The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1898-08-19
HOW TO RULE THEM.
Plans for Governing Our New Ter
ritory Under Consideration.
The PRESIDENTS POWERS LIMITED.
Porto Rico Will he Placed In Charge of =
Military Governor-Cubana viii Prob
ably Vote for Their Form of
aOVernmsut

Washington, Aug. i2.-Plaus for the
temporary government Of Cuba and
the territory which will be acquired
from Spain as a result of the war are
now under serious consideration by
the president and mem bers of the cab
met Porto Rico, as an actual acquisi-
ton to the territory of the United
States, will be placed In charge of
military governor, who will exercise
a supervisory control of all the func-
tions of government, under the direc-
tion of the president, until congress
shall determine upon permanent
form of government for the island.
The president, under the constitution,
has no authority to go beyond this
preliminary or temporary stage in the
establishment of any system of gov
eminent control, and, although it is
altogether probable that, in his mes
sage to congress on the subject, he
will exercise his constitutional priv
ilege of making recommendations,
upon congress alone will devolve the
responsibility and duty of determining
the character of the political relations
which Porto Rico shall permanently
bear to the United States.
There are reasons for the belief that
the presi dent himself favors a colonial
form of government, and that this
view is shared by members of the cabi-
net Canada is noted as having a
model colonial government, which is
satisfactory alike to a majority of its
people and to the mother country.
This system, however, it is believed,
can be put into operation only after
the lapse of considerable period of
time, and after the people have dem
onstrated satisfactorily their ability
to govern themselves diligently in
all local matters.
Upon the evacuation of Cuba it is
believed to be the intention of the
president to establish for the whole
island a temporary military govern
ment similar to that now in operation
at Santiago. When order has been
fully restored and the people have set
tied down to their peaceful occupa-
tions, it is believed to be the view of
the president that convention of the
representatives of the people should
| be called to vote upon the question of
form of government for the island.
The presence of the army of the United
States would be guarantee that
every citizen who would subscribe
to an oath binding himself to
support whatever form of gov
eminent should be agreed upon
should have the unquestioned right to
vote for whomsoever he pleased to
represent him at this convention. The
action of this body, however, would
have to be submitted to the United
States for approval or disapproval. 1t
is pointed out that this convention of
representatives of the whole people, in
the free exercise of their choice, might
express wish to become a colonial
dependency of the United States or
might favor a republican form of gov
ernment, or possibly a majority might
ask to be annexed to the United States.
In any of these contingencies it is be-
lieved that their wish would meet the
approval of the president and his ad.
! ylsers