The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-01-12

Washington, Jan. ia climax was
reached today in the debate on the
question of expansion, which is in prog
reSS in the senate. Heretofore all of
the speeches, with the notable excep-
ton of Mr.. Platt of Connecticut, have
been in opposition to what is presumed
to be the policy of the administration
with respect to the acquisition of the
Philippines. Today Mr.. Foraker of
Ohlo addressed the senate in opposition
10 the declaration of the Vest resOlu-
tlon that the United States has no con-
Sttutional power to acquire foreign
territory, to be maintained as colonies.
WhlIe much of his speech was devoted
10 constitutional argument in suD-
port OF the right Of this country as a
nation TO acquire and govern outlying
territory he gave particular attention
10 the utteranceS that have been made
IN contravention OF that position, es-
peclaHy those of Mr.. Vest and Mr.
HOar.
Mr. Foraker has clear, direct and.
IOfceIul style Of oratory, which COM
nlands attention, not only by reason of
the recognized ability of the nah. but
also Dy ms lmpetuOsity and power as
q speaker He is at MS best IN a run
nlnS-fire debate, and the frequency of
interruptions today afforded hirn annie
opportunity to elucidate his argument.
70 the best advantage. He laid down
the broad proposition that 10 adoDt th4.
NeSt resolution ws-s to declare that our
fathers had brought forth a nation
that was inferior to all other nations.
regardless OF the generally accepted.
iueaL tnat one nation was the equal of
another, and all equally restricted. ne
IllaIiltalhed mann tnat the right TO acquire
territory was an inherent right of ma.
tlonality, and that as we have tbe
right to make war and to erter info
treaty agreements, it follows, logically
that we nave the power to acquire ter
rltofy by conquest, and to assume the
that may accrue there
from. de quoted Chief Justice Mar
shall TO sustain his position. contendine-
mat the chief justice had said the
United states had not only the right
to acquire, but also the right to govern.
so acquired
MI Bacon called attention to the fact
tnat the territory under consideration
oy the chief justice was Florida, which
was contiguous, and having q pOpula-
non homogeneous with our own.
Mr.. Foraker said that while this
statement as to the location of terri
tory was true, as a matter of fact Jus
ice Marshall had not found it neces-
Sary to point to this fact. His utter
ance had been clear cut and without
qualification, and it was evident from
this opinion that the fathers of the
American republic had not meant to
create nation inferior TO other na-
tons III power.
UTAH POLYGANY CASE.
Mr.. Foraker also quoted Justice
Bradley in the Utah case, involving the
question Of polygamy, in which the
justice said: Tt would be absurd to
say that a nation has power to acquire
territory and not the power to govern
it. This was a late decision on the
same lines as that Of CHIEF .Justices
in the early days of the re-
public. Such being the authorities
what ground. he asked, have the
of the resolution to stand
upon?
Mr.. Vest contended in his speech that
history was against the assumption of
THIS power to establish colonial GOV
ernments, and that the Character of our.
war for independence demonstrates
lhat the men OF that day would not
nave countenanced such proceeding.
On the contrary, Mr. Foraker held
that there was no complaint in revolu-
lonary times OF a colonial policy. There
were many complaints on other scores.
Out none Of this, so that it must he as
sumed that they had no such object
IS the Missouri senator cOntended. On
-he contrary, there were indications
mat they had in mind the possibility
u the acquisition Of territory. and Mr.
foraker quoted from Mr.. GOverneur
Norris letter to Mr. Livingston. in
which he said that the United States
vas destined to control the whole of
he territory of North America.
MI. President" said Mr. Foraker.
after quoting from GOverneur Morris
1t length, there is a marked difference
between a Trainer of the constitution
md an interpreter of it"
Mr. Platt Of Connecticut called at
enuon to article V of the treaty Of
france with the United States. drawn
oy Benjamin Franklin. which provided
hat II Canada should be obtained bv
he United States, it should be DEPEND
mt upon this country.
Yes" said Mr.. Foraker. "and moth
nS IS said about the consent of the
canadians, either"
HOAR'S POSITION.
In beginning discussion of the
speech of Mr.. Hoar, Mr. Foraker said:
1 listened, as 1 always listen, to the
speech of the senator from Massachu-
;etts. 1t was q speech of great abiI-
ty and power, such as he always deliv-
rs. But when it is reduced, it may
De only to this, that the government Of
he United States has only the power
o acquire territory for constitutional
purposes, and as to what these consti-
utional powers possess the senator
rom Massachusetts shall be the sole
md exclusive judge"
Mr.. Foraker's remarks brought Mr..
Ioar out for a further explanation of
lis position Rising and interrupting
he Ohio senator, he said: "If we
hought it necessary for our national
License to annex an outlying territory.
nd if the people of that territory OBJ
ected to our acquisition, I should con-
ider the subjugatiOn of it as a great
lati0nal crime, to be repudiated and
and I should say the United
states would better go down beneath
he waters Of the Pacific in honor, rafh-
+ than disgrace itself by such action
Mr.. Hoar said he did not saean 70