The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-07-11
PRIZES OF WAR.
All the Islands Recently Ac'
quired From Spain
Are 10 Be So Treated by the
administration.
LEFT TO CONGRESS
To Determine the Future OF
Such Territory.
May Sell, Give Away or Annex
Them.
LEFT TO CONGRESS

President Mckinley will adopt as the
policy of his administration with reLef-
ence to the conquered islands the re
port OF the Insular commission, Whlch
has Just been filed. Porto Rico, Cupas
and the Philippines are to pc treated
not as parts OF the United states Oub
merely as property owned by the gov
eminent.
According to the views of the admin
istratiOn this is the only possible means
of exercising temporary control over
the islands until such time as congress
shall decide upon their future d1sposl-
ton. Under the theory adopted by the
Insular commission there is no dlstlnc-
ton between Cuba and the other IS
lands for the time being, but all are
prizes of war and subject absolutely TO
the disposal Of congress.
There are many reasons for this ad-
nninistrative policy. In the first place,
it would be impossible to govern the
islands by military control in time OF
peace if they are to be considered as IN
tegral parts of the United States. It is
held by the administration that the
ratification of the treaty of peace by the
senate concerned merely the relations
between the United States and Spain,
and left the islands in the possession of
this country, the same as the Reina
Mercedes or any of the ships left after
Dewey wrecked the Spanish fleet in
Manila bay.
CONGRESS MUST ACT.
The position taken by the government
is that there has been, and can be, no
by statutory act of congress. The dis
position of Porto Rico, Cuba, and the
Philippines is yet to be decided upon
by both houses of congress. In the case
of Cuba there is a solemn pledge to
give the island back to its inhabitants
as an independent country, but it is ad-
mitted that this pledge might be vio-
lated and the islands formally annexed
to the United States in case the people
OF this country were willing to incur the
odium of having broken faith with the
Cubans.
According to the policy adopted by the
administration, voiced by the Insular
commission, it is still within the power
all these islands This would not be
the case if they were considered parts
Of the United States, having vested
rights of citizenship and the protection
of the civil law. The purpose of the
president is to govern all these islands
by means Of the military, and whatever
laws and regulations are established
will originate with the president, as
chief of the army, and
not as chief executive of the civil power
In the absence of legislation by con-
greSS there Is no other theory which
could be successfully adopted. The fed
raj laws do not apply to any Of these
islands.
Hawaii which has been annexed to
the United States by an act of congress.
is not yet under the laws of the United
States, but is controlled by the tenn
porary government under the direction
law department that when the islands
are declared to be part and parcel of
the United States it will still be neces-
sary to extend the federal laws to them
specifically.
ADVANTAGE OF MILITARY RULE.
So long as the islands are considered
mere property and are held under the
control of the army, regulations for
their government can be adopted which
would not be possible if they We're
treated as parts of the federal union
Martial law exists today in all these
islands, although in Cuba and Porto
Rico there is not a suggestion of dis
order. If Porto Rico for instance were
treated as a part of the United States
subject to the federal laws, the auth
GRITTY of Governor General Davis would
at once disappear, for any private citi-
zen could appeal to the courts for pro-
lection against any military order. The
pledge of congress to turn Cuba over
to the natives is only a pledge, and if
| the islands were treated as a part of
the United States it would not be posi-
bic to collect customs duties on goods
coming from the United States, and
Cuban merchants would be quick to
take advantage of this. Under the
treaty Of peace Spain is to enjoy the
same customs privileges in Cuba as the
United States, and hence If imports
from the United States were free from
duty those from Spain would also be
exempt. The result would be practical
| humiliation of the revenues of the is
| land and an additional burden on the
| people Of this country.
| REGULATIONS AFFECTING COM
MERGE.
Reciprocity treaties have been re-
/ Gently concluded with the British West
| Indies, and it will be necessary to meet
| these at once by concessions to the
| merchants of Porto Rico in the same
/ direction Furthermore. it would be al
/ most impossible to extend the federal
| laws to the islands, because it would
/ at once become necessary to have all
% rT-1T fna
l fish, and the people of the islands
/ would be constantly breaking laws of
| whose existence they would be I'M
aware. The internal revenue laws are
! full of penalties for technical Offenses
| which are fully understood in this
country, but which would result at
! once in the Imprisonment of every cigar
manufacturer in Cuba and Porto Rico.
/ 1t is the purpose of the administration,
/ therefore, to treat the captured islands
/ just as a successful naval commander
would treat a captured ship. Military
| regulations will be adopted for the gov
! eminent of the people until such time
! as their status is tablished by act of
| congress.
| It is believed that anarchy would re-
/ suit in the islands if any other course
! were pursued. The president, acting as
/ cOmmander-in-chief Of the army and
/ navy, will govern all these islands as
/ military possessions until such time as
| congress takes the power out of his
/ hands, either by creating independent
| governments in the islands, disposing of
/ them to foreign nations. or formally
| anneXing them to the United States.
This condition of affairs is a fortunate
one for the people of the islands them
| sesses the necessary dexibility to adapt
itself to new and constantly changing
| laws and regulations emanate from time
| to time as experience proves necessary.
the fact that the decadent civilization OF
| Spain is TO be abolished IN the Islands