BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1905-07-19
That pretended Indifference of the

Il
COVE rnment to the comments and re
marks of the press has disappeared.
THAT apparent disregard for all the
jua criticisms and reasonable censures
no, longer prevails, it is contradicted
by the acts of the COVERT. ..entals which
are in plain conflict with what they
say. - :. =,
The government concerns itself with
the remarks Of the PISS, when. as
now, it is the powerful voice of OPT
nion which condemns the extraordina-
nv department of the functiona ries
and the injustices and abnormal acts
of the present regime.
Proof of the fact that the voice Of
the press is something not to be scor-
ned, can be found. by those who pre-
sumo to doubt, in the number of jour-
nalists now prisoners.
Never before in Porto Rico has been
seen sogreat number of imprisoned
news paper men.
And it is now a miracle if the jour
na1ists escape from the constant dan
gers and the arbitrary laws against the
liberty of the press. from the means
which tyranny has in its hands and
which despotism has wished to reser-
We for itself. in order to have at the
mercy of its caprices, chained or mu~
te, the voice of the colony.
The law of libel, the law of disres
pect. the postal laws, all these laws
are obstacles which are encountered
by the Porto Rican newspapers, with
frequency so pronounced. that were
not the press so necessary function
to ali modern peoples. it would disap-
pear from the colony on account of
the prosecutions to which it is subj
ed.
Convinced of this, the contumacious
functionaries, in whose designs the
thought of correction never enters.
realizing that it is impossible to des
troy or annihilate the newspapers
attempt to diminish their necessary
and salutary criticisms, which they
pretend not to see, being more fond
of APPLAUSE than of censure.
In order to accomplish this, they
have not dared to resort to violence.
Neither are those feudal lords caps-
BILE of Distinguishing tyranny from
truth.
They have sought clever and incred
ible measures, they have descended
to servilisln so abject, that the act
of those towards Of Ponce. who threw
flowers under the feet Of the invading
army, seems high. and their attitude
less ignoble.
Those frightened functiona1ies have
fallen headlong, and are at the point
of being overwhelmed by the surges
Of public opinion.
In vain they have had recourse to
promise of favors. which could not be
accepted by those who desire to live
with the respect of the people; in vain
they have appealed to threats of spe
cial taxes: Of new prosecutions. The
press ought not to remain silent, be
cause being the voice Of the people, as
long as the people have things to
claim. advice to give. censures to di
rect, it must comply with its duty and
discharge It's august functions, serving
to make things known in quarters
where the dictates OF opinion should
be heard.
The government is now. before the
press, in the attitude which it ought
to observe always: on igs knees.
The functionaries confess their
errors. They believed that it was pos
sible to govern in spite of opinion; in
different to criticisms; they believed
that the authority of power made it
for them to be on fami-
liar terms with the people, that they
could maintain a government which
the country repudiated. and now,