BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1905-04-10
EDITORIAL

- o. sDsk he 81 hct~ evening >.si;.ss.
ht ifie4uc 81 aeg sAsi ~ tl:sa4Asn
iue has OornV oui ~sh &apshes Ah-
sus4ay. = luiic sn.se nalsy ghsn sse
applause wklcs greeted sae end a.
hss discourse a, he Ascneo
he has given rercmsoTy cTdesS, IN
virtue c' ~hach ~ arc denied a.
information.
Never have ihe depaT mcnis fur
niShed Sufilc,en; information for he
public 10 know what was going on.
They gave Us What they deemed
bes; for publication
Whatever was favorable and com
plimeniary 20 those preSump,uouS
officials. they were glad 10 have pub
liShed. and they acted as II they were
conferring favor on Us by giving
information. instead 81 realizing that
they were the recipients Of the favors.
II such information is Published, il
is little shor, Of criminal, and if We
must renounce the right 10 criticize
the mistakes and blunders of the
commissioners, II is q doubtful privi
lege for the papers 10 publish such
information as Is furnished.
II seems TO MS that departmental
information is going to fall into dis.
repute and injure the paper that gives
it publicity.
We do not want il, nor does the
public need it. or will they miss it,
knowing as they DO the reasons why
it is denied U.S.
We will cease from lending our
help to those dull officials who believe
themselves infallible and who have
so little confidence in what they do
that they do not dare SO have their
work inspected by the press and the
seachlight of public opinion. The
press and the public have the right to
inspect and criticize the acts of those
rebellious servants, those foreign stew
ards who are unwilling to render &C
count to those who have the right to
demand it.
But let all those who have assum-
ed the roles of educators IN the farce
of america nization understand that this
policy of violence will not be accepted.
1t is doubtless fact that these proud
and naughty men have, more or less.
vulnerable points and things which
they would like TO conceal.
The infantlle resolution OF Mr..
Falkner has confirmed an old and we'll
founded suspicion.
Why do they refuse to pay attention
TO the press3
1t may be that they will not reform,
but it makes them mad, hot. wild and
furious to have to hear the just critic
isms of their acts.
The Commissioner Of Education has
seen fiji 20 address himself to what we
stated regarding him in our issue Of
last monday.
The theme of that coarse and unkap.
py discourse has been greatly uagni
fed by It's authors monumental error.
Education and democracy!
Does a man speak OF these things
when he loses his temper If the truth
is tol him2 And does he. get mad
because his vulgarties, repeated with
the monotOny Of phonograph, are
discussed
Even were he an eminent sage, he
could not pretend that his definition
with reference to education was dog
matte and even less SO when he talks
of democracy.
And now that he cannot discuss
with us, nor defend his untenable
theories. he is placing his be havior on
par with his startling definition OF
education and democracy.
Is it democratic to peremptorily
deny paper the information il has a
right to demand, because 1t presumes
TO aaalyze and criticlze'
This is practically African. 1t is
Japanese, Muscovite Abyssinian;
anything but democratic and worthy
of republican countries
RooSc welt once dehied admission to-
a newspaper man who had written
scurillousy oi him; but he did not for
that reason condemn the paper More
over Roosevelt is almost Caesar.
Falkner is an exported functionary,
a caricature, minus the mental charac-
teristcs, of the President of the United
States,
But do not let the noisy Mr. Falkner
believe that his brusque and monst
rous attitude is going to save him from
our analysis and criticism.
If at any time we should desire
information from the department
ooo+r01 of rao1>facc