The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-01-10

Maintains That It Is in Violation
Of the Constitution and Declar-
alton Of Independence for This
Country to Acquire Foreign Ter
xitory to be Held and Governed
N Colonies.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 9.-This proved
to be an interesting day in the oeha'e'
the principal subject under dlscussioh
being the constitutional right OF tne
United States to carry into erect Inc
policy of expansion. The isduils
speaker was Hoar (R.) of Massacnu-
sets. who delivered a speech IN sup
port of the resolution introduced ny
Vest Of Missouri, declaring it to De III
opposition to the Constitution for this
country to acquire foreign territory "
be governed permanently as COLONIES.
Although Hoar occupied the time OF
the Senate for more than two hours, ne
was accorded the unusual compliment
of close and undivided attention bJ ms
colleagues on the floor and a large aud
fence in the galleries. He confined
himself closely to his manuscript, pu1
his address was delivered with all the
fire. earnestness and animation OF the
orator that he is. Hoar is master OF
the subtleties of the English language
and a rhetorician of notable abil'ty,
and his keen sarcasm ana VIII were
thoroughly enjoyed by his audience.
His speech was in answer TO tnat
recently delivered by Platt OF COnnectl-
cut, and had been most carefuily pre-
pared He took strong grounds against
the position assumed by the Connecticut
Senator, maintaining that it was IN Vio-
lation Of the Constitution and the De-
claration of Independence, the great
expounder Of the Constitution, for this
country to acquire foreign territory 10
be held and governed as colonies.
Platt at the conclusion OF Hoar's
address. briefly replied to some points
Of the speech which had been directed
especially at him. He reiterated ms
former statement that the United
States had power to acquire and gov
ern foreign territory, and declared that
had this country embraced the doctrine
of Hoar. the Mayfower would have
been turned back from Plymouth Rock
and the country would never had ex-
banded to the Pacific Coast.
Caffery concluded his speech II OPP
position to the Nicaraguan BILL but an
effort to fix a time for vote upon it
failed.
Mitchell of Wisconsin reported from
the Military Affairs Committee a bill
providing that all honorably discharged
soldiers and sailors who served in the
war of the rebellion and the volunteer
soldiers and sailors of the. war of lSl2
and of the Mexican war. and of the
war with Spain who may be disabled
in any way. shall be admitted into the
home for disabled volunteer soldiers.
1t was passed.
A bill to authorize the revival of suits
and actions commenced lawfully
against officers of the United States as
such on the termination of the terms If
such officers was passed
Hoar then called up the resolution in
troduced by Vest and addressed the
Senate Without adverting the pro-
posed policy of the United States en-
tering upon an expansion of its terri
tory. except in a general and indirect
manner Hoar entered upon a discus
sion of the constitutional phases of the
question involved in the resolution un-
der consideration. Prefacing his ar
gument with a statement of his per-
sonal position on the subject. he said:
II am one of those men who believe
that little that is great or good or per-
manent for a free people can be ac-
complished without the instrumentality
of party. And 1 have believed relig-
iousiy 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 era
die. / do not mean, if 1 can help it. to
follow its hearse. I am sure / render
1t a service. / am sure 1 help 20 pro-
tect and to prolong the life of that
great organization. if / can Say Or do
anything to keep it from forsaking the
great principles and doctrines in which
alone it must live or bear no life.
1t is not my purpose. of course. to
discuss the general considerations
which affect any acquisition of SOW
ereignty by the American people over
the Philippine Islands which has been
or may be proposed. l am speaking TO-
day of the only theory of the constitu-
tional Interpretation propounded by the
Senator from Connecticut CPlatD. 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, allied in blood
most of them MoslemS in faith, inca
pable to speak or comprehend our lam
guage. or to read or write any language
to whom the traditions or the doc
trinees of civil liberty are unknown, II
will be time to point what terrible re-
suits and penalties this departure from