Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-06-19

the crueltieS and expressions existing in
Cuba were mild compared with the
treatment to which eight millions of peo-
pie in those islands were subjected. We
realized that If we r%elinquished the arch
tpelago to Spain we consigned it's inhabi-
tants again to a condition worse than
slavery, worse h barbarism. We had
put Our hands to the plough, and every
instinct of honor and humanity forbade
us to turn back. A universal demand
arose from all over the country that we
should retain our hold upon these ISL
ands, afford their people the protection of
our laws, lift them out of their unfortun-
ate condition, and fit them, if possible,
for self government. Any agreement by
u commissioner to give back the Phil
ippines to Spain, reserving for ourselves
an island or a coaling station, would
have aroused a universal national indig-
nation, and would never have been rati-
fled by the representatives of the people.
No man saw this so clearly as did the
president. In his advices to the commits
sioners he told them it was imperative
That we should be governed only by mo-
i've that should exalt the nation; that
territorial expansion was our least con-
Germ, but that, whatever else was done,
he people of the Philippines must be lib
Grated from Spanish domination, and he
reached this view solely through consid-
eIations of duty and humanity. The
American commissioners, men of differ
ing political faiths, reached a unanimous
conclusion. The treaty of Paris was
ratified by the vote of two-thirds of the
senate, and the territory we acquired un-
der it became lawful and legal possess
sions of the United States. The RESPONSE
'bility for the war rested upon us all; the
responsibility for the treaty rests chief
~ upon the republican party, and that
party avows the wisdom of the treaty
and declares 1t to be the policy of the
party to adhere to it's terms and to ac-
cept the responsibilities it imposed.
DOMINION OF THE ISLANDS.
We assumed dominion of Porto Rico,
Cuba and the Philippines for reasons diff
fering as to each of them.
we took to ourselves the little island
OF Porto Rico because it lay under the
shadow OF our own shores, and because
Its continued occupancy by Spain or by
any foreign government would be a con-
slant menace to the states and to that
great lnter-oceanic waterway which we
shall build and own and operate as an
american canal. We found it impoverished
Dy years of colonial mlsgovernment and
Wrthout any system of revenue laws
Soon after the peace it's people were fur
ther stricken by food and famine. We
ssumed towards them every obligation
'tpoth dIu tTle1QSnlD could
prompt. We contributed as a nation large
sums OF money to ameliorate their condi-
tlon and to enable them to plant and
garner their crops. Then we said to
them. I'VE shall give you a lust and
equitable form of free government. with
power to manage your home affairs.
cntll you shall devise proper and eff
Sient liethods or revenue and taxation,
your needed funds shall be raised as fol-
oNS lou Sndu nav nnOn on, In, ,,,,t.
10 per cent OF the present tariff rate gov
ernlng importations into the T1nited
STATES winch means an average dutv az
ABOUT per cent. All the necessaries of
NE and building materials for the
s.luelures You need shall be free. On
duties shall cease in any event. and sb,I,
cease sooner If before that tim yo1, con
arrange FOR the needed revenues Of tho
Islana. The recommendations Of tha
president were fully and satisfa ctoriIv
coi'plled with; the people of the islam
aas .oitent. the vast mass of the Ameri-
can people approve, and we have avni1aa
precedents that might vex nc WIZ. WV
cuNhe 10 deal with the problems that fin
any await us in the establi shmant of az,
pel,,fhnent relations towards the ne,nIo
OF the Philippine islands, 'pe
CONSTITUTION AND THE FLAG
~, mere mas been much discussion d,ring
tent "f he" months in respect to the ex.
~ tne power of this country to deal
win fofto Rico and our other nnssassio..
anu II mas been frequently contendad Nv
tLe democracy that as soon as we hos
.alle the owners of any of these isIands
- constitution of the United States at
once extended over them, or in then ral
torlcal but misleading phrase, ..rha con
stltutlon follows the flag" The ar~,,
nlent IS speclous, but it will not bear IN
~vestigation. The same question was raised
az leo'' at the time of the Louisiana orr
.hase, and the doctrine then estahlishad
by congress hat we could acouire TO-
eigh SOIL by purchase, tina congress- had
the right to establish there such govern
ment as 1t saw fit, and that tue .Onstitu-
lion ana not of its own force extend over
such territory. The doctrine was never
questioned until in Calhoun's time it was
sought TO be denied in the effort to extend
human slavery into the territories.
= Inc supreme court of the United States
mas more thar once determined the ques-
ton, and the contention concerning il
nov by our opponents Is not because anv-
body believes hat the laws we have en-
acted for the government of the GLANDS
are unjust, but in order to embarrass the
Administration in dealing effectively with
our new possessions. The flag went TO
Mexico In 1913, The constitution did not,
The flag went to Cuba and was carried
into Santiago, m is there yet. But our
constitution not only is not there, but we
are busy encouraging Cuba to prepare a
constitution of her own. When any por-
ton of our territory becomes a sovereign
state, then is our constitution it's corner
stone. In the territory of the United
States not included within state boun-
daries congress alone determines the ex-
tent to which the provisions of the con-
Stitution extend.
The circumstances associated with our
possession of Cuba are new and unpara.-
leled in the history Of ~conquests. The
cruelties practiccd upon its people in
duced the war. Before we commenced
hostile proceedings, however, and that
the world might know that our hands
Mara ciaan and that WE u,ara not mi