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The Santiago Iglesias Case, 1901–1902: Origins of American Trade Union Involvement in Puerto Rico

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 December 2015

William George Whittaker
William George Whittaker*
Affiliation:
Gonzaga University, Spokane, Washington
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Extract

In November of 1898, Samuel Gompers, president of the American Federation of Labor, lashed out at the expansionists and denied most emphatically that there was “justification for our enforced conquest and annexation ”of the “semi-nude people ”of Puerto Rico, living in a state of “peonage.” At large, the American trade union movement appears to have been caught up in the movement for Cuban independence—both political and economic. Puerto Rico, however, was a different matter. The trade union leadership had shown no special awareness of the island or of conditions prevailing there and, following the American occupation, adopted a strongly anti-imperialist stand. Yet, in February of 1901, the American Federationist (edited by Gompers) warmly applauded the Louisville conventions decision “. . .to organize the 15,000 skilled workers of the island of Puerto Rico on the unshakable basis of the trade union.” By the summer of 1902, trade union opinion had largely reversed itself and fraternal ties between the American Federation of Labor and the Federación Libre of Puerto Rico had been irrevocably forged.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Americas , Volume 24 , Issue 4 , April 1968 , pp. 378 - 393
Copyright
Copyright © Academy of American Franciscan History 1968

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References

1 Gompers, Samuel, “Imperialism, Its Dangers and Wrongs,” American Federationist, V (Nov., 1898), 180 Google Scholar, hereafter abbreviated as AF. See also Gompers, , “Travail of Imperialism and Expansion,” AF, V (Oct., 1898), 158 Google Scholar; and Proceedings of the annual convention of the American Federation of Labor (Kansas City, 1898), p. 19 Google Scholar, cited hereafter as AFL-Proc.

2 McGregor, Hugh, “International Trade Unionism,” AF, VIII (Feb., 1901), 47 Google Scholar.

3 Pantin, Santiago Iglesias, Luchas Emancipadoras: Cronicas de Puerto Rico (2nd ed.; San Juan, 1958), I, 144–151 Google Scholar.

4 AFL-Proc . . . (Louisville, 1900), pp. 63–64.

5 Gompers, Samuel, Seventy Years of Life and Labor (New York, 1925), I, 69–70 Google Scholar; and Gompers to Theodore F. Cuno, Dec. 26, 1900, in the Gompers Copybooks, Vol. 39, p. 146, hereafter abbreviated as GCB. Gompers had expected a delegation from Cuba. Instead, he received a petition from the workers of Puerto Rico.

6 Iglesias, Luchas Emancipadoras . . ., I, 203; and Gompers to Iglesias, Dec. 26, 1900, GCB, Vol. 39, p. 148. Gompers began by asking Iglesias: “Are you a worker . . .” and “Are you a member of a union in your trade, that is, if such a union exists? ”

7 Anderson, Robert W., in Party Politics in Puerto Rico (Stanford, 1965), p. 34 Google Scholar, notes that Iglesias was motivated by a “sincere, almost primitive sense of social justice,” and observes that Iglesias’ ideas were “largely pragmatic and untouched by the subtleties of European Marxist Socialism.” See also Iglesias, , Luchas Emancipadoras . . ., I, 126; and Bolívar Pagan, Historia de los Partidos Politicos Puertorriqueños (San Juan, 1959), I, 52–60 Google Scholar.

8 Iglesias, Luchas Emancipadoras . . ., I, 210.

9 There was not unanimous agreement within the A. F. of L. leadership as to the course to pursue with regard to Puerto Rico. There was, perhaps, some criticism of Iglesias as well, but, if so, this was overcome. See Gompers to Iglesias, August 5, 1901, GCB, Vol. 45, p. 479.

10 Iglesias appears to have had competition for the Puerto Rican post and, in part for this reason, Gompers left the choice up to the Executive Council. He left no doubt about his own choice, however. See Rosa Lee Guard to M. Brown, Jan. 23, 1901, GCB, Vol. 40, p. 375; Gompers to Samuel Prince, Feb. 9, 1901, GCB, Vol. 40, p. 770; and Gompers to Iglesias, Sept. 12, 1901, GCB, Vol. 46, p. 283. Later Gompers would declare that Iglesias was “the man of all men ”to send to Puerto Rico. See Gompers, , “For Justice Even in Porto Rico,” AF, IX (Feb., 1902), 72 Google Scholar.

11 Gompers to Iglesias, Oct. 1, 1901, GCB, Vol. 46, p. 578.

12 Iglesias, Luchas Emancipadoras . . ., I, 216–217. George B. Cortelyou, at this point personal secretary to Roosevelt, was present during the discussion.

13 Gompers to Governor William H. Hunt, Oct. 13, 1901, GCB, Vol. 46, pp. 946–947.

14 Gompers to Iglesias, Oct. 14, 1901, GCB, Vol. 46, pp. 944–945.

15 Gompers to Iglesias, Oct. 28, 1901, GCB, Vol. 47, pp.443–444. Iglesias was formally presented to the American trade union movement through an article by Valesh, Eva McDonald, “Three Notable Lines of Labor Work,” AF, VIII (Nov., 1901), 457 and 462Google Scholar.

16 The Evening Star (Washington), Nov. 11, 1901, p. 1.

17 The Evening Star (Washington), Nov. 11, 1901, p. 1; Gompers to Iglesias, Nov. 10, 1901, GCB, Vol. 47, p. 940; Gompers to Iglesias, Nov. 11, 1901, GCB, Vol. 47, p. 961, Gompers to Iglesias, Nov. 12, 1901, GCB, Vol. 48, p. 1; The Evening Star (Washington), Nov. 13, 1901, p. 1; and Iglesias, Luchas Emancipadoras . . ., I, 217–218. During his interview with Roosevelt, Gompers was accompanied by Henry W. Szegedy, president of the Steel and Copper Plate Printers’ Union.

18 Others involved were Juan Guerra, Sandalio Sanchez, Teodoro Rivero, Adolfo Cora, Luis Ventezal and Román Fuentes. For the circumstances of the arrest in 1900, see Iglesias, , Luchas Emancipadoras ...., I, 171–196; and Diffie, Bailey W. and Diffie, Justine Whitfield, Porto Rico: A Broken Pledge (New York, 1931), pp. 34–35 Google Scholar.

19 San Juan News, Nov. 8, 1901, p. 5; ibid., Nov. 9, 1901, p. 5; and ibid., Nov. 12, 1901, p. 1. The San Juan Neivs is hereafter abbreviated as SJN.

20 SJN, Nov. 12, 1901, p. 1.

21 Governor Hunt’s visit to Washington, although opportune, was not the result of the Iglesias case. John Hay to Roosevelt, Nov. 9, 1901, in the Theodore Roosevelt Papers, Vol. 54.

22 The San Juan News, published in parallel columns of English and Spanish, had a circulation greater than that of its seven competitors combined during this period. Portions of the insular press, however, among them El País and Boletín Mercantil, were vigorous in their attacks against Iglesias.

23 SJN, Nov. 13, 1901, p. 2.

24 SJN, Nov. 14, 1901, p. 8.

25 SJN, Nov. 14, 1901, p. 8.

26 SJN, Nov. 15, 1901, p. 2.

27 Gompers had carried the bail issue to Roosevelt, protesting that the demand for a cash bond was “outrageous.” See memorandum of Nov. 18, 1901, in the Theodore Roosevelt Papers, Vol. 55.

28 Gompers to the Executive Council of the A. F. of L., Nov. 20, 1901, GCB, Vol. 48, pp. 260–262.

29 Gompers to Iglesias, Nov. 20, 1901, GCB, Vol. 48, pp. 256–257. See also Gompers to Sidney S. McKee, Nov. 20, 1901, GCB, Vol. 48, pp. 258–259; and SJN, Nov. 16, 1901, p. 1.

30 SJN, Nov. 22, 1901, p. 8. The five hundred dollars was eventually returned to the A. F. of L., Gompers thereafter returning one hundred dollars to McKee for his services. While the arrangement between Gompers and McKee is unclear, there had been no prior arrangement as to a fee. See Gompers to McKee, May 1, 1902, GCB, Vol. 55, p. 184; and Gompers to McKee, June 18, 1902, GCB, Vol. 57, p. 136.

31 Gompers to McKee, Dec. 30, 1901, GCB, Vol. 49, pp. 430–431. Gompers appears to have been taken into the presidential conference for he was permitted to view materials from the Iglesias dossier. See also Gompers to Hunt, Nov. 22, 1901, GCB, Vol. 48, p. 282; and Gompers to Hunt, Nov. 22, 1901, GCB, Vol. 48, p. 292.

32 Gompers to Iglesias, Nov. 20, 1901, GCB, Vol. 48, pp. 256–257. See also SJN, Nov. 24, 1901, p. 1. In late November, Eduardo Conde returned to San Juan, being immediately arrested on charges identical with those in the Iglesias case and held pending cash bail of $2,000. The Conde case occasioned another round of headlines and protests. Hearing on both cases was scheduled for December 2 but was delayed until December 11 when the court failed to summon one of the defendants, Joaquín Beccerril, known to be in the city. While Conde remained in jail, Iglesias took up the case personally with Attorney General Harlan. See SJN, Nov. 30, 1901, p. 8; Gompers to McKee, Nov. 20, 1901, GCB, Vol. 48, pp. 258–259; SJN, Dec. 4, 1901, p. 8; and SJN, Dec. 3, 1901, p. 9.

33 SJN, Nov. 26, 1901, p. 8.

34 SJN, Dec. 24, 1901, p. 2. Iglesias was able, during this period, to project something of a conservative image. Even Leo S. Rowe, chairman of the Puerto Rican Code Commission (1901-1902), would comment upon the “surprisingly conservative spirit” of the new labor unions of Puerto Rico. See Rowe, , The United States and Porto Rico (New York, 1904), p. 259 Google Scholar.

35 SJN, Nov. 30, 1901, p. 8; SJN, Dec. 3, 1901, p. 8; SJN, Dec. 7, 1901, p. 8; SJN, Dec. 8, 1901, p. 3; SJN, Dec. 17, 1901, p. 8; SJN, Dec. 29, 1901, p. 5; and SJN, Dec. 31, 1901, p. 4.

36 SJN, Nov. 27, 1901, p. 3; SJN, Nov. 30, 1901, p. 8; SJN, Dec. 11, 1901, p. 8; and SJN, Dec. 11, 1901, p. 1.

37 Charles Hartzell, insular secretary for Puerto Rico, a Colorado Silver Repúblican, was nominated by McKinley and confirmed by Roosevelt following the assassination. See The Letters of Theodore Roosevelt, ed. Elting E. Morison (Cambridge, Mass., 1951-1954), III,151 Google Scholar, cited hereafter as Roosevelt, The Letters. . . . Iglesias had earlier conferred with Hartzell to explain his mission to Puerto Rico. See SJN, Dec. 1, 1901, p. 2.

38 SJN, Dec. 12, 1901, p. 1. See also SJN, Dec. 13, 1901, p. 2; SJN, Dec. 15, 1901, p. 1; SJN, Dec. 17, 1901, p. 2; and SJN, Dec. 28, 1901, p. 5.

39 Iglesias and the men of the Federación Libre were defended by Herminio Díaz Navarro; Joaquín Becerril, sometimes associated with the Federación Regional, by Guzmán Benítez. Jesús R. Rossy was prosecutor while Judge Juan Ramos and Associate Judges Juan Morera Martínez and José Savage heard the case. Becerril and Sandalio Sánchez were acquitted. The fiscal had sought a penalty of two months and one day for each of the accused—including Iglesias, but the court, Judge Savage dissenting, imposed the heavier sentences. Savage was an American.

40 SJN, Dec. 13, 1901, p. 1. See also SJN, Dec. 12, 1901, p. 8; and Iglesias, Luchas Emancipadoras . . ., I, 227–242.

41 SJN, Dec. 15, 1901, p. 1. See also AFL-Proc. . . . (Scranton, 1901), pp. 160 and 230Google Scholar.

42 The Evening Star (Washington), Dec. 17, 1901, p. 16. See also SJN, Dec. 29, 1901, p. 3; The Evening Star (Washington), Dec. 18, 1901, p. 1; and Fourth Yearbook of Columbia Typographical Union Number 101 (Washington, 1902), p. 43.Google Scholar

43 For an explanation of the American conspiracy cases, see Sufrin, Sidney C. and Sedgwick, Robert C., Labor Law: Development, Administration, Cases (New York, 1954), pp. 15–67 Google Scholar; and Toner, Jerome L., The Closed Shop in the American Labor Movement (Washington, 1941), pp. 63–65 Google Scholar.

44 Gompers, , “The Conspiracy to Raise the Price of Labor,” AF, IX (Jan., 1902), 28 Google Scholar.

45 Ibid.

46 ibid., p. 27.

47 The Sun (New York), Dec. 14, 1901, p. 6.

48 Quoted in Gompers, , “The Conspiracy to Raise the Price of Labor,” AF, IX (Jan., 1902), 27–28 Google Scholar.

49 SJN, Dec. 14, 1901, p. 2. The Iglesias case appears to have had political overtones within Puerto Rico. “Iglesias and the [insular, ww] Republican Party, aided by the courts, have been at war,” the News asserted. “The reason for this war is quite evident. Iglesias is independent in politics, and his followers are the kind which compose the bulk of the Republican Party.” Hence, so the News reasoned, “. . . the bitter enmity, and the attempt to annihilate Iglesias, or at least keep him in prison, as the Spaniards did before the advent of the American on the island.” See SJN, Dec. 17, 1901, p. 2.

50 SJN, Dec. 15, 1901. See also SJN, Dec. 17, 1901, p. 8. Full reports on the Iglesias case were presented at the A. F. of L. conventions of 1901 and 1902. See AFL-Proc. . . . (Scranton, 1901), p. 160; and AFL-Proc. . . . (New Orleans, 1902), p. 15.

51 SJN, Dec. 17, 1901, p. 8. See also SJN, Dec. 1, 1901, p. 8; SJN, Dec. 3, 1901, p. 2; SJN, Dec. 25, 1901, p. 2; and SJN, Dec. 31, 1901, p. 2.

52 SJN, Dec. 24, 1901, p. 2. The pro-American sentiment of Iglesias and the Federación Libre was openly and forcefully voiced. Iglesias, who had become an American citizen during his exile in Brooklyn, saw in the American connection, greater protection for the interests of the working people of the island. See Anderson, Party Politics in Puerto Rico, pp. 34–35; and the remarks of Bolivar Pagan in Memorial Services Held in the House of Representatives of the United States, Together with remarks Presented in Eulogy of Santiago Iglesias, U. S., Congress, House, 79th Cong., 3rd Sess., 1940, pp. 31–32.

53 Hartzell to Harlan, Dec. 17, 1901, reprinted in the SJN, Dec. 18, 1901, p. 1.

54 SJN, Dec. 19, 1901, p. 2.

55 Hunt’s support of code reform was not necessarily indicative of his support for Iglesias or the Federación Libre beyond simple justice and administrative efficiency. The governor was associated publicly with those members of the insular establishment most anxious to break the power of the nascent trade union movement.

56 Gompers to McKee, Dec. 30, 1901, GCB, Vol. 49, pp. 430–431; Gompers to Hunt, Dec. 30, 1901, GCB, Vol. 49, pp. 425–426; Gompers to Hunt, Dec. 30, 1901, GCB, Vol. 49, pp. 427–428; Gompers to Iglesias, Jan. 20, 1902, GCB, Vol. 50, p. 756; Gompers to Iglesias, Jan. 20, 1902, GCB, Vol. 50, p. 756; Gompers to Iglesias, Feb. 12, 1902, GCB, Vol. 52, pp. 102–105; and Gompers to Iglesias, Nov. 20, 1901, GCB, Vol. 52, pp. 406–407.

57 SJN, Dec. 25, 1901, p. 2. See also Rowe, The United States and Porto Rico, p. 161.

58 Gompers to Iglesias, Nov. 20, 1901, GCB, Vol. 48, pp. 256–257; Gompers to Hunt, Dec. 30, 1901, GCB, Vol. 49, pp. 425–426; and SJN, Dec. 31, 1901, p. 2.

59 Gompers, , “For Justice Even in Porto Rico,” AF, IX (Feb., 1902), p. 75 Google Scholar.

60 Gompers to Iglesias, Jan. 20, 1902, GCB, Vol. 50, p. 755.

61 SJN, Jan. 3, 1902, p. 2.

62 SJN, April 10, 1902, p. 8.

63 SJN, April 17, 1902, p. 2. Iglesias was fined twenty-five dollars for his failure to appear in court during this final session.

64 SJN, April 16, 1902, p. 8. A parallel account of the Iglesias case appears in Torres’, Rafael Alonso; autobiography, Cuarenta Años de Lucha Proletaria (San Juan, 1939), pp. 288–293 Google Scholar.

65 Iglesias continued to crusade for improved conditions of life and labor for the people of Puerto Rico. In 1917, he was elected to the insular senate—serving at large. From 1933 until his death in 1939, he served in the Congress of the United States as Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico.