Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 40, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 November 1907 — PORTO RICO PLEADS. [ARTICLE]

PORTO RICO PLEADS.

NATIVE THINKS CONSTITUTION SHOULD FOLLOW FLAG. Amalgamailon with Utlm* Infer Legislation—Minnesota rights to Regalate Railroad Pares. ' ~U? ” Porto Rico wants the American constitution as well as the American flag, and will not regard the United States as a just nation until it has the former as well ns the latter. This information was conveyed to the delegates to a conference of the Indian's friends at L/ake Mohonk, N. Y., in a speech by Jorge Bird Airas of Pajordo, Porto Rico. After picturing the woes of the Porto Ricans through inva- - aioa by the buccaneers, the French, and the Spanish, he said: “Naturally the native element never feared any wrong from a nation to which their eyes had more than once been turned in their dreams of liberty. Therefore, they accepted their fate aa Providence, But in the course of time, when they found that they were denied American citizenship, and that the nlmirtf n fltf wiia tfim'tiii'n sign ol'coßquest, or. perhaps, as an emblem of protection trnly, while the constitution had remained at home, depriving them of its benefits, a natural discontent began to awaken, and it must be said that it has not disappeared vet; and ..mU_ae£« dlB-_ appear until complete justice has been done. One of the arguments set forth by these who completely lack reason and seek some excuse for the abnormal situation which involves the present political status of Porto Rico, is the great difference which exists between the two people. A policy to hasten' the Americanization of the island is a great mistake. It is not possible that a country densely populated and having more than four centuries of existence can be changed in a sljort period of time. Why not let the two races intermingle? Let the two tendencies struggle and either one win or both be recast in one of new shape and character. The Xatih wit and vivacity, together with the tananif~xr oni) f nivtßi iha Atupr* IrliatU.V auti iUlt tyt tux' crut’ » lean, may develop a new type of which ihe nation may in the future have reason to be proud.” FIGHTS FOR RIGHT OF STATE. Attorney General of Minnesota Contests Fine of Federal Court. Attorneys Thomas B. O’Brien and George T. Simpson of Minnesota 'have filed in the Supreme Court of the United States a petition for a writ of habeas corpus in the case of Attorney General Young of that* State. Mr, Young was enjoined by the United States Circuit Court of Minnesota against taking any Action looking to thfi-oarrving into effect of the new Minnesota railroad rate law, and in the face of the injunction instituted a suit in a State court praying for a writ of mandamus to compel the railroads in the State to observe the law. Judge Lochrcn ttien summoned Air. Young before him and of SIOO on the charge of contempt ot court, placing him in the custody of the marshal until the fine should be paid. Mr. Young seeks to secure a release from this penalty. Child of Author Is Scalded. Lester Ford, the posthumous daughter of Taul Leicester Ford, the novelist, was probably fatally scalded at the summer home of Mrs. Ford's father, Edward 11. Kidder, at CUeshjuu, N. 11. A tub of hot water had been drawn for the child's bath, and before it had been cooled sufficiently the little one either jumped or fell “ into it. World'* Oldext Paper Quit*. The rekin Gazette, the world's oldest newspaper and China’s official bulletin for memorials and edicts, Jjias been superseded by a modern newspaper, which besides printing the memorials and edicts alsb will publish editorials. The first of the editorials significantly reviews the Japanese constitution and otherwise the paper shows influences. Vliioii Save* Eujeineer'* Life. A freight train on the Kanawha and Michigan road ran into a train on a siding at Tangville. Ohio. Edward I’orter, the engineer, and John Editions, the fireman,' were killed. Engineer Wallace Stanley, the regular engineer of the train, refused to take his run that cay, saying he felt a premonition of danger. Eiffht Hundred Are Idle. The steel plant of the United States Steel Cor [xtration in Columbus. Ohio, dosed down indefinitely Saturday, throwing 800 men out of work. The furnaces j will run long enough to convert the ore On hand into pig iron, which will be shipped to some other plant of the steel trust. Blk I-oa* in Nome Fire. Fire at Nome, Alaska!, enused a property loss of about s;{otVVxh The Second avenue office building of the Pioneer Mining Company, the best structure of the kind in the town, was among those dei atroyed. _ Hue Cathedral fur Baltimore, Plans have been laid for the erection of a Protestant Episcopal cathedral in Baltimore. Announcement to this effect was made by Bishop William I’aret of the diocese of Maryland, who said from 100 to 200 years would be required to build it. Snnltrat T.lner I* Floated. The steamer-Empress of China, whieh •auk at her dock in Vancouver. B. C-, Wednesday night, has been floated. ■lx Hundred Killed in Earthquake. The number of fatalities due to the earthquake in Calabria, Italy, is now estimated at GOO. King Victor Emmanuel has donated $20,000 from bis private parse, ■Srbich, added to the amounts givsn by Pope Pius and the government, brings the total of the contributions for relief work to $30,000.