Southwest Washington labor press. [volume] (Hoquiam, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1925-01-16

speedily IS possible.
Resolved further, that this Joint
committee Of the Senate and the
House shall be composed Of two men,
bers Of the Senate and three members
Of the House, and shall have author
ity to send for persons and papers
and to take testimony in San Juan.
Ponce and elsewhere in Porto Rico
and the United States, before said
committee, and to sit during the ses-
sions Of the Congress or when Con-
gress is in recess or vacation
The charges Of fraud in the Porto
Rican elections are set forth IN detail
in the resolution adopted by the
American Federation Of Labor con-
vention in El Paso. The resolution
and the committee recommendation,
which were adopted by unanimous
vote, follow:
THAT on the 9TH of November 1924,
general election was held on the
Island of Porto Rico, under the
authority, laws and flag Of the United
States Of America, for the purpose
Of electing all the officers Of the gov
eminent Of the island, except the gov
ernor thereof; and during the said
elections a combination Of the old
political parties who control the eco
nomic and vital forces Of the island,
using all kinds of force, violence and
corruption, employing the public IN
sular police and officials Of the de-
partment of justice, and putting into
practice the worst kind of devices,
including actual use of force against
the electors, the voting of paid agents
with the name of thousands Of legal
electors, whereby the said legal cleo
tors all over the island were deprived
Of their votes; making false returns
and annulling enormous amounts Of
ballots which were perfectly legal;
and finally, committing an innumer-
able set Of outrages and violations of
the law, proof of which is being pre-
pared and shall be submitted to the
Congress Of the United States in the
form of documentary evidence enough
to contest and annul the legality Of
the election.
"That, it is not possible that in
Porto Rico an American territory, UNI
der American jurisdiction, the laws of
the land be violated, the American in
stitutions of freedom be abolished,
citizenship be outraged and elections
carried out in such way as to be q
degradation of the American prin-
ciples of universal suffrage; and The
people Of the United States can net
stand by and look indifferently upon
such attempts against a peaceful and
law-abiding community.
Therefore we request:
81. To protest before the President
of the United States and the Ameri- |
can people, against the violations Of
law and outrages to American citizen
ship that took place on the Island
of Porto Rico in the elections held on
November 4th past, and most espec-
tally against the use Of force by the
local officials of the government Of
the island, against the peaceful voters
of the working masses Of the island:
"2. To suspend the endorsement Of
the American Federation of Labor to
any legislation granting more self
government at this time to Porto Rico
until joint subcommittee from both
houses of Congress shall proceed to
the island to investigate the afore-
said elections and conditions of the
people and take the proper measures
to grant these people the right to hold
new general election and to insure
to said people of Porto Rico an hon
est and free exercise of the suffrage.
"3. That the President of the
American Federation Of Labor be re-
quested to most earnestly recommend
to the friends of justice who sit in
both houses Of Congress to give aid
and support to the claims of the rep
resentatives of the people of Porto
Rico who are petitioning the Congress
for an investigation of the election
held in said island on the fourth Of
November, 1924:
!: b. That copies Of this statement
be officially handed to the President
of the United States, the president Of
the Senate, and the Speaker Of the
House Of the Congress, and give same
as much publicity as possible
"In accord with that judgment we
submit the following statement and
recommendation.
when the sovereignty of Porto
Rico was transferred from monarchiaI
Spain to Democratic America, they re-
joiced in the hope that under the
Constitution and flag Of our country,
that liberty, justice and democracy
would be the happy end Of conditions
in which they were forced to work
and live.