BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1905-06-23
EDITORIAL

We recommend the reading of the
communication addre essed by the Ma
yor of this Capital to the councillors.
This document, which is notable in
more ways than one, we reproduce in
this issue.
Mr.. Todd. appreciates the state OF
opinion which has been produced by
the misuse of power. And he advises a
reunion of the municipios and iudica-
tcs the necessity Of such an assemble
se, as was advocated by US when we
noted the failure of the insular par
lisment and said that the centraliza
tion of the regimen was nothing more
than an act of the Executive Council.
The league of municipios, to protest
against the abuses of centralized po-
wer. is of paramount necessity, and
its prompt formation as advised by
Mr.. Todd is timely, now that the
claims of this perm anent assembly tf
the municipios are to be presented
before The National Congress of the
United States.
In the colony it is impossible to do
anything. The failure of the regimen
is complete. The state of opinion now
prompts our first municipal authority
to obey the dictates of public opinion
produced by the failure which we have
proclaimed and have been proclaiming
for some time.
The government in a crisis. attempS
to maintain its unstable attitude by
boldly defying opinion.
Referring to the assembly of tea
cheers wh, ch is to be held on the
Fourth If July, we have said that we
arc surrounded by au atmosphere Of
protest, Of this there can be no doubt,
for it arises on all sides, there is no
escaping the disaffectiou revealed eve
rywhere and which manifests itself
on all occasions. and which springs
from the nece sity and The instincts
Ct selt protection
The opposition 70 the insular gov
ernment IS justified; of such a nature
is it that the Mayor recommends in
the memorial advising the immediate
assembling Of the municipios, the for.
warding of the complaints of the CO.
lonists TO the Congress of the United
States.
From the functiOnsries Of exporta-
ton there is nothing to be hoped.
From the feudal congrcc ton. which
has provoked the lamentable condi-
:ion OF things, there is nothing 10 be
looked for, neither can We hope for
a tarSy and unfruitful repentance.
Washington is the only place in
which TO present our claims. 1t is
before the american people, it is befo-
re the National. Congress of the
United States that they should be
made
And although it is not possible 10
doubt that the councillors will accept
unanimously the recommen dation If
the Mayor. 1t is the hour also 10 en-
gage all the forces of the country. to
be added TO those Of the municipios,
which in all countries are the true re-
presentatives of the people.
There are moments in which frank
ness acserts Itself hich to the weak
and pusillanimous seems brusque and
even disccurteouS. Now this great
league of municiplos, possesscr Of so
Al b II Ga SUtAS'iAy, oP~s - AH A~H 4 Na
&c in keeping with its tsimportance, and
asks without Discrimination. without
rhetorical effort, for what the neces-
sites Of the Porto Rican people re
Qurc, in order to change the state of
opinion, which alarms our Mayer and
which may degenerate into extreme
violence.
The truth must be told And it is |
necessary TO record the extremes
which are SO much in evidence here;
it is indispensable that harmony exist
between the aims of the league Of
municipios and the results which ii is |
hoped may be realized, SO that they |
do not fall into the disrepu;e in which
at the present time all the organisms
which maintain in Porto Rico are
dying.
Let the voice Of Porto Rico be
heard once in the nation without nti-
Sc; we have had enough Of expert
ments. The time has come for us to
t ke our stand as a psople, without
b ing afflicted by the failures which
until now we have had to contend