The Portland daily press., 1900-06-20

been spent In his country's seYyice but
the same vigorous manhood And clear
and patriotic vision animate him as OF
old, and give us condolences and trust for
the future Of our republic, because his
hand win guide us, and his genius direct.
In August, 1893, preliminary protocol
was executed at Washington, followed by
the sessions of the Peace Commissioners
of the United States and Spain, In Paris,
commencing in October Of that year.
Public interest In this country concern
ing these negotiations was intense. Until
our soldiers and sailors had landed at
Manila we had known little of the condi-
tions of the people of the Philippines.
We soon ascertained that the cruelties
and expressions existing In Cuba were
mild compared with the treatment to
which eight millions OF people in those
islands were subjected. We realized that
II we relinquished the archipelago to
Spain we consigned its Inhabitants again
TO n condition worse than slavery, worse
than 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 islands, afford their peo-
pie the protection OF our laws, lift them
out of their unfortunate condition, and
fit them, IL possible, for seif-government.
Any agreement by our Com mmissioners to
give back the Philippines to Spain, re-
serving for ourselves an island or a coal
ing station, would have aroused n uni
vers;L national indignation, and would
never have been ratified by the represen-
tatives of the people.
we assumed dominion of Porto Rico,
Cuba and the Philippines for reasons
differing as to each of them.
We took to ourselves the little island Of
Law ghaaG Ghnfl.
ow of our own shores, and because its
continued occupancy by Spain or by any
foreign government would be a constant
menace TO the states and TO that great
inter-oceanic waterway which we shall
build and own and operate as an Ameri-
can canal. We found 1t impoverished by
years of colonial misgovernment and
without any system OF revenue laws.
Soon after the peace its people were fur
Iher stricken by flood and famine. We
assumed towards them every oblig alton
which sympathy and friendship could
prompt. We contributed as n nation
large sums of money to ameliorate their
condition and to enable them to plant
and garner their crops. Then we said to
them, We shall give you just and
equitable form of free government, with
power 10 manage your home affairs.
Until you shall devise proper and efficient
methods of revenue and taxation, your
needed funds shall be raised as follows:
You shall pay upon your imports 10 per
cent. of the present tariff rate governing
importations into the United States,
which means an average duty of about
per cent. All thu necessaries of life and
building materials for the str uctures you
need shall be free. On the LIST day Of
March, 1902, all these duties shall cease
in any event, and shall cease sooner If
before { hat time you can arrange for the
nee ded revenues Of the island.
The recommendations of the President
were fully and satisfactorily complied
with; the people of the island are con-
tent, the vast mass of the American
people approve, and we have avoided
precedents that might yex us when we
come TO deal with the problems that
finally await us in the establishment of
our permanent relations towards the peo-
pie of the Philippine Islands.
There has been much discussion during
the past few months in respect to the ex
tent of the power of this country to deal
with Porto Rico and our other posses
sions, and it has been frequently contend
ed by the Democracy that as soon as we
became the owners Of any of these islands
the constitution of the United States
at once extended over them, or in the ora
torlcal but misleading phrase, ''rhe con-
stitution follows the nag The argu-
ment is specious, but it will not bear in
Vestigation. The same question was
raised in 1903, at the time OF the Louisi-
ana Purchase, and the doctrine then es-
tablished by Congress that we could ac-
quire foreign soil by purchase, that Con-
gress had the right to establish there
such government as ii saw fit and that
the constitution: did not OF it's own force
extend over such territory. The doctrine
was never questioned until in Calhoun's
time 1t was sought to be denied In the
effort to extend human slavery into the
territories
The Supreme Court of the United
States has more than oncs determi ned
the question, and the contention concern
ing it now by our opponents is not b.
cause anybody believes that the laws We
have enacted for the government of the
island are unjust, but in order to embar-
rass the administration in dealing effec-
lively with our new possessions. The
flag went to Mexico in lS4S. the Econstitu-
tion did not. The flag went TO Cuba and
was carried into Santiago, and is there yet.
But our constitution not only Is not
there, but we are busy encouraging
Cuba to prepare constitution of her
own When any portion of our territory
becomes sovereign state, then Is our
constitution its corner stone. In the
territory of the United States not in
oluded within state boundaries Congress
alone determines the extent to which the
provisions of the constitution extend.
The circumstances associated with our
possession OF Cuba are new and unparal-
leled in the history of oonquests. The
PAesSeiScA -hHlOAi AVS RCoPAO III
duced the war. Before we commenced
hostile proceedings, however, and that
the world might know that our hands
were clean and that we were not animat-
ed by lust for territory, we solemnly dis
claimed any disposition or intention to
exercise sovereignty, jurisdiction, or con-
troll over the island except for It's pacitl-
cation, and asserted our determination,
when that was accomplished, TO leave the
government and control of the island to
its people.
10 this declaration we still vigorously
adhere. When we took possession at the
close of the war we found the conditions
exi sting in Cuba to be deplorable. Un Ter
the conservative and wise management
OF Generals Brooke and Wood vast inn
provements have been effected, and we
have given the people the first good gov
ernment they have ever known. We
found its cities beds of pestilence. We
have stamped out yellow fever and made
Havana as healthy city as exists at that
latitude. We took It's starving recon-
centrados who had survived the war and