The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1905-08-11
PORTO RICO's DEMAND Fol
SELF-GOVERN1IENT.
From Literary Digest


SELF-GOVERNAIEN
From Literary Digest
In the convention which assembled
in san Juan, Porto Rico, on July 25
and memorialized congress with
view to bringing about sweeping
changes in the insular government,
there were delegates from all except
one Of the sixty-six municipalities in
the island. These delegates, thus rep
resenting almost the entire pOpula-
ton, voted unanimously for the de-
sired change in their government
This unanimity OF action leads the
New York Evening Post (ind.) to be-
Heve that the Porto Ricans resent
being part Of a nation governed BY
the people for the people, and yet be-
ing ruled in an autOcratic way" In
further comment the Post satirically
remarks that that sullens Old-caught
people declines to thank heaven for
the blessings Of American government
as administered from Yy.lshintoT,.
And in tuth the Porto Ficans ap-
pear TO be exceedingly di5cDEtenUe1
with their conditions, If the memorial
adopted by the san Juan convention
expresses the public feeling. As re-
ported BY the New York Times this
memorial depIOres the fact that ''the
preponderance Of power still rests with
an executive council composed Of
heads Of departments appointed by
President Roosevelt" men who ar
rive here knowing nothing OF the Ian
guage, customs, or needs OF the cOun-
try" The memorial then asks for
these amendments to the Foraker
law;
'.First-The organization Of an in
a6 of
senators each from seven districts IN
place Of the executive council
''SecOnd-That the proposed senate
and the house possess the same pri-
vileges granted to the house under the
Foraker law
''Third-That the secretary Of
Porto Rico, the attorney general, the
treasurer, the auditor, the commits
sfoner OF education, and the commits
sioner of the interior continue in
their present Offices under titles but
that they form no part Of the execu-
tive council
''Fourth-That the officers named
be appointed by the governor, with
the consent Of the insuIar senate, and
not by the president Of the United
States
The New YOk sun Qnd.) says that
the memorial sis a very natural pro-
test against government by men who
are in every way excepting political
form, aliens and strangers The New
York Tribune (rep.) takes an equal
y friendly view Of the situation and
exposes the opinion that ''the
changes in the insuIar government
asked for by the convention seem
moderate" Says this paper in fur
Their comment:
The Porto Ricans do not seek any
radical alteration in their present
constitutional or political relations
with the United States. They do not
suggest admission to the union as a
state. They do not ask to have Porto
Rico made a territory. They do nOtAurge
congress to aIIOt them a delegate-aI-
though one branch Of congress not
long ago approved a measure confer
rnig the powers and title Of delegate
on Porto RiCO's resident commission
er- The convention does not seek in
any way to undermine the political
status created by the Foraker act It
merely pleads for an enlargement Of
the right to local self-gOvernment- It
wants to have the same measure Of
internal autonomy as Hawaii now en-
joys, without demanding the cOnsti-
tUtiOnal recognition volunteered to
the HawaiianS.
The chief modification urged is a
transformation of the upper legisla-
tive branch-the executive council
into a bona fde senate, elected as the
Hawaiian senate is, and not appoint
ed from Washington. This body con-
sists at present OF twelve members.
Five Of them are Porto Ricans and
seven are Americans-the governor
Of the island and the six members Of
his cabinet The convention wants
to have an elective senate Of fourteen
members In addition. it wishes TO
have the minor insular officers ap-
pointed, not by the president, but by
the governOr-the right Of COnfrma-
ton being at the same time vested in
the insular senate. These changes
would throw the control Of local at
fairs largely into the hands Of the
Porto Ricans themselves, although,
retaining the veto power, the COVER
nor would still dominate, and under
the Foraker act congress can absO-
lutely nullify any legislation which It
thinks i'll advised or dangerous