The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-01-23

two houses. one Of which, known E
the executive council. is appointed L.
the President, and the other. IT,
house OF delegates. is elected by tn
people. There are eleven member
!, the executive council and thirtN-...
in the house of delegates. ana NJ.
make all the laws for the island. IT,.
! thirty-fve members are eleoed c-.ty
two years from seven electoral ts
| tricts. Each or the districts has t-
delegates.
Both OF these houses are noN
session, the assembly having ConN,u..
the second Monday in january.
will sit sixty days. The eXecutI
! council remains in session t~hroughput
the year. for it is necessary thai e
confirm the appointments made =.
The governor in order that thy -
valid according to law.
Justice In Porto Rico.
In the days of the SpantardS
tice in Porto Rico was a matter .f
bargain and sale. The man who ~
the most money got the decision of
| the courts in his vor and rNe!. g.
day the judges are still offered brides
heard Of a case ia when 4 W"11.t,
the other day called upon the alto
ney general and asked him just i,ov
much money il wouid tax to st' IT.
son out Of prison. n said she ttI'4
OCcll 81 INK !ti III l'hSt ' -
or ever since he had committed mar
slaughter, and that she thought she
had now enough to a him out. II
was hard for the attorney general t."
make her see that money could I"t
comDenSate for crime.
Today the judicial system OF PORE"
Rico is much like that Of the Inittd
States. There are 1ifty-cight justices
Of the peace, but they cannot fine :
man more than SIS or 1ulprison him
for more than thirty days IheIi
Jurisdiction is limited to violations OF
municipal ordinances and petty
4 crimes. They are much like our po-
lice judges There are also munich
pal courts, where suits are tried iii
, which the rental does not exceed ST.
900. The officers OF these are elected
8 by poDulaT>Vote, and each for a term
II four years. Above these are tn,
) district courts, the prosecuting attot-
neys of which are appointed by th.
Governor. and. higher still, the su
. prene court. coInp posed OF fiVta judge
. appointed by the President. II
court sits at San Juan. and il pos
: sesses general appellate Jurisdiction
over the island.
n Spanish Country Without Graft.
One Of the most remarkable thing:
in Porto Rico has been the e~li.tiIa
ton OF graft Under the former GOV
eminent everything was bribery ar,
corruption. Nothing could bx don,
without grcasing the itching palms
Of the officials, aud this was SO eve,
: TO the recording OF deeds and al
transfers Of property. Everything
was taxed. even to the smallest bit %
~ furniture Of q banana-roofed shack
r poor had no rights that the rici
were bound TO respect, and it COS
money to get a hearing in the courts
At the time We took hold ther,
we're 1900 prisoners in the Jail
awaiting trial, and many Of them dit
= not know the charges Upon which
they had been arrested. One man hat
= been kept in prison for five month
- Tor stealing an empty bag, and an
other a year for stealing a chicken
- 4 third prisoner, charged with steal
- ing Il hog, had been kept in Jail
- year awaiting his trial. The courts 6
- Porto Rico then cost $3.50, 900 a yea
> IN salaries alone. and every officia
=, had q large allowance for writing ma
tcrials.
Today all the Of the is
land pass through the hands Of a,ldi
TORS selected by our Treasury depart
usent, and every cent must be salts
ID Iactorlly for. This is SO 0
all branches Of the government an,
m 1t Is impossible for any Of the publ
90 money to be spent otherwise than ::
LAID down by the law.
FRANK G. CARPENTER.
or no" PROHIBITION WORKS