BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1905-09-19

The government is doing all in its
power to annihilate the Lesgue OF the
Municipalities.
Mr.. Post has taken the enterprise
Under his charge and pursues the la
mentable object with all the means at
his disposal.
He first affrms that the muuicipa-
llities ought not to contribute towards
the maintenance of the League; alter
wards ratifying the treacherous insi'
nuation which he launches on the pu-
i blic through the columns Of an i'm
portaut paper, but in the interim con-
suits the Attorney General on point
of law which is not mentioned in the
letter which he causes to be published
| in "The Democracia" as to whether
or not the formation of the League of
Municipalities is legal.
The Attorney General says it is
not legal.
And he says so, basing his OPT
Mon on an unknown authority, on tes-
timonv which we cannot accept witk
the same weight with which it IS &C
pted blythe accidental Head of the
DEPARTMENT of Justice, because we are
accustomed to think for ourselves and
onlv allow ourselves to be convinced
by the opinions of learned men whose
views are equal to their regulations
and if not, no; because peoples edu-
Gated in latin culture are not liv-
ing ir primitive age where they lis
ten to Orancles and fanatically believe
everything they may say.
In the interminable opinion which
the Attorney General has given in
answer to the inquiry of Mr.. Post, we
| have been unable to find; notwith
standing careful search, the reason
and the law on which is based the de-
nial of the legality of the League of
Municipalities.
1t is a fact that Mr.. Savage cites the
authority of Judge Dillon, who must
be man of eminence. a wise com
mentator on american rights, great
and respectable authority of one of the
States of the mother country; but he
has not for us the overwhelming presti-
ge which he appears to have for the
accidental Head of the Department OF
Justice as an inappeala3ie @sand supre
me arbiter in the matter brought to
his attention by Mr.. Post.
Judge Dillon may be an eminence
though he manages to keep the fact
pretty we'll concealed; but that is not
sufficient to cause US to be fascinated
by the mention of single name as
an exceptional and supreme authority
Imposing on us his opinion which is
contrary to our own, when he asserts
that municipality is an agency OF the
State, something like a subordinate
Office of the government.
And the Attorney General appears
to have found no other authority thar
the above to sustain his erroneous
mistaken opinion that the League OF
Municipalities is illegal.
If instead of consulting Dillon, Mr.
Savage had consulted real authorities
for example such writers as Royer-
Collard, Henrion de Pansey, Savignl
Tocqueville, Rotteck, Blantschli, Peisl
co, Mama and Santa Maria de Pare
des, he would have learned that q
municipality is a natural society, not
created by the will of the legislator
end he would also have learned that il
is a social, juridical person represent
ed by the municipalities or councils
which not only direct and govern the
local life and interests, but also have
the representation of the former II
Everything in which it may be mani
tested, one of them being the assocla
tion with other municipalities.
Mr.. Savage appears already to be or