The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-02-03
SENATOR SPO0NER
FOR RATIFICATION
Thinks 1t Time to Decide as to
Philippines After Peace
Treaty Is Adopted.

WASHINGTON, Feb. "A notable
speech was made in the Senate to-day
by Spooner of Wisconsin. He took for
his text the anti-expansion resolution
offered by Vest, but discussed the cues
ton of expansion in all of its phases
and urged the ratification of the peace
treaty as the best means of bringing
the burning question home to the peo-
pie themselves, who he said could we'll
be trusted in their sober second
thought to do that which would be fair,
just and generous toward the inhabit-
ants of the Philippine archipelago.
Spooner spoke for four hours and held
the careful attention of an unusually
large number of Senators and a large
audience in the galleries. In part he
said:
If 1 had the view that the United
States could not within its constitutional
limitations acquire territory which was
not 10 be erected into States ] could not
give my consent to the acquisition of the
Philippines. This Philippine proposition
is one of the fruits of the war-to me
one Of the bitter fruits. 1 can conceive of
no circumstances under which l could
give my consent to the admission of that
archipelago as a State or as more than
one State of the American Union"
Spooner then presented an argument in
Coutraveution of Chief Justice Taney's
decision in the bred Scott case, which he
said was the foundation of all the oppo-
slJion TO the acquisition of territory by
this Government. That decision, he
said, ceased years ago to be referred TO
as a correct Interpretation of the law
upon this question.
Spooner maintained that the United
States had the power. as had been shown
in the Senate. to acquire territory beyond
our own domain. and with that power is
coupled, of course, the collateral author
lty TO govern that territory. he knew, ne
said, Of no reason why territory and the
people of a territory should not be gov
erned by Congress, as every right to life,
liberty and property and trial by jury
would be fully Safeguarded. He pointed
out that although the territory or Alaska
did not enjoy self-government its rights
and those Of Its people were amply safe
guarded by Congress.
Spooner said he had no doubt of the
cOnstitutiOnality of the cession Of the
Philippines or Of our right TO accept them
or of the Presidents authority TO govern
in these islands unless Congress should
provide proper government of them. No
government, as had been contended on
the floor of the Senate. had been estab-
lished in the Philippines. II could not be
seriously regarded as a government. as it
was nothing more than a tnhorn affair a
best.
Referring to the authority and power
Of Aguinaldo. he said that what he repre-
sented nobody knows; whom he repre-
sents nobody knows, and nobody could
say how far his authority extended. Be
fore the peace commission in Paris it had
been stated that Aguinaldo represented
only ! per cent of the inhabitants of the
islands. He then pointed out that it was
necessary for a government of any status
to meet its. domestic requirements and
discharge its international obligations.
SpOOner ridiculed the idea that distance
would affect our right to acquire terri
tory. Why was there no objection to the
acquisition Of Porto Rico if there must be
so much opposition 10 taking the Philip
pines? The consent Of Porto Ricans had
not been asked.
Bacon replied that the circumstances
were different because of the proximity
Of Porto Rico, as the presence of Spain
in either Of the West Indian islands
would be inimical to the United States.
Il thank the Senator from Georgia for
the admission" replied Spooner. The
Declaration Of independence is TO be sus-