The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-01-10

and actions commenced lawfully
against officers Of the United States as
such on the termination of the terms of
such officers was passed.
HOar then called up the Philippine
resolution introduced by Vest and ad-
dressed the Senate. Without advert
ing TO the proposed policy of the United
states entering upon an expansion Of
its territory, except in a general and
indirect manner Hoar entered upon a
discussion of the constitutional phases
OF the question involved in the resolu-
ton under consideration, prefacing his
argument with a statement of his per-
sonal position on the subject He said:
I am one of those men who believe
that little that is great or good or per-
manent Tor free people can be accom-
phshed without the fundamentally of
party. And l have believed reIigiously
and from my soul for half a century in
the great doctrines and principles Of the
Republican party. | stood in a humble
capacity by its cradle. 1 do not mean, If
l can help 1t, TO follow its hearse. I am
sure 1 render ii a service; I am sure I
help TO protect and prolong the life of that
great organization If l can say or do anv-
thing. to keep 1t from forsaking the great
principles and doctrines in which alone II
must live or bear no life.
1t is not my purpose, of course, to dis
cuss the general considerations which af-
feet any acquisition of sovereignty by the
American people over the Philippine
Islands which has been or may be pro-
posed. l am speaking to-day only on the
theory of the constitutional interpreta ton
propounded by the Senator from Connec-
tcutt (PlatD; II at any time hereafter
the Senator shall seek TO put his theories
into practice by reducing to subsection
a distant people, dwelling in the tropics
alien in blood, most of them Moslems in
faith, incapable to speak or comprehend
our language or to read or write any Ian
guage, and to whom the traditions or the
doctrines of civil liberty are unknown, II
will then be time to point out what terri
bic results and penalties this departure
from our constitutional principles will
bring upon US.
Hoar said that our fathers who
framed the constitution had studied
ancient history and had learned that
while there is little else that a democ-
racy cannot accomplish, it cannot rule
over vassal states or separate peoples
without bringing the elements of death
into its own constitution. He quoted
Professor Greasy as saying in his FIT
teen Decisive Battles of the World.
There has never been a republic vet
in history that acquired dominion over
another nation that did not rule It self
ishiy and oppressively. There is no sin
gle exception to this rule either in
ancient or modern times"
Hoar believed, he said, this country
to be a sovereign nation. He believed
Congress possessed all the powers
necessary to accomplish the great OBJ
jects the trainers of the constitution in
tended should be accomplished. But he
denied that 1t possessed the establish
ing and extravagLnt" powers under the
constitution which the Senator from
Connecticut (Platt) attributed to IL
Hoar affirmed that every consti-
tutional poJ er is limited to the one SUI
preme and controlling purpose declared
in the constitution itself-'in order m
form a more perfect union, establish
justice, insure domestic tranquility
provide for the common defense. pro
mote the general welfare and secure the
blessings of liberty to ourselves and to
our posterity." He continued:
When the Senator from Connecticut m
dertakes TO declare that we NAV do such
things. not for the perfect union. the
common defense, the general welfare Of
the people or the securing of liberty 10
ourselves and our children. but for any
fancied or real obligation to take care Of
distant people beyond our boundary
lines. not people of the United States, then
/ deny his proposition, and tell him he
can find nothing either in the text of the
constitution or in the proposition of the
fathers, or in the judgments OF courts
from that day to this TO warrant or sup
port his doctrine.
We have heard Of limited monarchies.
constitutional monarchies, "despotisms
tempered by assassination" but the logic
Of the Senator from Connecticut means