BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1905-10-13
EDITORIAL

Our readers ought not to De Su ]
sed that we again take up the subject
of the failure of education.
It is a matter of extraordinary i'm
portance and one that will occupy our
attention further on other occasions.
That which is taking place with the
system, with the teachers and with the
school boards. demands an investiga-
ftion of the department., but an investi-
cation which will bring to light the
true condition of affairs in that organ
ism, regarding whose internal pathol
ogy. to Judge by that which is apPar-
ent. there exists we'll founded dis
trust and justi6able fears.
In sll countries governed by par
liamentary system, congress or the
popular House possess sovereign pow
ers to investigate and scrutinize every
thing that relates to publY' Education.
Here. that power is not recognized,
if it did maintain and was founded on
the sovereign representation of the
country, it would combat the lamen
table irresponsibility Of those directors
of all the services of the State who in
duloe in a punisha BILE boast Of their
shortcomings, including these who IN
terfere with and disturb public educa :
ton.
But if the Houses do not have that
power it is necessary that it be gl>s L
them, in order to administer remedy
for evils so demorali2ir g and SO glar-
ing, as may be deduced from spec
les Of interview accorded d with gideo
mic frankness by the acting Commisio
ner, Mr. Lord, to the representative OF
a foreign paper.
It is impossible to ignore what Is
happening, and we would justly be
critized and censured were we to pass
il bv in silence, without endeaVorln g
to put an end TO the disorder by every
means and legal methods we are able
to utilize.
The conditions which we have poin
ted out during the last few days rem
ain the same. Nothing has changed,
and to those things we have noted are
to be added new censures and charges
which cannot be refuted.
With public opinion it IS only truth
that prevails.
And it is useless to attempt to dis
tract and turn aside with ca1olery and
dissimulation, with statements OF evl-
dent falsenesS, what eve-p one knows
are the facts, founded on the exact
truth.
DO we not, for example, know here
what the School Boards { : supposed
to be and what they are?
The Commissioner of Education
bears the same relation to the
School Boards as Mr.. Post does to the
Municipalities. Everything has to
PASS through his hands and meet
; h his approval. everything has to
xvn1orm to his pleasure; if the reverse
is the case, it is useless for the boards
to invoke their vaunted autonomy,
their illusory power, their indepen-
dence of action, pretending that they
are not obliged to move as the figures
move in Punch and Judy Show,
mere automotons subject to anothers
will and operating as the guiding
power manipulates the wires.
This is another of the excesses OF
the department, anotker of the incu
rable vices of the system, which
marks the sdegeneracy Of regime
which aims to convert all the orga =
nisms formed by the natives of the
country into something subordinate
and without functions,as an unne-
cessary appendix; from the ineffable
centres only may come wisdom and
intelligence, and those in which the
members OF the revered congregation