BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1905-06-26
EDITORIAL

by Mr.. PoSt touching tue muniCIpai
conflict in that city, has sounded an
energetic note OF protest.
The document, which is wtitten by
the President of the Municipal Coun
Gil. contains great p lItical doctrine |
and beyond doubt teaches some things
to the Secretary Of Porto Rico regard
ing which he has been in ignorance.
Mr.. Post has committed an error
when he sfiirms that the existing dis.
cord between the Mayor and the Pon
cefios is the obstacle which has re
tarded the granting of self govern
mcnt. in which direction they were
travelling.
The municipality Of Ponce protests
against this silly argument which 1t
qualities as puerile and senseless and
therefore a waste of t,me to take into
account line Of reasoning SO prepos
ferrous and absurd.
And it employs in the full reply
which it gives to Mr.. Post course
of argument so conclusive and displays
a knowledge SO profound and acute
that there is no need to make it more
transparent by the exercise of fancy,
nor need it be sought behind the veil
of dissimulation aud II further man
ifests an energy and power rarely
seen in the collective organisms of
the country.
This is something verify of being
noted.
1t is au act which indicates trans
formation operating in the public
mind, determine alton to be firm and
no longer accept with resignation the
unfair discrimin stiop which has been
practised. 1t also understands that
there are those who m. assure the
preparation and fitness Of peoples for
self government by the energies which
they manifest, or by the objects which
they announce.
The stupid and senseess repitition
about preparation no longer serves -as
a Jest much less as judicious and
.advants geous advice.
That qualification which pretends to
treat of our aptitudes as a people has
been discarded.
Fortunately the same opinions and
conditions are observed il the organ
isms of the country as in the ind' vi
dual life. which canses us to wait
with pate nee. confde OF that there will,
before long, be change in the situa-
ton
The humble resignation of the peo|
pie, which has been characterized rs
assinine. has passed the limit # en-
durance. that patience which has been
exploited for their own bene fit by the
functiouaries of e1portation.
The condescen nsion of our public or
ganism to the occupants Of power has
already been ex ggerated.
1t has been an offence, the monoto
ny of the spectacle which the bureau
cracy has been producing daily, win
ding up their Jvernmental panto
m mime with the tIresonle repetition
about prepa ration, than which nothing
could be more unfortunate and i'll
timed.
Prudence has t'een isinterpreted.
To Cuba independence was granted
because of threatened revolution,
and i, is very likely that the same is
on the point cf being done in the case
of the Philippines. inspired by the fear
of possible complications with the gov
ernment Of the Mikad but to Porto
Rico which has as high civilization
as that of Cuba, anI certainly a
higher degree of culture :han the
Philippines, r. II rights and conside-
rations belonging to civilized and
cultured pc pie are denied, aud it is
forced TO submi, to the most outrage
Gus and humiliating tyrannies our
century has known.
The motley collection Of functiona-
ries who have felt no scruples in
usurping the rights of the natives,
now, perhaps, find themselves amazed,
surprised. stupehcd, at the reac-
ton apparent in the public mind; but
it is very far from feeling the contri
ton which might save, and instead
endeavors to find new ways of exploi-
ting the colony.
And the last recourse of those con
querors who encounter a people filed
with hopes. con6ding in the promises
made, and in the democratic tradi |
tons of the invaders. i to give us an
acting governor who takes advantage |
of his brief tenure of power to repeet
from the high Office which he occup-
les through an unt runate accident,
the cheap yitorneLo which tells IF our