Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-12-19
PORTO RICO NOT
To SECEDE FROM
U. s. DECLARES
President of Senate Issues
Statement Answering
Charges BY Members OF
Gov. Reily'S Regime.

washington, Dec. 1S.--Porto
Rico is not planning to "secede'
from the United States and her po-
| utical leaders are not dictators on
plotters seeking to undermine the
authority Of the federal govern
ment says Antonio r. Barcelo'
president Of the Island senate,
speaking for the Porto Rican
commission in washington. OF
which he is member, in a public
statement here in answer to recent
charges by members of the admin
istration of Governor 70. Mont
Reilly.
"One of the reasons advanced
NV Governor Reilly in Justification
of his hostility toward the major
itv Marty" says the statement, lis
that the very predominance of that
marty in the island is such as to
exercise a pernicious influence
upon all efforts for good govern
ment: and that its leader, Mr.. Bar
cello has developed into dictator
who Is using his great power TO
thwart the beneficent efforts OF
the governor.
Seek RcllyS Removal
1.-THE members of the com mis-
sion that has been sent to WASH
ington from Porto Rico to prefer
charges looking to the removal of
the governor unanimously refute
this charge. They claim that the
unionist party is primarily o pa
triotic league. In its ranks are to
he found both conservatism and
radical clements who find a COM
mon meeting ground in the party $
ideal of self-government. They
claim It will enable their people to
improve their capacity for self
government and at the same time
to assume all the obligations that
go with the exercise of govern
ment.
"Such a patriotic organization
they claim has naturally obtained
the support of the great majority
Of self-respecting and patriotic Is
landers. This has been repeatedly
shown by their overwhelming vic
tories whenever they have appealed
to the verdict of the ballot. The
commission on the other hand
characterizes the membership OF
the minor political parties which
oppose the unionists as being d.
vided into two classes; first those
who would be content to see Porto
Rico play a servile part, and sec
ondly, those, who by bowling to
strong power conferred in the gov
ernor would be willing to surrender
the public control of the island If
Aa nAfffnI fhnrnhV "
Under the terms of the organic
act as presently amended" con-
tinues the statement, ut must be
apparent that If anything APP
preaching dictatorship exists on
the island it arises from the acts
of the governor himself and by a
small circle of politicians who have
been directing his policy. 1t is ri
dicuIous to accuse the unionist
party or Mr.. Barcelo, its leader, of
dictatorship for they have eHer-
cised no powers other than those.
granted by the organic act. and
ratified and endorsed by the peo-
pie who electedNhem as repre-
sentatives.
Officials Are Honest.
firmed by the senate under the
new organic act have shown eff
cheney, honesty and capacity and
the general assembly has accom-
plished a great and truly consruc-
tive work in the social and econo-
mic reforms they have placed upon
the statute books. There are few
states in the union that would lay
claim to higher standard than
that displayed by the island leeis-
lature. This may be verified by
the annual report of the governor
which is in turn made part of
the annual report of the secretary
of war to the president.
1.-THE powers of the governor as
provided under the Foraker act,
in mary respects, have been pre-
served in the act of 1917. The
general supervision of public af-
fairs is still vested in him; he has
the power to remove appointees
and he enjoys an almost absolute
veto power over the acts of the
legislature. With such power
wisely exercised, an able and dip
lomatic governor could well leave
to the other branches of the gov
eminent the exercise of powers
granted them, by the organic act,
allowing them the exercise and de-
velopment of their own initiative
and limiting himself TO preventing
any abuse of power. This is the
proper way of assisting the people
to prepare themselves for self
government, otherwise, II the gov
ernor arrogates to himself all
powers he will destroy the incen-
tive Of the people to participate In
public affairs"
Referring to the fire on the
steamship Tanamo, which brought
Governor Reilly and his party to
New York on November 81, the
statement said that the charge that
the blaze was of incendiary origin
"betrays such bad faith that 1t