The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1898-08-20
PEACE AND ITS pRoBLENs.

1ue peace WHICH the signing OF Tue
protocol by the United States and
Spain has ushered in brings some
serious problems to this country.
Peace which carries with it an ac-
cession of territory usually entails
political difficulties. We shall have
to provide new system of govern
ment for Porto Rico, for the one
Ladrone island which we obtain,
and for part or all of the Philippines,
A protectorate we shall have to set
up over Cuba until, sooner or later,
and probably soon, the Cuban peo-
pie, in reaching a decision between a
separate republic and annexation, de-
clare for the latter. Then some
form of government for that island
must be devised. Hawaiia's needs
in the same direction will also have
to be attended to. Thus larger
task in the way of framing a system
of polity for newly acquired lands is
about to be thrown upon us than we
aver encountered at any one period
IN the past.
No person familiar with American
history, however, has any fears as to
the outcome of our new work in en-
pire building. We devised an ac-
ceptable species of government near
ly century ago for the vast region
of Louisiana, which was greater in
area than the whole previous extent
of the United States. Florida was
furnished stable and orderly gov
ernment, preliminary to the terri
torial regime. The immense ex-
panse comprised in California and
New Mexico was satisfactorily dealt
with. Aluska, our most recent ac-
quisition previous to 1898, has had
a reasonably efficient government
during the third of century of its
American connection, although it
has not yet attained the fall terri
torial status. In framing a govern
ment for our new possessions the
constitution gives congress a free
hand. Congress may, if it desires,
devise different scheme for each Of
the islands or groups. 1t can legal
ly run all the variations between
crown colony and a state.
Thus the people, through congress
and the president, can devise gov.
ernment for each island suitable to
its necessities and capabilities. AT
the outset our regime in the Louisi-
ana province, in Florida and in all
our other accessions was a military
despotism. True, it was benevo-
lent despotism, but it was a despot-
ism. This was soon superseded by
a scheme in which the element of
force was not quite so obvious, but
it renamed until it was changed by
congress, and the will of congress
dictated the time and the manner of
the change. This ex[ [erience will be
repeated in the case of our new ter
ritory. The task. will be large one,
but the country is equal to it. No
partisansLip and no considerations
of personal favoritism will determine
our policy. There is sufficient in
telligence and public spirit in this
country to render it certain that the
work of caring for the political well
fare of our new wards shall be wise
ly performed.
If any mistakes are committed
they can easily be rectifed. This is
one of the advantages of democratic
government. 1t is very safe to pre-
dict that even in the preliminary
stage of the work of adjusting our
acquired territory to its new coadi-
tions none of its inhabltants-Cu
bans, Porto Ricans, Philippines or
others-will have cause to regret
the fate which has made them part
Of the American republic.