BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1904-10-01
EDITORIAL

49,
a spendid administrator of public
affairs. The new party calls itself
the Independent Republican. But
what is it's platform? What is its stand
on the political, economical and social
questions of the day? How strong is
it and what is the aim of this new
political factor? All these questions
are answered by directness and sim
plicity which becomes eloquence. Its
object is change from the existing
order of things. 1t is not hard to 10
cate the reason for the condition of
instability which is SO patent at the
present time.
Public opinion is not satisfied; it is
not contented with the work which
has been accomplished by the govern
ment, and this explains the frequent
desertions from the ranks of important
elements of party, which often
threatens, as it did not long since in
Ponce, the balance of power in the
affairs of government, or rather the
share of local patronage, which Ger
tain party enjoys.
Whe ther or not the new party from
San German will follow Mr.. Degetau
in his vigorous stand against. the Dir
ectorate, one thing is very evident
hat signs of disintegration and nltl-
mate collapse in the Republican party
are very marked. The signs of
split are unmistabable, because it is
the inevitable result of the failures of
the government; and the discomfort
and growing distrust on the part of
the public has eliminated in the attack
on the most availa BILE target, and the
one which the government with its
mastery resource, was cunning enough
to present in the tace of the difficulty.
The difficulties of the republican party
have been especially subject to this.
When so much pains have been
taken to enlarge upon the democratic
nature of a political system; when We
are told that the people themselves
are the masters of their own destiny,
it becomes the right and the duty of
the people to demand strict com
pllance on the part of their represen
tatives with the duties entrusted to
them. This is what we need here.
The credulity and the dependence
of the masses has become proverbial.
The childlike simplicity with which
they believe what is told them is we'll
known, and they are patient even
when promises of right and liberties,
reforms in their social condition and
advancement along the line of progress
which may not be very useful, but are
no actually Indispensable. are broken.
These things may be pardoned and
even forgotten, because they are not
50 vital to their happiness andprosper
ity, but where everything is lost
when the government fails to accom-
lish its ordinary functions, where not
even the slightest interest is felt in the
actual ruin, the pitiful want, of des
pairing people; then these things can
not be forgotten, they can never be
rased from the memory of a people;
they will always stand out in bold re-
lief. painted in colorS SO dark, so strong
that it will take many coat of white
wash to hide them from view.
And this is what has actually hap
pened here.
The promises that may be made to
the country people to day are in vain.
The platform which does not stand
for radical change from the existing
order Of things; which does not cont
template a complete departure from
the present conduct of the government
backed by the prestige of those who
can be believed implicitly, is sure of
failure.
And even if the politicians do pro-
mise all this, there will still remain
that doubt, that vague distrust, which
is the natural sequence of a social and
economical crisis, and which can not
be dissipated by f1owery eloquence
and high flown promises, but needs an
era of better time to soften and temper
the smart of the wound.
Spencer has said that the imperfect
organisms pass through a series OF
evolutions, of marked dlsmember-
ments, until finally they come to the III
innate evolution, which is perfection,
obeying fixed laws which they are
pewerleSS to resist.
The present occurrences, therefore,
are not in the least surprising. We
have called attention to the signs
pointing to this change, long before
he actual diSmemberment which is
,ovx ot itc heiOht commenced