BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1905-08-03

The events of Tuesday have justi-
! fed all that VIC have said tp the gov
ernr,ent since the beginning of the
trouble on the docks.
The affair of that day was veri-
table riot. And the responsibility for
| it. if we correctly interpret opinion,
rests now spon the police.
The intervention of the preservers
lof order in the events occurring as q
consequence of the strike could not
have been more unfortunate.
For three days strange things have
been happening The first and most
apparent, was the necessity of asking
Authority from the Chief of Police to
hold meeting on the public plaza,
and the daily paper which is little
read launched one of its sedeonic art
icles against this proposition. 1t said
the strikers promised to be good and
thus obtained permission to hold the
meeting.
AT that time there were no indica-
|tions of riots or tumult.
Tuesday morning there were more.
1t was already the prelude of that
which ocsurred in the afternoon, OF
the serious riot which disturbed the
apparently normal state of the popu-
lation.
Two strikers who went to remind q
proprietor of carts of certain promises,
with conduct which the courts will de-
|clare was, or was not, aggressive, were
badly treated. as were also the people
ssse m bled there, beaten with po
billies. threatened with senseless bur
by the police and with shots from
Their carbinss.
In the afternoon. when the minds of
all had been aroused to high pitck
of excitement. the police, without pre-
vious warning. nor with there being
any likelihood of a serious conflict,
dispersed by force, gatherings and
groups of all classes of citizens with
out discrimination. investigation or
the slightest consideration.
Some hours afterwards, some papers
published a resolution and order from
Police Headquar ters given verbally,
prohibit gthe eating of groups
on the streets, end stating further, that
those who failed to comply with said
order would be considered as distur
bers of public peace.
Accustomed as we have been here,
lin the exceptional and rare cases
wi-~, it has been necessary to.susper!3
lconstitu tional provisicns-such suspen-
sion being effected by the Grst autho-
rity of the island after the requisite
and obligatory notification and publ
citv-it is not singular that the attitude
of the police in assuming perogatives
and functions of the government most
and delicate, conveying its
decisions in a military manner, would
disagreeably surprise al the world
and stimulate Indignation and protest
among those who we're the objects of
1.-The unforeseen and violent treatment of
The police.
The rabble threw paving stones in
the streets, broke the electric lights
adopted a threatening attitude, and
then it was that their own prudence
counseled the police to avoid all clash
aud to shun every encounter with the
rioters.
Thanks to the manifestation of pru
|dence we did mot have in San Juan on
Tuesday hecatombic day
And it is not that the spilling of s
little blood terri&es us, ne. But all
those victims of the disorder, Of the
tumult, were not participants in the
cla~h and rioting, nor were there any
strikers among those who were woun
ded. They were working men and I'm
fortunate children that were crossing
the Streets at the moments of fright
| ful disorder.
They arc the victims of Tuesday S
riot. the innocent victims; because
there had been no aggressions com