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Two of the Porto Ricans were Federals, two were Republicans, and one Independent. On being duly notified, all the members of the executive council accepted the positions to which they had been chosen. As the fiscal year expires on the 30th of June each year, and that date was fast approaching, it was necessary that the budget for the incoming year should be prepared without delay. This duty, of course, under existing circumstances, devolved on the governor. Great care was taken and all available sources of information were explored, and finally a budget was arranged, sufficiently comprehensive to cover the running expenses economically, and it was duly promulgated. It was impracticable to convene the executive council to assist in this work; but afterwards, when it had been organized, the budget was laid before that body and received its unanimous concurrence. Acquaintance with the requirements of the civil 'government and its probable revenues being very limited, from lack of experience and want of precedents, it was deemed necessary to reserve the right to alter, amend, or enlarge the budget as the exigencies of the government might demand.

The first meeting of the executive council was held in the council chamber at the executive mansion on Thursday, the 28th of June, at 10 o'clock a. m. All the members were present except Messrs. Russell and Brumbaugh, who had not yet reached the island.

The Porto Rican members received their commissions and were sworn into office, the oath being administered by Judge Franco, of the municipal court. A permanent organization of the council was at once effected, Hon. W. H. Hunt, the insular secretary, being unanimously chosen president. The first business before the council was the consideration of the annual budget submitted by the governor, which received unanimous approval. The message of the governor recognizing the council and submitting the annual budget for its acquiescence will be found in the Appendix, Chapter XIII. The meeting was very interesting and entirely harmonious.

On the following day, the 29th of June, the supreme court of Porto Rico was duly organized, with all the members, except Judge Sulzbacher, present. Mr. Russell, the attorney-general, reached the island on the 12th of July, and at once entered upon the duties of his office, relieving Mr. Odlin. Judge Holt, of the United States district court, Judge Sulzbacher, of the insular supreme court, and Mr. Brumbaugh, commissioner of education, arrived on the 4th of August, and assumed charge of their respective offices on the Monday following. This completed the personnel of the insular government, and here closes the transition period in its history.

The formative period may be considered as beginning with the organization of the executive council, on the 28th of June, as that fact more particularly marks the change in the current of events, although the delay in arrival of some of the other officers and in the 21400-01-2

complete organization of some other departments causes the first period to overlap the second in some particulars. The active work of administration, covering not only the routine of official duties, but the careful planning of ways and means to carry out the directions of the organic act, was entered upon promptly and pushed along with alacrity. One of the first important duties devolving upon the administration after the organization of the executive council was to prepare for the general election required to be held for the choice of delegates to the legislative assembly, and also of a resident commissioner to the United States. During those early days there was a great deal of political excitement throughout the island, and the American members of the administration were naturally very much concerned that public order should be maintained and that the election should be provided for and held, and the legislative assembly organized with as little nervous excitement on the part of the people as possible.

The date on which the commissioner should be chosen being fixed by law on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November, synchronous with the general election in the United States, it was considered to be wise and economical to hold the general election in Porto Rico on the same date; and accordingly it was so ordered. It was enacted in the organic law that the island should be divided into 7 districts, and that each district should be represented by 5 delegates, thus making the house of delegates to consist of 35 members. The legislative assembly was to be composed of two houses, the upper being the executive council and the lower being the house of delegates. The . council, being already organized, was charged with the duty of providing for the election of the members of the other chamber, to complete the assembly. Obviously the first step which the council had to take, after fixing the date of election, was to divide the island into 7 districts, as the law required. This apparently simple matter proved a very serious and intricate one. After careful consideration it was thought best to refer the question to a special committee, composed of the 5 Porto Rican members. Party feeling among the people was very pronounced, and the popular excitement had permeated all classes and penetrated the council chamber itself. The committee, as thus constituted, was composed of 2 Federals, 2 Republicans, and 1 Independent. After due consideration in the committee, three plans were presented to the executive council, and two days were devoted to debate upon the various propositions involved in the reports. Finally, when the council was called upon to choose a plan, that of Mr. Crosas, the independent member of the committee, was selected by a vote of 9 to 2.

The two Federal members of the council, Messrs. Camuñas and De Diego, were greatly disappointed that their plan was not accepted and

at once threatened to resign, which they accordingly did on the next day, the 6th of September, by forwarding their resignations directly to the President by cable. Their resignations were promptly accepted and they were duly notified. These vacancies were not filled for more than two months, and matters moved on in the council with much more harmony.

It was the unchanging purpose of those intrusted with the details of conducting the election, and kindred matters of importance, to consider, as far as they could properly do so, both of the insular political parties. This course was consistently followed. The leaders of each party were asked from time to time to furnish to the appointing power a list of names from their several partisans to fill the various official positions. Selections were made from these lists, giving to each party as far as possible equal representation. As soon as the island had been divided into proper districts in accordance with law the next step in the regular course of procedure was to prepare an election order suited to the condition of affairs and the genius of these people, so simple in its terms as to be easily understood, and sufficiently complete in its requirements to repress and restrain, to the utmost, fraud and dishonesty. The task was by no means an easy one, but honest hearts and willing hands came to the aid of active minds in the council with most excellent results.

The election laws of the various States were consulted and portions of each were selected and modified so as to meet the existing conditions, and an election order was produced which, as shown by experience, has worked well, and which is thought to be the equal in merit of any election law in any of the United States. It prescribed the qualifications of the voters, and provided for supervisors of elections and district and precinct officers. It subdivided the 7 districts into 219 polling precincts, and prescribed the duties of all the officers charged with holding the election. Few, if any, defects were found in the working of the order on the important day of its trial at the polls.

But the duties of the executive council in regard to the election did not cease with the promulgation of the order. A complete registration of voters was indispensable under the electoral system desired and in compliance with the very mild restrictions which had been placed upon the privilege of suffrage. Such a registration of voters was provided for in the order of the council for the "registration of electors," passed and promulgated on the 15th of September. It was appropriately adjusted to the terms of the election order, and, while permitting every qualified voter to cast his ballot and requiring it to be counted, was designed to prevent the reception of any illegal vote on election day or tampering with the returns thereafter. All of these purposes proved to have been accomplished when tested at the

polls in actual practice. The preparation of these regulations for the registration of the electors and the conduct of the election was the result of careful and intelligent effort on the part of Judge Hunt, and reflects great credit upon that excellent officer. But the legislative duties of the council in preparing for the election, while the most important, were by no means the most difficult of their labors. The smaller details of the administration and execution of these orders had to be continually watched and supervised by the council or its election committee.

In addition to the appointment of the supervisor of election, the district boards, the precinct officers, and polling clerks, constant instruction had to be given many of them in their duties. Cards of advice and explanations, registration blanks, and numberless circulars of information were necessarily issued to teach these officers their functions, and the matters seemed almost to resolve themselves into an electoral kindergarten, so simple were some of the queries propounded. But the council showed a cheerful compliance with all demands made upon its time and patience, which was the more readily extended from a consideration of the strangeness of these methods to this people, and their earnest desire evinced to follow the proper course, and the readiness and intelligence which they brought to the acquisition of the knowledge required. And finally the success of their labors was a fitting and sufficient reward for all engaged in this work. No frauds were practiced and no contests made when the registration and election had been completed and the final result declared.

About the middle of September the political rancor and excitement had reached their flood tide. Articles calculated to stir the basest passions had been published in various newspapers in different towns, and personal encounters between individual members of the two parties were far too common. This condition of affairs culminated in an incipient riot, which occurred in the streets of the capital on the night of the 14th of September. Many shots were fired, most of them into the air, but fortunately nobody was wounded. The whole affair seemed to have been gotten up for political effect. There were, on the part of the executive, many anxious days and wakeful nights during this period, but the popular excitement gradually subsided, people began to take a more reasonable view of the situation, the baser sort were held in check, the better class regained their influence, public order was restored and maintained, and the march of progress was resumed and went steadily forward.

Immediately preceding the election the air was filled with rumors of various sorts as to the direful things that were to occur in the various municipalities on election day. Men, whose judgment was ordinarily to be relied upon, came in numbers to the executive mansion to insist with great earnestness that United States soldiers should be

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