The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-03-03

tutional convention shall provide the
necessary rules and regulations to submit
the constitution to the people and II 1t
shall ts approved by them to submit the
same to the President OF the United
States for his approval. The Inhabitants
Of Porto Rioo are hereby declared to be
citizens thereof and their rights as citi-
zens shall not be denied or abridged ex-
cept ty conviction In Q court Of justice.
"Whenevsr the people Of Porto Rico
shall submit to the President Of the
United States constitution republican
IN form and consistent with the pro-
visions thereof, he shall approve Of the
same and such constitution shall thsreaf-
ter be ths constitution of Puerto Rioo.
"The adoption by the people and the
approval By the President Of the United
States Of such constitution shall secure
to the people of Puerto Rico the benefits Of
all those provisions of the constitutions
Of the United States for the protection
and maintenance OF civil and religious
liberty and the protection Of the personal
and property rights of the people.
"The adoption OF the constitution by
the Inhabitants Of Puerto Rico and the
approval thereof by the Prestden. Of the
United States as herein provided, shall
not make the Inhabitants citizens of the
United States nor shall It create any obli-
Cation on the United States to admit
Puerto Rico as a state nor shall the
establishment and maintenance OF a gov
eminent under such constitution intsrfere
with the sovereignty Of the United States
over Puerto Hoo and the Inhabitants
thereof !"
In making a reply to the statement of
Mr.. Teller, Mir. Foraker became involved
n a general discussion with other Sena
tors on some of the constitutional ques-
lions raised by the bill. He said there
was nothing remarka bic about the bill as
Mr.. Teller saw st except that the inhahi-
tants of the leland were treated In the
bin az cItlzsns OF the United States.
1.-THE com mites" said MIR. Foraker,
considered the status OF the people care
,ully and concluded that the Inhabitants
Of Puerto Rioo muet be citizsns, or aliens.
We did not want to treat our own as
aliens /; we should net hold them as sub
jects; ard we therefore adopted the term
Citizens IL was the desire OF the COM
mirsee to give the inhabitants of Puerto
Rico oil the rights the people of this
country thought they ought to have"
Mr.. Foraker said the word "Cisizsn"
not only did not imply the right Of vote.
but in Its bald sense implied nothing
more than owing allegiance to the gov .
eminent. He maintained that the oonsti-
tuition could be extended over acquired
territory only by act of Congress.
In answer to an inquiry MIR. Foraker
said that the Law In ell newly acquired
territory would be the legislation which
Congress might enact for the territory
and that legislation mi ht Include tbs
constitution, all or in part.
The discussion was suspended while q
message was received from the House
transmitting the bill passed today IN ao
cordanee with the message Of the Presi
dent. 1t was referred to the committee or
Pacific Islands and Porto Rico.
Mr.. Foraker said that there was no in
tsntion to make Porto Rico a stats or, In
the accepted sense, territory. Ih'
island was dependency.
ave do not propose to deal with tbs
people of Porto Rioo inequitably, said
Mr.. Foraker. /" 1t Is true, we have put q
duty OF fifteen Per cent of the duty levied
under the Dingisy law on products i'm
ported into this country from the island
but We have given every dollar back tC
| them, for their own benefit.
"Ws impose the duty because 1t Il
needed for revenue. All Of the industries
on tue island are psralyzed. The inhabi
tanis mpst have revenues and they can.
not get them by direct taxation. We will
give back to them the duties received or
their products and millions besldes.''
Mr.. Foraker stated that in his mind the
fact that this bill raised a question which
| could he determined only by the United