Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-11-20
LII, NnT- WY NOW.

Recently Senator Mills. OF Texas IN OPP
posing the annexation OF the PhlilPpineS'
declared that If we took eight million mon
gol,ans and MrIays, and what not ana
gave them a voice in the AFFAIRS OF the
government under which they would nave
TO live we would have to allow theih "
sepd Senators and Representatives. 10
C,o,oress who would vote for this, that'
o,a tho other scheme utterly repugnaht
90 orr evstem. heap all sorts Of taxes
upon us. which we would be poWerieSs
20 throw off, and plant the SEEDS OF re'o-
luton under our feet. In commenting vi
this the New York Tribune says: NO
tbino Of the kind. We might but we
haven't cot 10 let them send Senators ana
Ponresentatives to Congress" If not
vybv notq Senator Hoar has made a sini-
lar statement. His calculation was that
the contamination Of the kepuDlicdn
nolicv of expansion would add TO inc
membership Of Congress some sixty repre-
sentatives and a score or more OF sena-
tors.
In discussing this question Few Gays
profound students Of the Constitution con-
tended. and seemed to fortify the conteh-
tjon absolutely, that the United states
could not bar indefinitely from statehood
onv territory they might annex Next
we quoted the Constitution TO show that
the citizens of each State shall be entitled
to all the privileges and immunities OF
citizens in the several States, ana loi-
lowed this by citing a decision OF the
Supreme Court, holding that any territory
we have acquired must be subject to our
Constitution and laws.
Now our attention has been called TO
ono.her decision of the Supreme Court
which bears specifically on the question
of our right to establish Colonies ana
sustains the contention that we have no
such right. In this case it is held that
there is no power given by the Consttu-
tion 70 the Federal Government TO estab-
lisb or maintain Colonies bordering on the
United States or at distance, to be ruleo
and governed at its own pleasure. The
fact is noted that Mr.. Madison, in the
Federalist, refers to the acquisition Of the
Northwestern Territory by the Confede-
rated States, by the cession from Virginia
and the establishment Of a government
there. as an exercise of power not war
ranted bv the articles OF confederation
and dangerous to the liberties of the peo-
pie and that he urges the adoption Oh
the Constitution as a security and safe
guard against such an exercise OF power
Then II is held that territory acquired Is
acquired to become a State and not to be
held as n Colony and governed by Con-
gress with absolute authority. Further
IL is set forth that if a new State Is admit
ted. it needs no further legislation by
Congress. because the Constitution itself
defines the relative rights and powers and
duties Of the State and the citizens of the
State. and the Federal Government.
No: the opinions of many of the ablest
constitutional lawyers in the land, the
Constitution itself and judicial construc-
lions of that instrument as 1t bears upon
the issue. antagonize the proposition that
we could. without making a radical change
I'm the Constitution, deny the Philippines
admission finally to the sisterhood OF
Il
States. And the same weight of authori'
ties sustains the declarations of Senators
Mills and Hoar.
| Perhaps with the Tribune the wish is
| father TO the thought. That is TO say
| it may honestly hope that after the Phil
ippnes shall have been annexed way
may be found to debar the Filipinos from
the privileges and immunities of full
| fedged citizenship. But the Tribune
| party drove the last nail in the coffin OF
that hope when. in prosecution Of 1T:
atrocious attempt to put the southern
whites under the heel Of an inferior race
and thus perpetuate its power forever
IL forced the South to accept the XVII
amendment TO the Constitution. /
the Tribune is sincere. for it, and for al
the other annexationists of its stripe, tn
first section of that amendment is cas-
OF curses, like chickens. coming home t
roost