BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1905-06-16

vioiassrx the vniird Ssssrs postal
laws Ras in rrrarrtrv heir vcfsse
the rscmh<ge oi snc yuss A~Ae ssa
shesr Nuass soaShcC ty fiiN 4na hsSeI
rccommende1 eiemency tor the gnsliyf
one.
Tse crsxin Of skis case. ~hseh is
sensational one. aud has Sruukcc
pulaic snsercss ihronghUu; the island.
Is already knovn 10 our readers. =
vas the publication q carics,ure e.
governor Winthrop 10 the paper LA
Independencia"
Bu, our FIRST civil authority was TO;
the one Who bronght the charge
against Mr.. Medins; II Was because
the paper contsining the carica;nre.
qualified as obscene. was sert ihroSgh
the mails that the charge VAS made.
This journalist was doubtless sur
prised at the charge. afterwards with
the veredict and probably will be with
the sentence.
Because iguorant as he was that the
postal laws which ma intain in the Uni
ted States were in force here. he could
not know that he was guilty OF the
violation for which ue is now to be
punished neither conld he attack the
supreme importance accorded by anne.
ricans to that which is public ser
vice.
When were the postal laws which
Mr.. Medina is accused of having
violated, published in Porto Rico3
When has it beeu officially statedthat
they were in force in Porto Rico3
Mr. Medina, in more unfavorable
position, even, than We are for know
lug of this exotic legislation, could not
have suspected that he was commit
ing crime SO grave as the one with
which he his charged. for he could
have no knowledge that all and each
one of the laws which regulate liber-
ty in the nation are in fierce IN the
colony.
This without doubt was taken into
consideration by the jury when they,
recommended clemency for our IN
fortunate colleague: because no one
can dispute the fact that among latin
peoples Porto Rico inclusive - the
mails are considered for the service Of
the public, ana no offence has been
committed against the employees Of
the service, nor of the institution when
the official wko is the object of the
criticism, or a pers n offended in ge
neral terms, has not himself made the
denunciation before The competent
tribunal.
Is there a law in Porto Rico which
we do not know. which Mr.. Medina
did not know. which. perhaps. no jour
nalist knows? Certainly it must be so
when a jury renders a verdict which
has stirred public opinion.
The clemency recommended by the
honorable body for the one whom it
has judged guilty. says much in
support of our contention.
Aud surely the illustrious Judge
who presides over that august tribunal
will take into consideration the recon-
mendation for mercy expressed by
the jury, the pity felt by outside
opinion, and probably by the same
auth ority who was offended by the
caricature which appeared in La
Independence
But no matter how much the rigo
rousness of the law may be tempered
with mercy, it is impossible to avoid
making a comparison between the i'm
ported legislation and thAt which this
people had before. and in which they
were educated. that which they knew
perfectly and which enabled them to
avoid the l.mentable errors which
bring them m to the Threshold of the
penitentia hout in the least sus-
pecting such an outcome.
If, Notwithstanding the difference
in the races. the essential difference
which exists. the same laws which
maintain in the nation are In opera
ton in the colony. they should not be
applied with the me rigor. for here
there is not SO much reason tor COM
pellipg a strict observance of the pie
cepts. nor has the government done
to enable the people TO know
the laws which they are obliged sol
observe.
That such was the view taken by
the Federal Jury is evidenced by the
for clemency accom-
panyinr its veredict, which is of far
greater importance and significance
than is apparent from casual view.
It is not mere sentiment OF COM
passion felt for culprit whose dis
Grace insnires pitv. ir is not a cry of