The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-09-26
THE GOVERNMENT OF OUR NEW
POSSESSIONS.


1t is highly probable that our acquisition
soon by the creation of new Cabinet posi-
ton, corresponding in a general way to the
British secretary of state for the colonies
and the French minister of the colonies.
Under the organization of our government
the secretary of state has only to do with
the management of foreign affairs and re-
lations. He corresponds to the British prime
minister and secretary of state for foreign
affairs and to the French minister of foreign
affairs. 1t would be bad administration to
give minister of foreign affairs charge of
business relating to colonies. and. besides.
our secretary of state has his hands full
already The acquisition of Hawaii, Porto
Rico one of the Ladrones and part or all
OF the Philippines, together with a temper
airy occupation of Cuba, will raise mass
of new and important questions the proper
disposition of which will involve careful con-
sderation, expert knowledge and much
labor. The secretary of war will of course,
have charge, under the direction of the
President, of the disposition of troops in the
United States, but everything relating to the
civil government will pertain to another de-
partment AS the law gives the secretary
of state exclusive charge of foreign affairs.
and as no other member of the government
is in a position to assume control of affairs
in the new possessions. there would seem
to be a necessity for the creation of col
onial department. The new possessions will,
of course, have the largest possible degree
of self-government, including the election
of a territorial legislature. county, city and
other local officers, and they should be en-
couraged from the beginning to exercise
these functions with perfect independence
and freedom from federal interference.
Their laws WILL of course. be subject TO veto,
either by the territorial Governor appointed
by the President or by the President him
self, but this power should be exercised IS
sparingly as possible and the responsibility
of local government thrown on the people
of the islands in order that they may be-
come independent and self-governing in the
American sense But after all this is done
there will remain many questions to be con-
sidered and settled at Washington, either
by the President or by Congress. These
questions will relate to the construction and
enforcement of local laws, the establishment
of a judiciary, the introduction of American
currency, the enforcement of tariff regula-
tons similar to those in force in other parts
of the United States, the reimbursement of
the relations between church and state, the
establishment of schools. banks. etc. The
present code of laws in Porto Rico is very
different from that in Hawaii, and both are
different from the common or statute law
of the United States. To reconstruct and
harmonic these systems will be a work of
no small difficulty, and will require time,
tact and careful study. 1t will amount, in
fact, to the establishment of new form of
government in each one of the islands, and
to give unity and conference to the work 1t
should be carried forward in a systematic
way. This can only be done by bringing the
whole work together in one department
under competent head. who shall be in a
position to advise with the President and
members Of the Cabinet concerning the mat