BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1904-09-29
EDITORIAL

party, OBSERVABLE SlnCe Luc PlIH1alg y
meetings held so time ago, We are not
actuated by spirit of desiring to eX-
pose their internal diSagreements to
public view, but rather because 1t
covers a much more serious and vital
problem and confirms us in the char
acterization of this method OF nominal
ine candidates for public office as
undemocratic and in restraint OF the
cree expression of the popular will.
We call attention to fault In the
law, defect in the method, hampered
nv obsolete traditions, which there
seems to be desire 10 implant upon
us, just as through it were one Of those
American methods for export only.
The fatal apathy which seems to
have laid hold of the Porto Rican nat
ure let pass the opportunity for the
organization as whole to profess
against this method which deprives
the people, the voter at large, of the
privilege of designating the candida
tes, who later are to become the pub
lie officers. This concentration of
the right of suffrage in the hands of
the few, the restriction Of the elective
franchise, which is brought about by
the rule of primary Juntas, will be
mistrusted by the voter ats. large, now
more inclined to revolt than to yield
implicit obedience to the party rule.
The practise of selecting candidates
in this way is an old one, the pr~ce-
<lure bears the stamp Of age, but it
unquestionabIy does not conform to
the already clearly expressed will of
individuals and of the party as whole
where the individual maintains the
right to his own judgement and does
not Weld to the criterion Of the major
ity, unless good and sufficient rea
sons can be given for its adoption.
The party lash which is brought in
use to uphold the selections made by
lhe primary juntas, is never able to
win one convert to the system even IN
its smallest PARTICULARS while ranking
deep in the nina of the voter, the
conviction grows stronger that by this
delegation of his rights to a limited
few, the steady tendency toward
further centralization of authority will
continue until all power will be lodged
in one directorate, III enc abSol-
ute head, after passing through the
various channels of successive delega
tlono.
And it is Of moment to mention
Aere another great factor Of the eX-
traordinAry interest ta ken III the cleo
son of officers to we'll paid positions,
a factor which is most intimately as
-Sociated with the critical condition in
which the country is found at the
present time.
The problem Of livelihood with US
is taking on a harder and more serious
phase and to its solution must be
devoted all our talents and resources.
Its hardsnips, its priv&tlons. are in
creased by the STRAITS to which one IS
reduced, and are always accompanied
by train of bitterncao, of rancorouS
DISPUTES and rivalries which harass
the soul and destroy The mind.
And it is for thus reason tnat The
f.ultS and sh hortcomings Of the system
are most noticeublc--it is through
these circumstances that the mode
of selection is repellant by its centra-
Iizations and autocr.tiC procedure.
For the outlook for the appIlcA tlon
of energy is limited, and II We detail,
as needs must lie done. the effects
which must serve as 4 hypothesis for
AN analitIcal examination OF the
subject, we can1ot pass by this most
vital one OF all, which almost becomes
the pivotal issue of the contest OF
alarming aspects which is about to
break cut
Unheard-of efforts are being made
to remove the CAUSE of dlacord which
has q own in volume none the less
from being concealed from view;
tremendous labors are being under
taken to keep IN its subterranean
channels the fire Of enmlty which
llk. the lava of Vesuvle rises i'll the
crater S mouth, but perhaps they will
have no other result than to precl-
Ditate the errUptlon, and 70 Increase
ne awful torrent which will leave Il
track of destruction in its wake, Ii
no. th- m ore terrible consequences ot
bluodshed
Up to the present, violence has not
been resorteu to; lawlessnes has been
restrained by The fear of What 1t might
I'd ~; like wild beast hesltatlng
an Instant before the spring, 1t wavero.
gan # b.. checked by superior tOrce||