Evening star., 1928-04-14
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS.

The Israelitish refugees, marching
under the Pillar Of cloud by day and
of fire by night" cried for the flesh
pots Of Egypt. They would have ignored
the mama which fed them, and the
liberty which might have inspired
them. They longed for slavery instead.
Modern peoples sometimes are just
as contrary. For example, there are
Ireland and Porto Rico.
An Irish orator this week exclaimed:
ITO -- with concessionS We want
our country-an undivided and inde-
pendent Ireland"
No concessions could reconcile him TO
hold part In the British Empire.
Porto Rico does not cry for slavery
under Spain. but points TO the 'auton-
omy" which Spain in 1897 had prom
tSed-with string to the promise,
binding the autonomy" to the factional
VIII of the Sagasta party in Spain-a
queer sort OF pretended local self
government" So the Porto Rican
agttators and critics Of the American
jurisdiction stand ready TO belittle the
advantages Of the union with this
Republic. IL only they can elect their
own natives to Office, and be independ-
ent OF the United States in local
matters
There is no grievance against the
actual laws, however. Nobody is suf-
tering personally in Porto Rico. Even
the President of the Senate and Speaker
OF the House. in their joint letter
appealing for reform. write:
We have never complained of lack
OF individual liberty. The Bill of Rights
Of the National Constitution-the latter
not in force in Porto Rico--is sub
Stantially written into the organic act
OF March =. 1917, granted TO us by
Congress. We admit that our Govern
ment and our people are receiving ma
tertal assistance through our asSocia-
ton with continental United States
This, as matter OF fact. has always
been acknowledged by the island. and
We have shown our recognition on diff
ferent occasions.
THE autonomous system of govern
n1ent granted to Cuba and Porto Rico
by Spain was more ample. more liberal
political status" continued the letter
from the heads of the Porto Rican
Legislature to the resident commits
sioner for Porto Rico, in the Washing
ton Congress.
The facts regarding that pretended
generosity Of Spain, IN 1897. are Of im-
portance. III the controversy now agi-
tated against the United States policy
OF government of the island
II was clearly pointed out in a
speech by Commissioner Dayila. in our
House of Representatives. last WcdneS-
day. that Porto RicanS do not want in
dependence, nor even statehood They
recognize the substantial commercial
benefits Of their union with the United
States. and free access to our great
markets, II they were independent,
they would be subject 10 our protective
tariffs, just as are other foreign ma
tions; II they had statehood. they
would still be an alien people. speaking
a foreign language and not be In SYM
pathy with any OF our problems In
Congress. nor could they expect our
Congress 10 he concerned III or even
informed upon their island problems
What they want is local Seif-govern-
ment--autonomy. They even profess
that Spain had already given them
that liberty, iust before the booming
OF the guns OF our invading army under
Gen. Miles gave notice that the fruits
OF the struggle of 400 years were
doomed TO be Snatched away. at the
moment when they were beginning to
enjoy them, That Is shown by history
to be false picture,
&& &m
The following Is quoted from the
Report on the Industrial and CONNER
eial Condition of Porto Rico by Henry
*. Carroll, special commissioner 10
Porto Rico, 1899 tpage AS ct seQ);
hearing AZ san Juan, testimony by Dr.
Jose c. BarboSa, October IS. 1898.
When l came back from the United
States IN 1880 We had here no liberty.
no freedom except ON paper. We at
once set 10 work To acquire from Spain
some degree ot liberty and formed a
party called the Liberal party. also
called the Reform party. Our
demand for autonomy. however, was
met by the fearful prosecutions Of the
year 1887. and the tortureS which We're
inflicted caused many 20 cease calling
themselves RutonomistS. Only few
had the courage 10 continue To do SO,
But 4. few Of us continued 10 work
on the ne lines IN spite OF the argu~
menG - many Of our former adherentS
that We were pursuing a policy which
could never meet with any success,
FINALLY our party Was reduced 10 40 or
6O. and this party continued working,
assisted by Senor Iahra, the Spanish
statesman, We continued calling meet
ings In the dttterent towns et the island.
trying 10 raise the spirits Of the people.
who. discouraged by the failure ot the
form OF government granted by Spain,
came gradually over 60 our way vi
thinking,
AT this period We took advantage
of the Cuban revelation to send com
mittee 20 spain "a ask the home GOV
ernment FOR autonomy ON the ground
that the government II had granted
was having only bad results. and that
unless autonomy We're granted We
feared we would not be able much
longer to restrain the revolutionary
spirit aI the people,
we sent this committee to Spain
under orders to accept nothing but
autonomy This committee had COM
terence With Sagasta. not YET In mower.
who promised them that when aa did