of cit
liens heartily condemn mob law,
but they go no further. Instead
of taking any action toward put
ting an end to this condition of
affairs, they say: 'There is no help
for it; it is the natural outcome of
The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1904-09-01

Is because the mass or the people
have a wholesome respect for the
law, and they believe in letting the
law punish evil-doers. They know
that if a man or party of men, at
tack, injure, or kill any prisoner of
the law. no matter how serious
crime the prisoner my be guilty of,
the British government will not
rest until every known member Of
the mob is brought to justice.
In fact, the people know that
when they defy the authority of
the law, they defy the authority of
the British government, and they
know that the British government
will enforce the law, even tho it
should require the whole of the
British army to do it. That is the
reason mob law is unknown in the
British Empire.
In colonial times, lynchings
we're unknown. 1t is true that
few innocent people were put to
death because they we're supposed
to have practiced witchcraft; but
they were executed legally and in
accordance with the laws in force
at that time.
Before the civil war, mob law
was conspicuous only in the West
ern states. Shortly after the civil
war, it gradually became conspic-
uous in the Southern states, and
occurred at rare intervals in the
Northern states. At the present
time the range of mob law takes
in the whole country, with the ex-
ception of the New England states.
Until late years, the mob was
generally satisfied with hanging or
shooting the victim to death; but
now hanging and shooting appear
to have grown out of fashion and
nothing less than burning to death
satisfies the passions of the mob.
Originally, people we're lynched
only for the most heinous crimes.
Of late years we occasionally hear
of people being lynched for lesser
crimes, and if the growth of mob
law is allowed to continue, it is
only question of time when pun
ishment for minor offenses, will be
melted out by the mob. Then we
can expect to hear of men being
lynched for stealing chickens or
for playing baseball on Sunday.
Now, the question is: What can
we do to improve this condition Of
affairs? In the first place l would
suggest that anybody known to
have instigated or taken part in
lynching be considered and treated
by the better element of society
and by all law-abiding people as a
criminal. In fact, give such per-
sons to understand that altho they,
have escaped prosecution by the
law. they are nevertheless Grim
inals; it is the duty ofall law-abid-
ing citizens to shun them as they
would any other class Of criminals.
The average lyncher sees him
self in the light of a hero. If he
could be brought to see himself
as the better element of society sees
him, he would see what miserable
coward he ls, and perhaps would
be ashamed of himself.
l would also suggest that the
members of Christian organiza-
tons that are going about the
country, lecturing and preaching
about the horrors of Mormonism
and polygamy in Utah, turn their
attention to the subject of mob
law. If by their preaching and
lecturing they can rouse the pas
sions of millions of people, and
call the attention of the United
States senate to the fact that
lynching is more serious crime
The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1904-09-01

knew their very Utmost thoughts,
and as if you were acquainted with
every mode of operation practiced
by sharpers the world over. When
I look over your letters | am aston
ished upon how many different &C.
caslons you have offered advice,
and strange to say, it nas always
turned out to be good advice, tho
I did not always follow it, and l
wonder where the dickens you &C.
quired so much worldly knowledge
in the short time you have been
away from home. And the beauty
of it all is that you reprove me, or
advise me, as lfyou had full author
ity to do so. Of course, l would
have liked to act towards my father
in the same easy, go-as-you-please.
matter-of-fact manner in which
you act and behave towards me,
but I could never muster sufficient
courage to do so. This makes me
admire your conduct all the more:
it isn't every father that can boast
of having a son, who dares to advise
and reprove him before he is sure
of inheriting the old mans wealth.
But, Hiram, you needn't offer any
more advice about looking out for
sharpers. No sharper will everget
the better of your father again.
My experience in New York has
made me wise.
By the way, I forgot to tell you in
my last letter that geologist who
travelled through this part of York
state in an automobile stopped
with me two days, during which
time he examined the big hill IN
the eighty acres that I bought from
Ras de Puyter eight years ago for
$50 an acre. He said there is gold
in the hill, and he promised to
come again to make closer exam
ination. He advised me at the
same time not to speak about his
discovery to any one, and [ only
mention this to you because 1
know 1 can trust you. What do
you think of gold mine right
here on our farm, Hiram? Beats
going to Klondike, doesn't it? Be
a good boy, and I'll make you
superintendent Of the mine when
you come home next winter.
[ have three hired hands this
year, and they are the most worth
less set of men that ever pretended
to work for living. They refuse
to get up before 4 o'clock in the
morning, and if [ want to work
them an hour or so after shutdown
they kick as if were doing them
an injury. They kick on every
thing, in fact. On rainy days when
not much work can be done in the
fields, and when | tell them to fix
fences, or dig tile bitches in the
thirty acres of level ground on the
south side of Spring Creek, they
refuse point blank, and tell me to
GO to blazes. They can eat more
than any three half-starved immi-
grants that ever came to this land
of plenty, and [ believe they pick
the lock on the cellar door, and
help themselves to the hard cider,
tho 1 haven't caught any of them at
it yet. They demand their pay at
the end of each month, and refuse
to do another lick of work if I tell
them to wait a few days. They
always talk about the rights of lab
or, and tell me that a man who
works his hands seventeen hours a
day, and pays only SIG a month is
worse than slave driver. I i'm
ported them from New Jersey be-
cause / thought they'd be more
tractable than the farm laborers of
this vicinity. That's where I made
The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1904-09-01
HOME NEWS

\ Y dear son:--Your lot
ters are a source OF
great pleasure to me.
Z I do not mean to say
4L+ 6nd in them