The times., 1899-07-11

III AEs years DeIoTe Congress DS endCl-
ment, extended the sovereignty of the laws
Of the United States over it and amalga-
mated it with the Union But the Com
mission fails to call attention to the i'm
pcrtant fact that there was never a
thought at that time in any sane mind
that we could DO what we pleased with
the territory acquired from Mexico; that
We could sell it, give it away. or turn It
back TO the natives for the establishment
of Independent government" The man
who would have advocated such treat
ment of that magnificent stretch of coun-
try, taken from Mexico as Porto Rico,
Guam, and the Philippines have been taken
from Spain-as just indemnity-would
either have been cried down as a traitor
or laughed at as fool. The American
people then as now said that wherever
their flag went up there it was to stay rs
long as there was a drop of blood in thfssffrr
nation TO protect it. They -afrt not then
shudder NJ the responsSs1lity entailed py
the tens oil thogsSa.es Of savage Indians in
the heI>ssefitory. They did not then de-
<of bringing the new possessions into
eicle COZ immunity with the cor@try because
psScre we've barrie-s of mountains and vast
stretches - uesert plains Between the old
eount~ ann the new, without the means
ready at hand to establish quick and inti-
mate communication. They faced the new
responsibilities with resolute determination
and mastered them The spirit manifested
by that robust generation of Americans
has not died out. 1t has been hampered
all these years of Republican tariff-wall
making and trust breeding. But it has not
been weakened. 1t is even stronger today
than il was then, for the American OF
this day is more conscious of his power,
Of the security of his institutions and
tneir adaptibility to new conditions than
was the American of half century ago
who felt. without clearly understanding
the tremendous sweep and scope of its
meaning, that in expanding its territory
and extending its sovereignty over new
peoples and new climes his nation was
only pursuing its manifest destiny.
But even if the Commissions timid
cowardly attitude toward the Philippines
is warranted by obvious dangers. why
should it view Porto Rico and the Ha-
vaiian Islands in the same light Even II.
as intimated by his tools, the President
has no authority TO take the initiative in
mitigating the hard, economic conditions
in the Philippines, how, by any parity of
reasoning, did the Commission come to
the conclusion that in their political ani
legal relations to us Porto Rico and Ha-
wall were in the same attitude and that
Mr. Mckinley is powerless to give them
relief without the aid of Congress ?
Hawaii came to us exactly by the same
processes as Texas. The Hawaiians sought
annexation, and Congress. representing the
American people, accepted the proner of
annexation. The circumstance of the ex-
istence of a body of salt water between
our boundary and that of Hawaii cannot
alter the inalienable relation which the
formal act of annexation established be-
tween the United States Government and
Hawaii. The President could not sell.
give away, or turn back Hawaii to the
natives. And he dare not make even a
suggestion to Congress TO that effect, even
if his Insular Commission for pa.try politi-
cal purposes is trying to befog the public
mind on the question of the attitude OF
himself and party. Why the Commission
Las gone so far out OF the straight path
leading TO the correct performance of its
proper duty and dragged Hawaii into the
discussion is hard TO understand, unless
there is pressure" from some quarter that
!, f.,-
upon the nations intention regarding the
final shape our relations with the valuable
Hawaiian group OF islands shall take.
The Commissions proposition regarding
the Presidents helplessness in the case OF
Porto Rico. which is suffering from the
CALLING restraints of military rule and the
expressions of Republican tariffs, is as as
founding and sinister as are its genei al
deductions The President for weeks has
Rad in his hands lucid and comprehen-
sive presentation of the unhappy industrial
and economic conditions in Porto Rico
This presentation is respectful in tone and
covers every detail of the situation 1,
was made by committee of Porto Ricans
of broad intelligence and high culture II
sets forth that the Porto Ricans rejoice
when they learned that their beautiful
island was to be made part of the terri
tory OF the great Republic. and that our
| laws and institutions were to be estab-
lished among them. But the Porto Rican.
have just cause to complain OF the pres.
ent blasting of their hopes. Their ene.-
| gies are more heavily burdened with tbs
oppressive exactions Of cur tariff law:
than they we're ever burdened by Spanish
injustice. The sources of their old mar
kets are clogged by Ding!eyism. and the,
cannot exchange the products OF their toi
as proftably now as before the American.
supplanted the Spaniards. To their pitifu
appeal for relief the President is advised
by his Commission TO close his ears unit
Congress, by the slow and cumbersom,
processes of legislation, shall provide III,
way. The history of civilized government
does not present another such grotesqu,
spectacle as this. No wonder the OLE
World is dubious of our ability to do III,
things that make nation great and dom
inant in the worlds commerce and tha
cause the thrill and impulse OF its energ,
to encircle the globe.
Can it be possible that the Administra
ton wants TO keep Porto Rico in tn,
shackles of military despotism until tn,
vultures may thrive and fatten under Al
gerism by plucking the quivering hesI
from tfsis modern Prometheus?
|
| CarcIessHess in Modern Life.
1t may not be amiss, while the terribI
tragedy which lately took place through
the use of naphtha is still fresh in tn