The Portland daily press., 1899-01-10
tr,pes In which alone II must live or

GOuti intc III NhA'h Ateae ~ se->-'~
bear no life.
~ am TO speak for my country, for Its
whole past and for Its whole future. L
am to speak TO n people whose rate is
bound up In the preservation OF our great
doctrine of constitutional liberty. L am
to speak for the dead soldier who gave his
life for liberty that his death might set
val upon his country's historic glory. 4
nm to speak for the Republican party all
pf whose great traditions are mt stake, ana
al Of whose great achievements are In
part Certainly, Mr.. President, no man
ran ever Justly charge mo with lack OF
iaith In my countrymen. or a lack OF
faith In the principles Of which the re-
public is founded. l have In the fullest
measure that which stands as the central
figure in the mighty group which the
apostle SAYS is forever to abide-hope
thank God that as my eyes grow aim tney
look out on a fsirer country, peter
people, a brighter future
at Is not my purpose. of course, to DIS
Russ the general considerations which
Affect any acquisition OF sovereignty Dy
the American people over the Philippine
Islands, which have been or may be pro-
posed / am speaking today only oil the
theory of constitutional Interpretation
propounded ty the Senator from Con-
necticut, (Mr Platt). II at any time
hereafter the Senator shall seek to put MS
theories into practice by reducing to SUP
lection a distant people, dwelling In the
tropics, aliens In blood, most oil them
Moslem In faith. incapable to speak OF
comprehend our Language, or to read or
to write any language, To whom the
traditions and the doctrines of civil
liberty are unknown, 1t will be time to
point out
WHAT TERRIBLE RESULTS
and penalties this departure from ou-
constitutional principles will bring upon
u.s.
= Mr.. Hoar said that our fathers who
framed the constitution wers the wisest
builders of states the world has yet seen.
They had studied an Sient history and had
learned that while there is little else that
a democracy cannot accomplish IL cannot
rule over vassal states or subject peoples
without bringing the clements OF death
into its own constitution. Our fathers,
he said, learned two lessons from the has
tory OF Greece-the danger OF disunion
and domestic strife and an indulgence In
the greed and lust of empires, ana ne
hoped we might avert the latter danger as
we had averted the former. In this con-
nection he quoted Professor Greasy as say
ing his Fifteen Decisive battles OF the
World" There has never been q repub-
lilo yet In history that acquired dominion
over another nation that did not rule 1t
selhshly and oppressive.y. There is no
single exception to this rule either in
ancient or modern times.
Il hope not to weary the Senate by re
iteration" said Mr.. Hoar, concluding his
preface, ''but this is the greatest question,
this question of the power and authority
of our constitution. this matter had al
most said, that had been discussed among
mankind from the beginning OF time.
Certainly 1t is the greatest question ever
discussed in this chamber from the begin
ming of the government.
Mr. Hoar believed, he said. this country
to be a nation-a sovereign nation. lie
believed Congress possessed all the powers
necessary to accomplish the grent OBJECTS
the trainers of the constitution lntenuel
should be accomplished But he denlod
that it possessed the astonishing" and
.'extravagant' powers under the constitu-
ton which the Senator from Connecticut
(Mr. Plstt) attributed to 1t.
Mr. Hoar then quoted Mr.. Platt as say
ing: LAS TO every matter the United
States as q nation possesses sovereign
power, except only where sovereign has
been reserved to the states and the
people.
And again 'as nation 1t possesses
every sovereign power not reserved in its
constitution TO the states or to the people.
The right TO acquire territory was not re-
served and is therefore an inherent
sovereign right. In the right to acquire
territory is found the right to govern 1t
and as the right to acquire is u sovereign,
inherent right. the right to govern is "a
sovereign right not limited i'll the consti-
tuition"
These propositions of Mr.. Platt,
MR.. HOAR EXPRESSLY DENIED.
He affirmed that every constitutional
power is limited to the ono supreme and
1pplara1 n ba
stitution itself, "in order to form a more
perfect union, establish justice, insure
domestic tranquility. provide for the com
mon defense, promots the general welfare
and secure the blessings of liberty to our
selves and to our posterity."
when the Senator from Connecticut
undertakes to DECLARE said Mr.. Hoar,
THAT we may do such things not for the
perfect union, the common defense, the
general welfare of the people of the
United States or the securing Of liberty TO
ourselves aud our children, but for any
fAncied or real obligation to take care OF
distant people beyond our boundaries, not
people of the United States. then l deny
his proposition and tell him he can find
nothing either in the text Of the constitu
ton or the exposition of the fathers, or
the judgment Of courts from that day to
this, to warrant or support his doctrine.
I'VE have heard of limited monarohies
constitutional monarchies despotisms.
tempered by assassination; but the logic
of ths Senator from Connecticut makes
pure, unlimited, unteInpered despotism
without any relief from assassins."
Mr.. Hoar maintained that the PROPOSE
tions advanced by Mr. Platt we've not sus-
tanned by Q single one of his authorities.
He held, in the course of his argument,
That 1.-THE MOWERS of the United States
must be affirmatively delegated or they do
not exist in other words the Implied
power" referred TO by mir. Platt-the
power TO govern territory acquired
through war, did not exist. The power
which Mr.. Platt maintained this govern
nent possessed was one, MIR. Hoar said,
that our fathers and their descendants
have
EVER LOATHED AND ABRORRED
md they believed that no sovereign on
earth could rightfully exercise it,
He said while Mr.. Platt had admitted
that povernmepts deriyad their inst Dnv