Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-12-20
5sth CONGRESS-.
Continued from page ~

Platt said that HE did not think ther,
was any limitation on the power OF tn
United States to acquire territory.
"As complete as the power Of Russia
for instance in such matters?" asked
Allen.
Yes, the right to acquire territory il
| an element of nationality. And / d.
not believe that there is any obligation
to give the people of acquired territory
the right of self-government until such
time as they are tit to exercise tha'
right. II we believe the people of 6
country acquired are not fitted to gov.
ern themselves. it is our duty to give
them the most liberal government they
are capable of accepting and to educate
them up as best 1t may be to the point
where they will be capable of self gov
eminent. The constitution does not
confer the right of suffrage"
Platt said he could not agree with
those who eontended that the acquire
ment of sucsl territory as that ennbrac-
cd in Porto Rico and the Philippines
is menace to the existence of our re-
public. This mistake, he said, arises
from the fact that Vest and others who
agree with him assume that the con-
stitution guarantees the right of suff-
rage ana the right of. a citizen living
in certain territory to have it admit
ed as a state. This assumption was
without foundation as there was no
such guarantee in the fundamental
law.
True, the 18th amendment prohibits
the abridgment of the right of suffrage
fe,, 1>.,t . l,,t !.
amount to prescribing the right to vote
Likewise. in some of the states adult
men who We're citizens but who can
not read are denied the right to vote.
In fact this was fact regulated by
the states. These being the facts, as
Plat saw them. he contended that
Vests argument ON this point falls to
the ground. He also said the same line
Of argument applied to the right of
statehood.
Plat held the assertion made by
Vest, that in the articles of cession to
this country to the territory of Alaska
there was a clause providing that it
should be made ultimately into state,
was an error; that the deed from Rus
STA contained no such clause; and that
either of comforting statehood upon the
territory or of giving its Inhabitants
government.
Hoar asked Platt whether he decried
the doctrine that governments derived
their just powers from the consent of
the governed. Plat replied that the
consent of all those governed was not
always necessary. He referred to the
fact that there was no suffrage in the
District of Columbia and again called
attention to the fact that citizens of
Massachusetts who could not read and
write We're prohibited from voting.
Yet these people in Massachusetts We're
governed most effectively.
Replying, Hoar defended the eauca-
tional system of Massachusetts saying
that while there was an educational
qualification in Massachusetts the
method of acquiring the qualification
necessary to voting was placed within
the grasp of every one. He did not be-
lieve there was native adult in the
state not weak minded who could no,
read and write. Returning to the
question of expansion. he asked
whether Platt meant to assert serious
~ the claim that the state provisions
regarding suffrage could be SO con-
strued 10 justify the violation of the
principle involved as it applied to the
lo,o00.000 people in the Philippines.
Replying, Platt said he did not mean
to deny the principles of the declara,
ton of independence and he added that
be wished the Massachusetts senator
could be as liberal with reference to
that document as some of the others.
There were, however, many qualif-
cations for voting. For instance when
he first became voter, he had to pay
S13t for real estate in order to receive
the privilege of voting.
In conclusion, Plat said he could not
understand the sentiments or motives
of those who wished TO circumscribe
the powers of the nation. Why, he
asked, should we belittle those powers
or strive by subtlety and -sophistry to
hamper the progress and growth of the
country. Rather than pursue this
course, why should senators not wish
the nation God speed in it's mission of
extending our free institutions as far
as possible.
AS for himself, he knew our people
W ne dl liberty loving ana rlSnt 10
ing people and he had no misgivings
that any administration of the United
States would fail in it's duty towards the
people of any acquired territory. He
had faith in the government and faith
in its future and had no disposition to
condescend to carping criticism or
even fear. He had not lost confidence
in the doctrine that right makes might
and with a nation guided by that prin-
ciple, as he believed this nation to be-
there could be no doubt that it would
dare to do it's duty bravely towards
any people which might fall within the
limits of it's jurisdiction. 1t had been
only little more than a century since
the liberty bell had proclaimed the
signing of the constitution and it was
not for us now to declare that we can
not proclaim liberty to any land one
foot from our original shores. "Oh, for
the faith of our fathers he exclaimed.
Hale from the conference committee
on the urgency deficiency approprla-
| ton bill, presented the conference re-
| port on the bill and it was agreed to.
The bill granting right of way through
the San Francisco mountain forest reser-
walton in Arizona to the Saginaw South
ern Railroad, which passed the House,
Saturday, was then passed by the Senate