The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-12-21
TELLER ON EXPANSION
BELIEVES WE SHOULD HOLD
THE PHILIPPINES.
But the Filipinos Should Be Given
Self-government as Soon as They
Are Fitted For It-No Such Thing
as An Imperial Policy For
America.

Keller Oh COlO.TadO To-Day addressed the
senate on Mr.. Vests resolution, de-
claring that under the constitution no
authority is given to acquire territory
to be held and governed permanently
as colonies.
MIR. Teller's address was a constitu-
UOna1 argument, which he prefaced asr
saying that in view I Mr. Platt's very
able exposition of the question, he
(Teller) might omit, properly, mucn
that he had intended 10 discuss. He
did not think there was the slightest
question of the power of this govern
lnent to acquire foreign territory. IF
we are a nation" he declared, I'VE
have the power to exercise the right of
a natiOn-all the rights of any SOW
ereign power"
When the country vas c illed upon in
1861 to meet this question, it met it
fairly and settled it for all time. SO
far as the United States was concerned,
the question was settled finally at APP
pomattox. Then" declared Mr.. Tel
Ter. we took our place as a nation,
endowed with all the powers Of a Sow
ereign, and we possess those DO Ters to-
day"
Referring to the territory acquired by
the United States during the recent
war. Mr.. Teller said:
I'VE have already acquired this ter
ritory. We need, as a matter of fact,
no treaty with Spain to confirm our
right to it. By right of conquest-a
right undisputed-we came into pos
session of Cuba, Puerto Rico and the
Asiatic archipelago. They are ours
just as certainly as they could be made
so by treaty.
MI Teller discussed briefly the state
ment of Mr.. Vest that many of the
deeds of cession of foreign territory ac-
quired by the United States contained
clauses providing that the territory I'LL
timately should be created into states
Of the Union.
1--WE can confer statehood upon these
territories when, in our judgment, it
is proper to do so. Nobody can call
into question our right to exercise our
judgment in this matter. If we ac-
quire territory" he continued, the
very act carries with it the right to
govern.
who" he demanded, with dramatic
F force, can govern now in Cuba or in
Puerto Rico but the United States?
That question is settled-Settled by the
very circumstances of the case. The
question is now, What disposition shall
we make of the territory that has come
into our posSession% p"
RIGHT OF LF-GOVERNMENT.
Mr.. Teller thought it a duty of our
PEOPLE and legislators to keep in mind
constantly the great principle upon
which this government is founded, that
the just powers Of a government are
derived from the consent of the gov
erned. we ought" said he, ito extend
to the people of these possessions the
pGwe. II govern themselves as soon as
they are per AIRED to exercise that
power.
we are coming tc deal with the
greatest question the American people
have met since 1861. 1 anticipate much
difficulty and embarrassment, but have
at no time felt the distTusts that have
been manifested by many of our peo-
pie"
The declarations of the congressional
resolutions with reference to Cuba, he
bel;eTed, might have been made ap-
plicabis 10 the peoples OF all the ac-
CURED possessions.
III this suN eminent will say to the
people OF this acquired territory" said
Air. Teller, We will give self-gov-
ernment' we viii not need an army of
$4,000 men in Cuba, 10000 in Puerto
Rico and $4,000 in the Philippines. To
say this to these people is the only
way to escape a great standing army.
Il am not one" he said further
along. Ito turn these possessions back
to Spain. but l do believe that we ought
to give them the opportunity to govern
themselves. I may say that nobody
states now. No public man IS in favor
OF such a plan, so far as 1 am aware,
yet, in course Of time, we may take
them in
AS soon as possible, Mr.. Teller be-
lieved, the inhabitants Of Cuba. should
be given government, but he did
not believe that the United States
should leave the infant power thus es-
tabished as a prey of any other ma
ton, either through conquest or treaty.
He believed X folly TO talk of i'm
perialism,' as applied to this country.
No man or set of men had any inten-
ton OF establishing in this country the
European policy Of Imperialism, and
none would champion such a course.
NO COLONIAL SYSTEM
mo colonial system, such as England
established years ago in India, viii
ever be established under the stars and
stripes" declared Mr.. Teller. our flag
viii always float over liberty and hap
piness insured to all the people be-
meath its fold. Though ali OF them may
not be accorded the fullest rights Of
American citizenship, the flag viii float
as an emblem of good government and
protection TO them, as it does to us.
There is no favor we can confer
upon the Philippines like that Of giving
them the benefits OF protection of the
American flag. The great question is
are we lettering their con lon? No
intelligent man among them i think,
viii dispute ne statement that we are
Mr.. Teller said he, knew that the
Filipinos were incapable OF establishing
q government equal 10 the government
OF our states and that he would en-
courage them TO establish the best gov
ernments they were capable or he
would not so to war with the people of
the Philippines in order to force our in
stitutions upon them He would con-
suit them as to the form of govern
1uent, and he believed shat by pursuing
this course, we should avoid the neces-
. sity of war with the natives. Their
government might not be as perfect as
ours, but all accounts asreed that the
natives were tractable and Intelligent,
and capable CT progressing.
Continuing, MIR. Teller expressed the
opinion that the natives could not be
governed from washington. They were
susceptible to Just and liberal treat
1nent. and there was no. reason why, If
they were capable Of appreciating them.
our beneficent Institutions should not
be extended to them. He would give
them ali the liberty in this respect that
they were capable Of enjoying, and If
in time they manifested capacity 10
perform the duties of statehood he
would not be among those who would
deny them that boon.
FOREIGN-BIULT SHIPS.
several private pension bills We're
disposed OF. after which Mr.. Elkins
called up the bin relating TO the reg
fstry Of foreign-built vessels wrecked in
This country Mr.. Elkins asserted that