The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-02-17

Hcr People want CNizenship ~ Amert.
cans and Nat ~ Aliens.

cans ana Not - Aliens.
To THE EpIToR OF TIE suN--sir: IN
q news article In THE SUN Of February
IL IL was said that Secretary Carr ;son
believes In making Porto Ricans eligible
to American citizenship" Does Mr. Gar
rison mean nothing more than that tho
Porto Ricans should have equal rights
with aliens possessing qualifications neces-
sary for citizenship? II that. is all he
means then we have certainly arrived at
"a peculiar pass In our government.
why should, q promise Of eligibility be
held out to Porto Ricans7 What does this
mean? Simply that natives OF Porto Rico.
which is part OF the United States, shall
be put on an equal footing with natives
OF foreign countries who have come to our
shores and remained here a length Of
time sufficient TO apply for papers Of
naturalization. Having been put on such
a footing a native Of a part OF the United
States shall be entitled to apply for cti-
zenship! DO the Porto Ricans want this ?
What kind Of people would want Il?
They want citizenship right out and right
of without conditions. and II should be
granted at once.
There are many reasons given IN Porto
Rico for the failure Of Congress to grant
citizenship All Of the reasons are more
or less true. but the chief reason IL not
a selfish one. II 10 ignorance. not the
Ignorance Of the natives but the ignor-
ance Of the American people Of the state
of Affairs In the island. There can be no
comparison between Porto Rico and the
Philippines. Porto Rico contains only
$500 square miles. II would make q f,ne
showing as an independent country.
wouldn't III The poor deluded delegate
in the Porto Rican Assembly who advo-
Gated Independence in fiery speech was
worse than Americans who imagine that
the Islanders want independence. The dele i
gate received most OF his training In
craftsmanship from a periodical published
In Havana noted for Its hatred Of Ameri-
cans. Such utterances as his are rare
In tho island and are to be classed with
the yelpings Of some OF our social agita-
tors here.
We think Of Porto Ricans as an inferior
people. CHASING them with the poems of
Mexico and Santo Domingo. As matter
Of fact they are gentle, orderly and ex-
tremely uesirous Of b-ttering their condi-
ton. OF the educational facilities intro
duced by the Americans they are making
the most ! have a photograph OF a
group OF children attending a vacation
school IN Santurce. near San Juan. The
public vacation school WAS full and the
parents of the children paid SO cents a
month to send them to private summer
school. The money meant sacrifices. for
all Of the parents were poor. Can such a
poor washerwomen In the Puerta dc
Sierra district shaving at the tub to send
their children neatly dressed to school.
A Porto Rican school officer told me that
the poorest woman was too proud to send
her children TO school without shoes IN
the town. In the country It might not
matter.
The students In the higher schools are
very DESTROYS of proving themselves good
Americans How can an American
Seo, her explain TO them when dealing with
tn civil government OF the United States
that they are not natural born American
citizens and can become citizens only by
naturalization after Congress shall pass
an enabling act? II Is all humbug. and In
humbusging "a people out Of their rights
are we not storing UP hatred against
ourselves?
Porto Rico Is American She wants
recognition by the American people as a
part OF America. She wants justice In
the form OF unrestricted citisenship TO
every Porto Rican. She wants q terri
toriai form OF government. And. last but
not least. she wants to be known by
Americans JOHN LuxroN.
BROOKLYN, February H.