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

Indiana and formulated q code which
was the aaw OF the land. These laws in
Guided a system Of taxation and legal
lied slavery, which va not legal In In
diana. At the end Of another year, how
ever, congress passed q new law provid-
Ing that the territory should have q resi-
dent governor and a resident court, but
that the 1aw-making power should rest
In them the same as 1t had in the officials
of Indiana This form of government
prevailed until 1872, when was organized
the territory Of Missouri.
In the territory of Missouri, however,
the people were not given the right OF
local self government, for, while they
elected a house Of representatives the
territorial council or senate was conn.,
posed of nine men appointed by the pres
ident of the United States. This system
OF government continued for our years,
for it was not until 1916 that Missouri
elected it's own senate. It Is also inter-
esting to note that while in 1916 the leYis-
lature of Missouri territory, which then
included the present state Of Kansas,
passed an act declaring the common law
of England the law of the territory. This
act did not repeal all of the ordinances
adopted by Governor Harrison and his
board of judges several years before, and
these ordinances OF 1904 constituted the
law Of Missouri and Kansas for more
than so years following their enactrnent.
Ever the discriminating tariff which is
complained Of in the Porto Rico legisla-
ton has a precedent in the treatment by
tho states of newly acquired territory
within the present boundaries of the
United States. Hardly an instance can
be cited in the history Of the growth of
the union where new territory has not
passed through a formative stage, dur
Ing which its citizens were not accorded
the same rights as those of the original
| states.
Speaking in a general way, the feeling
among the people Of the west in regard
to the treatment by the United States Of
the people Of the new possessions is that
they should receive full justice, and yet
at the same time the rights Of the people
at home should be considered in confer
ring the blessings Of American citizen
ship on aliens. Those most favored in
! public opinion are the people Of Porto
Rico, for they are looked upon as willing
! annexationists and as having trusted
their liberties to the Americans without
| exacting any terms. There are still quite
a number who believe that there should
IA been no tariff ON Porto Rican pro-
ducts, but as the fact Of the poverty Of
the people of Porto Rico, so far as ability
to pay taxes is concerned, becomes more
generally understood, the American pub
lie is more reconciled to the action taken
by congress in the premises.
1t seems as though public sentiment
west of the Mississippi is very generally
opposed to the annexation of the Philip
! pines upon even the same status as that
given to Porto Rico. The condition is
recognized. The Philippines are ours.
The war must be fought to a close and
the islands pacifed. This done, a prop
osition to give those people a large
amount Of home rule would meet with
general favor if public opinion remains
about as it is now.
The destiny of Cuba is annexation to
the United States. This will be found to
be the belief of 99 out Of every 1000 vot-
ers. These voters may differ in their opin-
ion as to what has been done and as to
what is being don now in the island Of
Cuba by the American government, but
that annexation is inevitable has been
strongly impressed upon tn minds of
the American people by the failure of the
Cubans to arise to tine opportunity af-
forded them at expenditure by
the people OF this country. Some believe
the spirit of the congressional resolution
should be carried out, and that the
United States should leave Cuba to her
self, but they also believe it would be but
a short time until we should be compelled
to once more intervene and upon a diff
ferent basis. J.. D. w.