The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-12-21
EXPANSION BEFORE CONGRESS
SENATOR TELLER FAVORS RE
TENTION OF ALL TERRITORY
TAKEN FROM SPAIN
He ARGUES THE LAW OF 1T

| Contends That the United States
Government Has Legal Right to
| Extend Colonial PossessiOns to
Amy Part of the WOrld-Argues
That FilipinOs and Cubans Should
Not BE Left to Mercy of Enemies
WASHINGTON, Dec. 20.-In the SEN
ate today Senator Teller said:
I'VE are facing the greatest question
| the American people have faced since
1861. 1 anticipated much difficulty and
embarrassment, but have no feeling of
distrust that has been manifested by
many of our people,
Referring to the congressional reso-
lutlons regarding Cuba, he said:
eff this government will say to the
| people of this acquired territory said
Mr.. Teller, We will give you self-gov~
ernment,' we will not need an army of
$4,000 men in Cuba, 10000 in Porto Rico
and 10000 in the Philippines That is
the only thing to prevent a large stand
ing army.
81 am not in favor" he said, "of
turning these possessions back to
Spain, but I do believe we ought to
give them the opportunity to govern
themselves. Nobody wants these pos
sessions made states now. NO public
man is in favor of such a plan as far
as I am aware. Yet in course Of time
we may take them in"
So far and as soon as possible, Mr..
Teller believed that the inhabitants Of
Cuba should be given SELF government,
but he did not believe the United
States should leave the infant power
thus established as the prey Of any
other nation, either through conquest
or treaty He believed it folly to talk
Of Imperialism as applied to this coun-
try. No man or set Of men had the
intention of establishing in this coun-
try the European idea Of Imperialism,
and no one would confirm such
course.
'I do not believe the rule England
established in India will ever be estab-
lished under the Stars and Stripes"
said Mr.. Teller. Our flag will always
float over liberty and happiness be as
sured to all people beneath it's folds.
Though some of them may not be ac-
corded the fullest rights of American
citizenship, the flag will float as an
emblem of good government and pro-
| lection to them, as it does to us
There is no favor we can confer on
| the Filipinos greater than giving them
| the benefit and protection of the Amer
| lean flag. The question is: Are we bet
| tering their condition.? No intelligent
man among them, I think, will dispute
| the answer that we are"
Mr.. Teller said that he believed the
! FilipinOs were unequal to establishing
! a government equal to the government
| of our states, and he would encourage
| communities among them to establish
the best governments they were capa-
| bic of. He would not go to war with
the people of the Philippines in order
to force our institutions upon them. He
| would consult them as to the form of
government, and he believed by pur-
suing this course we should avoid the
necessity of war with the natives Their
government might not be as perfect as
ours, but all accounts agreed that the
| natives were tractable, intelligent and
capable of progress.
Mr.. Proctor here interrupted Mr.. Tel
| Ter to read an extract from letter
! from Admiral Dewey concerning the
| character of the FiIipinos, as follows:
These people can be governed with
out the slightest difficulty. They read
lily give in to reason, and 1 have not
had the slightest difficulty in dealing
with them"
Mr.. Proctor also read an extract from
a letter of an army officer, speaking in
praise Of the Filipinos and stating there
need be no difficulty in dealing with
| them.
Continuing, Mr.. Teller expressed the
opinion that the natives could not be
governed by force. They were suscep-
| title to just and liberal treatment. and
there was no reason why, if they were
capable of approaching them, our be-
| nehcent institutions should not be ex-
tended to them. He would give them
all the liberty in this respect they were
capable of enjoying, and in time, if
they manifested capacity Of managing
the duties of statehood, he would not
be among those who would deny them
that boon.