BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1905-03-31
EDITORIAL.

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N modern cuus;fses whsi hifgk AID
lsfc .nvan
Il ~ Inig.d s., ,sivs fhants shat gos.
crnmeut& .sn cAlsl ~ho~r su11reis o.
nus - ~ess ghs A.,r,d nghis ut eiiascn
shfp la 4 - .ufsa~ieni feSSon I h.
peopl, 10 dssis, sfvsn bcsging ios sh"sc
rights.
The signihczsion al ci;irensAip j.
nothing new of unknown 10 the na-
tsvex The Porto Ricans wero Spaoish
citizens. shey wete considered a. such
n Spain and "a re'gs countries
These men ~ho we're Spanish sub
lecis will nu, be, me mad from ioy
because isvy are given Ameucsa CIT
izenship. which they are entitled 80
The people are no longer willing 10
sccep, whAl Is given or what there IS
disposition 10 copCede, they are only
disposed TO accept what they need.
II they are gwen cIiizs nship with
hunger they do not want such citizen
ship. As the right Of citizenship is
universally recognized, then !, shodld
fill with shame those who discuss
quibble and deny this right without
au .hOrity 10 do SO.
The island Is in a condition TO estab-
lish its own citiz nship. Autonomy
is its ideal Al present. as II use TO
be. Sef-governmeut ut. which the island S
culture gives her right to possess, is
what she demands with lnSlsience.
1t is well known that nothing can
be of advantage TO Iorto RICO like an
autonomy. SO liberal in lis sense and
absolute in its expression, that il would
give the ttiveS all the powers neCeS
Sary to make conmt rClal treaties in
order 10 guaranty her products, and
thus termln te the crisis which is
eating up The public wealth.
Porto klco seeks a life different
from the one which she now lives and
which is full Of complications and
clashes In her interests.
She wants means OF developing
her n4iural resources 50 that She can
extrie2te herself from her miSefabie
conditions: conditions whose existence
seem pre- poSterous when the richness
and produc,lv ness OF the island are
taken into consider ton.
What cas w Tx for with citizen
ship in Porto Rico1
We Will repeat the bitter lesson
taught to HewAll
We wou,d, as Hawaii have to pay
taxes TO tine United States, and IN
return. scarcely enjoy any of her
privileges.
If thi, is 50 then let them keep thA t
citizenship which hos been 50 length
lily discu>se / ana ultimately denied to
the Porto klcAus.
Does Congress, think that by declar-
ing that the COn,,ltuuon follows the
flag that il VIII brirs to An end our
sutfenngo1
Populer sen,ln ent is now travelling
another road The people havo
learned tn meaning Of America MIA
tion and its terrible results.
We already SEE that United States
mas dole notullg for US.
If the idea Of Commissioner Larri-
nag It gard ns an autonomIc govern
ment wcrc put TO popular vote. to
ascertain the drift Of popular senti-
ment, we would arm that the whole
island, with the exception of few,
blinded by b~tinacy or selfishnes,
will definitely declare that they want
neither territory nor state
These tso foIms Of government do
not offer any immediate solution to the
crisis, and it is this solution which
mostly preoccupies the people and
which is so ess, s,ntlal to their welfare.