The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-03-16
80 ToRaoTTEN LIN.
Unhappy Piight % the Nsgieoted hesi'
dents Of Porto nioo.

To rHR RptroR OF THn sUS Sir: Your
spirited paper has been 30 generously OUT
spoken toward the forgot en ISLAND ana 90
eallantly hospitabls 10 all her numerous
friends, that / do not doubt for moment
you will permit faithful admlrer to recell a
famous incident AprOpoe OF the arEumehV IN
your editorial OF yesterday
The question OF tho Porto Rioans' pollucal
status, trivial and trihlng In the estimation OF
many Americans. ls more real more earhest
to Ne than even the economical one. taHlhk
into confederation that, Hght or wrong, We
look al the latter a. the natural Offspring OF
the former. Judging By tho nonohalant wey
In which our learned mentors treat the SUD
ject Of the Porto Rieans lack OF nationality,
We draw the Inference that II is unimporiant
70 them whet her We have II or not. bit Tor their
bsneht We let them know that on that dolorous
question our oountrys dignity Is ~ stake. a.
well Is our purse and personal interests Inc
question OF the rationale ation OF Porto Rico
does not belong 20 the abstract class, as you
will see by the following occurrence IN con-
nection with the workings Of the United states
immigration laws In conflict with our unde-
fined status.
During the summer Of 400 Isabel Gonzalez.
q niece OF my wife and q native Of Porto RICO.
arrived at the port Of New YORK. she was
detained at Ellis leland and anybody VINO
has been detained In that pen knows what II
means -aS an allen liable to become
public charge and excluded from admission
into the United states. In spite OF my American
oitiEenship and my guaranteed assurances OF
her support az q member Of my family. Az
the eleventh hour, and when she was In danger
Of deportation 10 her native island. enlisted
the legal services Of Former Assistant Dis
trlot Attorney Charles p. lie Barber. VINO.
through a writ OF habeas corpus. got her safe
from the grasp Of tie immigration board OF
examination onto the soil ofManhattan. They
were FoinR 10 send her back 70 Porto Rico. just
as they would send her back TO Austria Hum
gary or Turkey II she had como from there
She was taken before the United States
Circuit Court OF New York. and Judge Ia
combe gave an adverse decision. holding
that she was a "loreig ner." As the case In
S ons Of nv peopie SSo What's vSr else they may
be- Wera and are subject to the American laws
and the American VIII and government, the
6oudert and II AsIblsr. That tribunal. from
G o @e Sad S Of :ed EsG any SsoT S
the nationality OF the Porto Rcshs In sus-
there is another case that shows in very
| unmistaGable way the embarrassing situa-
! lion Confronting ~Meesrs. Nobody from Me-
where t6s Porto icsS; . tht SttS5 q
people vent 10 the United states COmmif-
! sioner and asked II they could be naturalized.
| swear their allie glance. They were very much
| embarrassed as to what ale glance they would
! forsWear and they told him that they had
| none except that Of the United states. In
| other words the naturalization laws do not
] allow one to forswear allegiance 70 the
United States I'm order 10 give allegiance 70
I the United states and become a oiti2en.
Naturally. II would appear from me .AnsloSS
/ saxon point OF view that the solution Of
/ the econo mic question by itself alone would
! appease the complaints OF the islanders. The
/ history does not present single case OF an
! upheavHl In latin country where economic
( reasons have been the principal factor for a
collision between the people and the men ia
/ power Political reasons are stronger In the
mind OF the people than the pHngs Of hunger
| from an empty stomach. ID, COtLA2o.
| New YORK., March IS.