The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-10-22
guidance of the greatest republic or

guidance OF the greatest republic on
earth.
do not mean to say that we are
utterly dissatisfied or that we reject
the American rule on fictitious grounds
Of love for liberty and freedom. | know
we are almost free to act and bind
ourselves as "A civilized people, but still
1t strikes me that we are laboring under
strict and limited colonial govern
ment. In spite Of our liberty OF ac-
ton, are we not forced to bear on our
shoulders the burdens OF seemingly
modern oligarchy? Have we ever been
given sufficiently broad minded gov
ernment7 | should say no. Have the
governors appointed for Porto Rico by
the president of the United States, with
the consent of the senate, ever been
interested in our domestic affairs, or
have they ever done anything In fur
OF social conditions? Did they even
know Spanish-the language OF the
majority-that they might be able to
understand the wishes and necessities
OF the people at larger Did the attor-
ney-general, auditor, commissioner OF
education, commissioner Of commerce
and labor ever try to ascertain the sem
tments OF the laborlng class, or better
our miserable social conditions? In a
word, did the American heads OF our
government, either under republican or
democratic administration, ever do any
thing OF substance for which we should
ever be grateful to them? / do not
think they ever did. However, II It is
true that they never did anything for
us. I must say in their favor that they
have never been tyrann!cal.
This is our actual condition OF dis
tress and this Is what the American
people should know. Under this state
OF affairs. is It not unjustifiable for n
man like Harding TO dlstort the face
of real truth?
We highly prize the freedom and no.
Bile attributes that endow the domestic
government OF the United States, and
It is purely on grounds Of Justice that
we censure and condemn the narrow
minded foreign policy that It nourishes
to the prejudice Of the small nationali-
ties concerned.
To be sure. Porto Rico IL not oven
an incorporated territory" and l do
unto us. l say Justice because 1t ap-
pears as II our efforts have never been
fully appreciated, and we hold, like the
great trainers OF american independ-
ence," that "a decent respect for the
opinions OF mankind" impels us to state
the grounds on which we claim that
which we, OF necessity. deserve.
We demand that our status as civ
ilized people be finally defined, and this
cannot be done by man or group Of
men who assume the evasive position
OF Mr.. Harding. Can we tolerate the
wiggle and wobble policy OF the repub-
lIcan candidate In this country and sup
port his short sighted Views in regard
to our political status?
It Is not true that people OF good
sense stand against independence at
home. This is altogether false and
without foundation Even in the alb
sence OF better evidence, favorable
presumption should arise in our behalf
from the fact that the great majority
OF men Of good sense stand for liberal
government in all the countries OF the
world And even though we as a whole
do not stand for absolute independence,
as Mr.. Harding states, still, do we long
Tor our present system OF government?