The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-02-04
COLONIAL GOVERNMENT.

| @ ENATOR PLATT of Connecticut, in his
y speech for imperialism, declared this Govern
~ Inent as a whole, to be sovereignty, with all
the powers thereof, and that those powers we're
limited by the constitution only when they exer-
csed within the United States This being true, his
contention is that in providing colonial government
for tropical islands in the West and East Indies we
may do by them just please, because the con-
stitution has neither granted nor taken away the
powers necessary in the Federal Government to be
exercised on distant and alien people fallen into Our
ownership by conquest or the fortunes OF war.
This statement is absolutely true. The Senator has
therein laid the proper foundation for system OF
colonial government unknown to the constitution
and to exercise powers not granted by that nstru-
nlent to the Government which it created.
1t is also true that there is no check upon such
exercise of the authority OF the Federal Government
except the public opinion of the people We will not
be long embarked upon such experiment before 1t
will be discovered that government OF these tropical
colonies must be executive, that Congress cannot in
regular special session. attend to the issues which
will constantly arise in the unconstitutional govern
nent of those distant peoples. The President must
be the final authority and the actual ruler of those I'M
peria possessions His authority will not be limited
one lot by the Federal constitution Its sole measure
will be the extent of the necessity for his action He
will be more independent than the Gar, who rests
under coronation oath and certain principles OF the
empire that have grown into law since the reign OF
Rurik Here there will be no such principles, no
law no limit In the United States the President
will be constitutional officer, subject to impeach-
ment for very slight deviation from the path laid
down for him to follow Abroad, in colonial en-
pre- he will be an absolute monarch Oriental
despot not pent nor controlled in the use of his
power and backed by the awful strength of eighty
millions of people.
What American desires this duality of power and
official character in the President? Whenever and
wherever it has been tried the constitutional char
acer of the officer has yielded to the autocratic
A Roman citizen was hedged about by all the
guarantees of the civil law. A provincial Roman
was subject to the will OF the Roman politician who
happened to be set over him reward for partisan
services Under the Roman system, which finally
destroyed that republic, the provinces and conquered
countries contributed the growth of great fortunes
in the hands of their Governors which in turn were
used in politics in Rome to perpetuate the profits
OF the provncanoficers At last freedom fell in that
republic by injection OF the poison of unlimited
power.
There rises now in this country justihable outcry
against the seizure of the Senatorial Office by men
who have enriched themselves by some form of gov
ornamental favor and privilege If they extract these
fortunes from our own people and use them in do
mestc politics, what is to be expected when dis
tant people, unsheltered by the constitution, the
victims and our domestic politics may be controlled
as easily now?
The claim for imperialism made by Senator Patt
is the best reason for refusing to enter upon that
policy.