The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1916-01-14


VVTHETHIzR Pofto Ricans are to he successful
w this year IN getting congress to admit them 10
American citizenship is the question uppermost IN
the minds Of Porto Rieans at present, and It Is
Eauestion OF considerable importance to Hawaw as
we'll as there are more Porto Ricans residents N
this Territory IN proportion to the total citizen popu
Iation than IN any other section of the Union The
enactment bv congress Of blanket citizenship for
Porto Ricans will add at one swoop something be
tween twelve and fifteen hundred names to the
Hawaiian voters list Such an addition would make
the Porto Rican vote fourth in Importance IN Ha-
wall only slightly behind the Portuguese
although citizenship has been promised the Porto
Ricans since the DAYS of the Spanish American War
and American occupation, seventeen years ago, each
congress since that time has failed to pass the nee
essary laws The Islanders are now hopeful that the
first Democratic administration since 1870 VIII act
favoraby and give them q definite political status:
AT present Porto Ricans are merely citizens OF
Porto Rico, :" I.
In the hope that favorable legislation may be OBJ
tanned Governor Arthur Wager is now in Washing
ton urging congress TO act, Bills providing new
Organic Act to take the place OF the temporary
Foraker Act which went into force in 1901 estab-
hshing civil government, and which has been in
force ever since, have already been introduced IN
congress by Chairman Jones of the house commit
tee on insular affairs, and by Senator Willard Sauls
bury of Delaware.
2"The new Organic Act should grant to the peo-
States said Governor wager before sailing from San
Juan. IL 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 vi 5,E ri E8tgst i 1 d
People speak Of citizenship as a privilege. TO
my mind it is not privilege at all, but right 1t
is the necessary complement of sovereignty and
should 90 with the flag The people 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 Is. ts.g
Citizenship does not at all imply suffrage or the
power to VOTE for any 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 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 would think of excluding these classes
from the rights of citizenship" sl@ HI
The chief features of the bills to be considered by
congress will provide both for blanket citizenship
and greater degree of Porto Rican home rule. The
most important home rule feature is the provision for
an elective senate of nineteen members. The pres
ent lower house of the legislation is already elected
while the present upper house, senate is composed
of eleven members all of whom are appointed by
the President of the United States and six of whom
are heads jof executive departments OF the lnsular
government 10 b. ~, ~. ~. ... 49,,
Those most interested il, the passage of new
Organic Act for Porto Rico have been much en-
couraged 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 ref
erence to legislation for them is closely associat
ed with that urged for the Philippines that they
fear the two may become confused and that in the
fight which they expect will develop over defining
policy for Philippine independence Porto Rico may
again be disappointed. 49,. 4. ~.
In Porto Rico itself it is said that all difficulties
which heretofore have developed legislation by
congress in behalf of Porto Rico have been cleared
away. The most important single step which has
been taken recently was the adoption of plat
form by the Unionist party the majority party in
the isl!nd renouncing its independence platform
and confhing itself to policy of home rule. Almost
inyarablyin the past when legislation for the island
has been under consideration at Washington and
congress seemed about ready to grant American ct
zenship to the people of the island, long protests
were forwarded to Washington setting forth objec
tons to any legislation that did not provide for The
ultimate independence of the island, 1t is admitted
here that these protests have to very large measure
caused congress to delay any definite action.
/ asya8 49,
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