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Newspaper La Democracia (Ponce, P.R.) 1890-1948

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About La Democracia (Ponce, P.R.) 1890-1948

La Democracia, founded and published by the Puerto Rican poet, journalist and politician Luis Muñoz Rivera, was first published in Ponce in 1890. The newspaper supported Puerto Rico’s liberal Autonomist Party, which sought broader rights under the Spanish Crown. La Democracia reported on various political themes, such as internal situations of delegates and the demands of the people. It also maintained communication with other newspapers and included proposals of court deputies, reports of Spanish treaties with other countries, and news of the Cuban revolution. La Democracia opposed the imposition of taxes on sugar and other products, and the prohibition of coffee exports to Cuba; it also published complaints from San Juan merchants and reported on property repossessions. La Democracia supported economic improvements on the island through the creation of the Farmers Association, the Agriculture Bank, and the Santurce Exposition, which promoted the sale of local merchandise.

With the outbreak of the Cuban War in 1895 and after the reorganization of the Autonomist Party, Muñoz Rivera traveled to Madrid where he would regularly write for the newspaper. Between 1896 and 1898, La Democracia continued to provide political coverage, including reports on the election of the members of the recently established Autonomic government, who were never able to assemble due to the outbreak of the Spanish-American War. At the beginning of 1899, Muñoz Rivera traveled to Washington to demand the formation of a civilian government in Puerto Rico. He had support from liberals all over the island, whose names were published in the newspaper.

Despite the Foraker Act and the restoration of a civilian government, La Democracia continued to agitate for reform. The paper covered various controversies related to bankruptcies and reported on the emigration to Cuba of at least 103 Puerto Ricans and six Spaniards who were dissatisfied with the new government. Other topics covered during these years included the Dingley Tariff and the poor quality of imported flour, the Bill Hollander Law that dealt with other taxes on imported goods, and horror stories associated with the emigration of Puerto Ricans to Hawaii. La Democracia supported socialist demonstrations against taxes, protested against new requirements that teachers undergo an English test, and reported on the physical abuse of children in the schools. At the same time, the paper included reports of United States’ patriotic celebrations. In 1904, Muñoz Rivera founded the Union Party to unite the existing political factions on the island and to fight against laws imposed by the American authorities. These included restrictions on the powers of the Chamber of Delegates, which the newspaper renamed the “Chamber of Slaves.”

La Democracia‘s advertisements and editorials shed much light on social and cultural life in Puerto Rico during this period. Before 1898, advertisements from foreign companies dominated, such as French postal service steamboats, fire insurance from Hamburg, and Italian theater companies. Advertisements stressed business opportunities in the Puerto Rican market. The paper also reported on the fourth centennial celebration of Puerto Rico’s discovery, as well as activities held at important civic institutions, such as the Ateneo de Puerto Rico, the Círculo Sangermeño–a cultural association on the island, and the Escuela Laica Espiritista, which promoted the study of spiritualism. La Democracia was generally critical of the Catholic Church since it had represented the interests of the Spanish Crown, and also expressed reservations about the United States’ separation of powers. After 1899, with the island under American rule, La Democracia introduced new advertisements for American companies such as the New York Porto Rico Steamship Co. and the Colonial Leaf Tobacco Co. Other topics covered in the paper included the design of a new American-inspired coat of arms for Puerto Rico, changes to the Civil Code that now permitted divorce, discussion about women’s suffrage, and the distribution of Puerto Rican passports.

By 1905, La Democraciaproclaimed itself the largest circulating daily in Puerto Rico, with its headquarters then in San Juan. As time went on, the paper became less dogmatic and more commercial in its orientation, although it continued to report on governmental operations. La Democracia continued to publish until 1948.

Provided By: University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, Library System

About this Newspaper

Title

  • La Democracia (Ponce, P.R.) 1890-1948

Summary

  • El periódico La Democracia, fundado y dirigido por Luis Muñoz Rivera en 1890 y publicado en principios desde Ponce, Puerto Rico. Abogó por los principios del Partido Autonomista, de corte liberal que buscaba mayores derechos con la Corona Española. Incluía temas políticos como situaciones internas de delegados y protestas del pueblo, mantenía diálogo con otros periódicos, publicaba las propuestas de los diputados a Cortes, los tratados de España con otros países y la insurrección de Cuba. En cuanto a lo económico, protestó la imposición de tarifas sobre azúcar y otros productos y la prohibición del café hacia Cuba, publicó protestas de comerciantes de San Juan y embargos de fincas. Apoyó la creación de Asociación de Agricultores, el Banco Agrícola y la Exposición Santurce, en busca de soluciones económicas, sin éxito. En 1895, al declararse la guerra de Cuba, y luego de la reorganización del Partido Autonomista, Muñoz Rivera viajó a Madrid en busca de la autonomía, desde donde escribía regularmente en el periódico. Entre 1896-98, el periódico concentró sus esfuerzos en el tema político hasta la elección de los Diputados, quienes nunca se reunieron por estallar la Guerra Hispanoamericana. A principios de 1899, Muñoz Rivera viajó a Washington para exigir gobierno civil y fue respaldado por listas de liberales de todos los pueblos, publicadas en el periódico. Con la Ley Foraker, o el gobierno civil, continuaron las protestas en el periódico por quiebras, emigraciones a Cuba, mala calidad harinas importadas, Tarifa Dingley a importaciones, Bill Hollander, horrores de emigración a Hawaii, manifestaciones socialistas, exigencia a los maestros de pasar examen de inglés, celebración de días patrios de Estados Unidos, castigos corporales a los niños en las escuelas y la intromisión de los carpetbaggers. En 1904, Muñoz Rivera fundó un nuevo partido llamado Unión, para unir a federales y republicanos contra los atropellos de las leyes impuestas, e imposibilidad de acción de la Cámara de Delegados que el periódico llamó cámara de esclavos. El aspecto social y cultural de Puerto Rico a través de los anuncios y editoriales, es tema importante del periódico. Antes del '98, anuncios de compañías extranjeras como vapores de correos franceses, seguros contra incendios de Hamsburgo, compañía italiana de teatro, reseñas sobre vida en Haití y el circo americano, demuestran aperturas del mercado puertorriqueño. Internamente, anuncios de actividades del Ateneo, certámenes literarios, de música y pintura, actividades del Círculo Sangermeño, de Escuela Laica Espiritista, problemas de la Iglesia Católica, Celebraciones del Cuarto Centenario, son huellas de vida cotidiana. Luego del '99, se anuncia la New York Porto Rico Steamship Co. y la Colonial Leaf Tobacco Co., se diseña un nuevo escudo para Porto Rico, se legisla el Código Civil que permitía el divorcio, se comienza a discutir el feminismo, y se distribuyen pasaportes puertorriqueños.Para 1905, el periódico se anuncia como el de más circulación de Puerto Rico y con su sede en San Juan. Para esa época, es uno comercial y más interesado en la noticia que se crea desde la esferas gubernamentales.

Dates of Publication

  • 1890-1948

Created / Published

  • Ponce, P.R. : Imprenta El Vapor, -1948.

Headings

  • -  Ponce (P.R.)--Newspapers
  • -  Puerto Rico--Newspapers
  • -  San Juan (P.R.)--Newspapers
  • -  Caguas (P.R.)--Newspapers
  • -  Puerto Rico
  • -  Puerto Rico--Caguas
  • -  Puerto Rico--Ponce
  • -  Puerto Rico--San Juan
  • -  United States--Puerto Rico--San Juan
  • -  United States--Puerto Rico--Caguas
  • -  United States--Puerto Rico--Ponce

Genre

  • Newspapers

Notes

  • -  Daily (except Sun.), May 1, 1893-Oct. 15, 1948
  • -  Began with July 1, 1890 issue.
  • -  -año 58, núm. 16597 (15 de octubre de 1948).
  • -  "Diario de la tarde."
  • -  "Decano de la prensa puertorriqueña."
  • -  "Diario liberal autonomista."
  • -  "La Democracia apraeció in 1890 en Ponce, en San Juan y en Caguas, y desde su fundación tuvo que responder a 42 procesos judiciales por motivos políticos." Cf. Benítez, José Antonio, "Los Orígenes del periodismo en nuestra América," Buenos Aires: Grupo Editorial Lumen, 2000.
  • -  Place of publication varies: Ponce, July 1, 1890-Sept. 19, 1900; Caguas, Oct. 23, 1900-April 30, 1904; San Juan, July 1, 1904-
  • -  Published by Imprenta El Vapor, July 1, 1890-April 1892; Imprenta La Democracia, April 1892-
  • -  Also issued on microfilm from Library of Congress Photoduplication Service.
  • -  Archived issues are available in digital format from the Library of Congress Chronicling America online collection.
  • -  In Spanish.
  • -  Description based on: Año 1, núm. 2 (24 de julio de 1890).
  • -  Diario de Puerto Rico (DLC)sn 89078054 (OCoLC)20461610

Medium

  • v.

Call Number/Physical Location

  • Newspaper

Library of Congress Control Number

  • sn90070270

OCLC Number

  • 22865427

ISSN Number

  • 2475-4471

Succeeding Titles

Additional Metadata Formats

Availability

Rights & Access

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Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

La Democracia Ponce, P.R. -1948. (San Juan, PR), Jan. 1 1890. https://www.loc.gov/item/sn90070270/.

APA citation style:

(1890, January 1) La Democracia Ponce, P.R. -1948. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/sn90070270/.

MLA citation style:

La Democracia Ponce, P.R. -1948. (San Juan, PR) 1 Jan. 1890. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/item/sn90070270/.