The evening times., 1900-03-03
CIRCULATION STATEMENT.
SATURDAY, MARCH 3. 1900.
Mhnt Isa Citizen.

In the course of his remarks in the Sem
ate yesterday Senator Foraker said that
the word citizen indicated allegiance TO
the United States and carried with II no
political rights at all. The senior Senator
from Ohio who is evidently doing penancc
in the hope Of future recognition at the
bargain counter. is in a measure right. as
far as governmental practice is concerned.
The people of the District of Columbia are
or think themselves citizens of the United
States. although they are without political
rights. But while they are without rights.
il does not follcW that they are without the
privileges and immunities which inhere in
the state Of American citizenship. In this
respect they are entitled to all the protec-
tion and liberty that the flag and sover-
eighty of the country. under the terms and
provisions of the Constitution, guarantee
TO every inhabitant OF the Union owing
and acknowledging allegiance to our Gov
ernment.
But. says Senator Foraker. the term
citizen" as applied to the inhabitants of
our insular possessions. docs not mean
that these people shall have any political
rights the American people do not wish
them to have" II the orator had said
instead that the American people OF Porto
Rico and the Philippines were not 10 en-
Joy any rights which the oil. sugar, to-
bacco. and rum trusts did not wish them
10 have. he would have exactly stated the
attitude OF his party toward the question.
He. and those who are with him in the de-
sire and intention to handle the outlying
parts of the American Union for the bene-
AZ OF the trusts. are conveniently obivious
Of The fact that while certain rights and
privileges. enjoyed by the component
States Of this Republic and their citizens.
are withheld from other American comma
mites and their citizens. and perhaps prop
erly so. the latter are not thereby deprived
Of national citizenship or of the rights
which all persons under the flag and Con
stitution are entitled to and were always
accorded until our institutions came to be
subseryient to the interests Of men like
Mr.. Rockefeller. Mr. Hayemeyer, and Mr,
Duke.
As Senator Jones of Arkansas truly says.
The Constitution follows the flag. This
does not mean that because the flag and
,he Constitution are supreme in Hawaii
or the Philippines, therefore the FIJI
pinos are Instantly entitled 10 the fun eN-
crcjse Of state citizenship. But il docs
mean that they are Americans and, az
such are protected in certain rights plain
~ conferred by the Constitution, of which
the National Executive and Legislature are
but creatures. The Constitution whether
operating in the District Of Columbia, or
in Alaska o. Oklahoma, guarantees TO
American people. whether citizens or not.
the right of trial by jury, forbids slavery.
end provides for free and unrestricted
trade with people and places in any part
of the common domain.
Mr.. Foraker and his party have under
taken to deny the existence OF these rights.
In pruciple. as the Constitution Is eX-
pounded by persons like Hanna. Hender-
son. Cannon. and Dalzell, the residents of
Washington. of Arizona, ard PorJo Rico
are on all fours They have absolutely
no rights under the Constitution OF the
United States which have not been con-
ferred as an act of grace by Congress
tt is q new proposition in. American con-
stitutional law. and the party which has
dared to propose it should be retired from
no,,-e- of, the 6th of next November.