The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-03-15
Speeches By Teller and Turner
In the Senate.
TAKE EXTREME VIEWS
THEIR VERSIONS OF AIMS OF
THE CONSTITUTION.
Colorado Senator Maintained That
the United States Could Take Col
onies and Hold Them as it Saw
Fit and the Washington Man Con-
tended to the Contrary.

-&
Washington, March 1.-Two argu-
ments were presented to the senate to-
day in which almost antipodical posi-
tons were taken by two members. Mr..
Teller of Colorado. in a brief speech,
maintained that the constitution could
not extend over territory acquired by
the United States, while Mr.. Turner OF
Washington deliberately contended that
the constitution embraced the acquired
territory the very moment the United
States took possession of it.
Mr.. Teller held that this government
could make Il : outlying territory into
states or could hold it as colonies as il
saw fit, while Mr. Turner maintained
that the United States could not hold
colonies or dependencies.
Aside from the constitutional ques-
tons the two senators were in praeti-
cal agreement. Both were opposed TO
the pending bill, and both objected 80
any of the insular territory becoming a
part of the United States or any of its
Inhabitants citizens of the United
States.
Soon after the senate convened Pres
ident Pro TEN Frye affixed his sigma
ture to the bin fixing the standard OF
value of money of the United States.
The measure then went to the president
for his signature.
Turner Yields to Teller.
Mr.. Turner, who began yesterday a
speech on the Porto Rican bill, yielded
the RI \
pected to leave for Cuba tonight. Mr..
Teller said the constitutional questions
involved in the discussion of the pend :
ing bill had been thoroughly elaborat-
ed and discussed, but he believed them
Of sufficient Importance TO be further
considered. His only purpose today
was TO say in general way that he
had no doubt of the power of the gov
eminent to govern the possessions it
had acquired
Mr.. Teller declared he could find am
pie authority for legislation relating TO
our insular possessions, authority not
derived from constitution.
And don't believe" said Mr.. Teller.
that the constitution is in force il. our
new possessions. Congress, 1 believe,
is supreme so far as the making of leg
iSlation for acquired territory is con-
cernsd- OF course, in enacting such
legisl zion congress is bound by certain
fundamental principles that underlie
this free government.
Lack of Authority.
After a careful examination Of all
supreme court authority, l have been
able TO find only one case that will
support the doctrine that the constitu-
ton goes of its own vigor into the aor
Quired territory.
My own belief is that we can make
the acquired territories a part of the
United States or not, as congT ess may
see tit If we don't make them a part
of the United States I believe we may
hold them as coionies-that we have the
same power to hold them as Great
Britain has to hold colonial posses
sions''
Mr.. Teller did not believe that it was
necessary to make the acquired terri
tory part of the United States in the
sense that it could be regarded and
governed as incipient states of the
Union. Porto Rico, he thought, might
be held under sovereignty of the Unit
ed states and the people subject to our
dictation might make laws of the land
and the United States might determine
what the inhabitants should or should
not do. He found no legal difficulty in
dealing either with the acquired pos
sessions or their Inhabitants
We don't want to make Porto Rico
and the Philippines a part of the Unit
ed States. and I don't want to make
their Inhabitants citizens of the United
States" said Mr.. Teller
Consistent With History.
He added that the relation that he
would establish between the United
States and the acquired territory was
entirely consistent with the history and
traditions and principles of this coun-
try. If he had time he believed he
could prove that the fathers of the
country contemplated the ACQUISITION
and the holding Of colonies by the Unit
ed States.
If anybody" he continued. "can
show a better way out of the troubJe
then the. holding of the possessions we
have acquired 1 am willing TO con-
slider it.
would rather make Porto Rico and
the Philippines colonies or provinces
than to make them states. We don't
want the inhabitants of these islands
TO be made citizens of the United
States That is what this bill does. If
there were nothing else against it. that
alone would induce me to vote against
it,"
Mr.. Teller said he desired all possible
ana reasonable advantages and privi-
leges to be extended to these people.
but ne would not have them participate
IN the election of president Of the
United States, nor would he give them
representation in congress.
The tariff question involved in the
pending measure, Mr.. Teller said. de-
pended for solution wholly upon the
relations Of the islands to the United
States. If they were citizens. we could
not legally or constitutionally levy a
tariff on their products: if they are not
citizens. then this government might
90 as it saw fit about levying a duty
on those products. The latter view
raised only question of policy.
Rights of Porto Ricans.
II Porto Ricans were not citizens of
the United States, then they had no
right to demand that they be given
free trade with the United States.
Mr. Teller reiterated ois own opinion
that the people in the insular posses
sions are not now citizens of the United
states. Continuing, Mr.. Teller said:
i have no patience with a senator
who holds that we shall do the same
thing in Porto Rico as we do in the
Philippines, or that we must be bound
to afford TO the Philippines the same
legislation we give Porto Rico. The
questions of the treatment Of Porto Rico
and the treatment of the Philippines
are entirely different and distinct The
great question is how We can do justice
70 the inhabitants OF those islands and
do justice to ourselves at the same time
Bad as this bill is. it is infinitely better
than anything the people of Porto Rico
ever had before
After deprecating the newspaper
clamor" which. he said. indicated that
the United States was about TO take
some illiberal and unjust advantage of
the Porto Ricans, Mr.. Teller concluded