The times., 1898-12-05
Senator Thurston Talks of the
Philippines.
THE ISLANDS MUST BE HELD
IL the Senate Is Too Uncertain the
Treaty May Go Over = Constitu-
tionaI Limitations Do Not Apply
to New Possessions.

sion and territo' sal acquisition which now
engage the public mind to the almost total
exclusion of other national questions:
II feel that the treaty should be rati-
fed he said, ''and If possible without any
amendment.
Although / dislike very much to vote
$20,000.000 or any other sum to Spain to
surrender Islands that we have already
conquered, l feel that under the circum-
stances 1t was wiser to make that con-
cession. which will likely save us vastly
greater expenditure by bringing matters
to speedy conclusion, and enabling US
to muster out the most of our volunteer
army and stop that great expense.
Personally. l share largely In the
feeling of doubt, and one might say dread
as to the acquisition of the Philippine
Islands. l have not been able to see any
other outcome of the situation. We GER
tainiy cannot turn the islands back to
Spain, and to withdraw now would be to
practically surrender them to the Euro
pean powers for contention and spoha-
ton.
II have no apprehension that the ac-
quisitlon of the Philippine Islands will
mark the decadence and downfall of this
republic. If there is people in the world
who can claim the inherent capacity to
acquire territory, civiIize it and bring it
into sphere of successful commercial
and business relations with the governing
country we are that people.
4 have noticed considerable criticism
w har iS I.,ir he.
tory proposition of acquiring these islands
without having any immediate purpose
OF permitting their people TO participate
as citizens In the General Government of
the United States. but l do not see any
thing In that claim. Our Constitution. as
originally framed, recognized the union
ot states, and almost all of its provisions
guaranteeing equal rights of citizenship
and equal trade relations prohibiting the
! levying of of duties as between States and
all that, clearly had reference 10 what
might be termed the independent SOW
ereign States Brought into the Union.
our Constitution speaks of the terri
tory of the United States from an entirely
different point Of view. II has never
| granted to the Inhabitants of our terri
| tories. either present or prospective par
| tcipation in national affairs. either by
representation in the Senate or House or
| Magistrate. Our existing territories to-
| day are disfranchised so far as partici-
patton in national legislation and govern
| ment is concerned. The people of the
District of Columbia are not represented
| in Congress. They are taxed without
voice. Our other territories have no vote
| in Congress except. a very limited right.
as 1t has existed by act of Congress
| which may be repealed at any time OF
u
ters affecting the territory from which
| the delegate is accredited.
II think. under our Constitution. We
are absolutely at liberty to hold newly
acquired territory in whatever way seems
| best for the present welfare of the ter
ritory ard OF the existing States Of the
| Union. ever to the arrangement of duties
| between our new possessions and the ex
| listing union, the only limitation being
tn wisdom of Congress as the situation
| develops.
True. it is somewhat incongruous to
add new territory without any declared
| purposes of ultimately claiming 1t in the
| formation Of States. But this new terri
tory comes TO us In an unexpected way
| as a legitimate outcome of a war. If
| we give good local government and ad-
ministration to the Philippines. 1t is all
world demand.
| ~ think 1t is true that our fathers
had no idea of any such expansion. but
| / am also inclined to believe that tte
| world grows wiser as time goes on,
| and that 1t is as much our right and duty
| to adjust our plan of governing condi-
| tions as 1t was for our fathers to plan
| for the government that We have and as
| we had at the end of the revolutionary
| war.
1.-The Philippines and Porto Rico Will.
| from constitutional and governmental
| point of view, occupy somewhat unique
| position. All, or nearly all of the terri
| tory we have added heretofore has been
| acquired by treaty stipulations, guaran-
| teeing certain rights and privileges to
the people. But we are not limited by
| any treaty or any policy toward our new
possessions. except such as may seem
| wise to Congress, having in view the
welfare of the whole country.
1T is quite within the sphere of our con-
| stitutional right TO eventually set these
! people up in government of their own.
| In any event, 1t is discreditable to Amer
| ican intelligence and patriotism to antici-
pate that in the future policy toward the
| Philippines we will do injustice to other
| people, or will place them in such rela-
tions to the United States as will work
| to the disadvantage of our labor manu-
| featuring or commerce.
LAS to the probability of having the
| treaty ratified at the coming session, am
not sufficiently well informed as to the
| individual views of Senators to feel justi.
fed in forecasting the result of vote or
the treaty in the present Senate. 1t is
evident there is considerable opposition
| not confined to any one party.
] There is considerable doubt, with the
prospect of this opposition. of bringins
the treaty 10 a vote before the 4th o.
March. 1t looks as if 1t might be some
time yet before the treaty in all its de
tails will actually be agreed upon. The
Spaniards have not yet abandoned thei
policy of quibbling over the details of tn.
treaty, and 1t certainly cannot reach tn,
Senate until after the holidays, leaving
sideration by a body which will be large
| ly occupied with the appropriation bill:
that must be passed.
''The appropriation bills will necessaril,
lead to more debate than usual. so that i
were to guess, l should say the treaty
might go over to the new Senate.
"I do not believe there is any question
about the ratification of the treaty by the
new Senate, if it comes to that body. Ths
new Republican senators, especially from
the West, all represent constituencie:
that are practically unanimous on tn,
general features of the treaty. The stu
alton will be carefully canvassed, ant
unless there is certainty of ratification
by the present Senate. the treaty will
be permitted to go over.
1.-THE Senate, of course, can be calle,
in extraordinary session without conven
ing Congress, and then there would b