Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-02-02

San Juan, Porto Rico, Feb. H.
Whether Porto Ricans are to be sue
cessful this year in getting the United
States Congress to admit them to
American citizenship is the question
uppermost in the minds of most Porto
Ricans at present. Although citizen
ship has been promised since the days
of the Spanish American War and
American occupation, seventeen years
ago. each Congress since that time has
failed to pass the necessary laws. The
islanders are now hopeful that the
first Democratic administration since
1898 will act favorably and give them
definite political status. At present
Porto Ricans are merely citizens OF
Porto Rico
In the hope that favorable legisla-
ton may be obtained, Governor Ar
thur wager will spend the month Of
January in Washington urging Con-
gress to act. Bills providing new
Organic Act to take the place Of the
temporary Foraker Act which went
into force in 1901 establishing civil
government and which has been in
force ever since, have already been in
Jones of the House Committee on In
! sular Affairs, and by Senator Willard
Salisbury Of Delaware.
The new Organic Act should grant
to the people of Porto Rico collective
citizenship in the United States" said
Governor wager before Sailing. II
know of no simple gift that would go
so far toward removing dissatisfaction
and difficulty in Porto Rico as this
simple grant Of citizenship, and none
that would be attended with so little
cost and risk.
| People speak of citizenship as a
! privilege To my mind it is not a
privilege at all. but a right. 1t is the
necessary complement of sovereignty
and should go with the flag. The peo-
pie of Porto Rico must obey all the
laws of the United States. pay taxes.
are liable to military services, and yet
they are not citizens.
citizenship does not at all imply
officer of the government or anything
else. In the United States there are
now many more citizens who have not
the privilege of the suffrage than
those who have. The people of the
District of Columbia never have had
the privilege to vote for anybody or
anything and yet they are citizens.
Most Of the negroes of the South, the
minors Of both sexes, and as yet an
| immense majority Of the women Of the
country are not permitted to vote and
yet no one would think Of excluding
these classes from the rights of citi-
| zenship."
| The chief features Of the bills to be
considered by Congress. it is expected
here, will provide both for blanket
citizenship and greater degree of
home rule. The most important home
rule feature is the provision for an
elective Senate Of nineteen members.
The present lower house Of the Legis-
lation is already elected. while the
present upper house or Senate is COM
posed of eleven members. all of whom
are appointed by the president Of the
United states. and six Of whom are
heads Of executive departments Of the
I1sular Government.
Those most interested In tho pass
age of a new Organic Act for Porto
Rico have been much encouraged by
the Presidents recent message to Con-
gress in which he recommended new
Legislation for both Porto Rico and the
Philippines.
| At the same time Porto Ricans point
out that reference to legislation for
them is SO closely associated with that
urged for the Philippines that they
fear the two may become confused
and that in the fight which they ex-
pect will develop over defining pol
icy for Philippines Independent Porto
Rico may again be disappointed.
| Here in the island 1t is said that all
difficulties which heretofore have de-
veloped over legislation by Congress
in behalf of Porto Rico have been
cleared away. The most important
single step which has been taken re-
Gently was the adoption Of new plat
form by the Unionist party, the ma
jority party in the island, renouncing
it's independence platform and con-
filming itself to a policy Of home rule.
! Almost invariably in the past when
| legislation for the island has been un-
der consideration at Washington and
Congress seemed about ready to grant
American citizenship to the people Of
the island. long protests were for
warded to Washington setting forth
objections to any legislation that did
not provide for the ultimate inde-
pendence Of the island. 1t 10 admitted