The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-06-23
THE PORTO RICAN ISSUE.
DodEed in the Repub Iiean Platform,
Is lt to BE Evaded on the stump:
lErom the Naru NnrL. Sun

Is It to BE Evaded on the stump:
(From the New York SUM-
Republicans here and there are noting
with amazement that borders on disgust
the total. Incorporating, absolute 81
lence Of tie Philadelphia platform on o-e
Of the principal articles of Republican
faith OF equal importance with the par
tvs adherence to protection and the god
standard is its assertion OF the doctrine that
the Constitution does not go Of itself into
new territory acquired by the United
States. the unrestricted power of gisIat on
for the government of such territory being
with Congress.
This is no new doctrine made to III pres
ent circumstances. II WAS affirmed en-
Dhatically in the first national platform on
which the Republican party WOE a IA
tional victory Lincoln vas elected Presi-
dent on that platform just forty years ago.
Ii is no mere academic proposition which
may properly be omitted from eompend
of living principles. 1t is vital to the
politics OF today. II is involved in every
practical question now arising in the de-
velopment OF this nations expanding ca
reer- 1t has been accepted unresery edly
by the Administration as the Executives
compass in the difficult course which il has
10 steer. II has been declared, expOunded
and adopted by the Republican maJorities
in both houses CT Congress as the basis Of
the party's policy on the questions result
ing from the recent war. Il is denied and
attacked by the Democrats in the House.
- ~
and it viii probably sc assailed directly By
tho platform which the Kansas City Con-
vention is going to make. The converse
proposition viii be a Democratic rallying
cry throughout the campaign What other
article Of Republican faith at this time has
greater need OF distinct, resoIute enun-
citation?
Both Of the presiding officers OF the Con-
veut.on recognized the Importance of a
clean statement Of the Republican party's
position regarding this doctrine at the out
set Of the contest about to begin. This is
wha- Senator WoIcott. the temporary chair
man, said on the subject in his opening
speech on Tuesday:
There has been much discussion during
the past few months in respect to the ex-
tent Of the power Of this country 70 deaI
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 ISL
snds the Constitution Of the United States
at once Is extended over them, or, in The
orstOrical but misleading phrase, The
Constitution follows the flag The ar
gument is specioHs, but il will not bear
investigation. TEa same question was
raised in 1858. al the time OF the Louisiana
Purchase and the doctrine was then es-
tablished By Congress that We could ac-
quire foreign son by pure ase. that Con
gress had the right to establish there such
government as it saw 1T, and thai the
Constitution did not Of its own force ex-
tend over such territory Tho doctrine
was never questioned until in CaIhouu's
time it was sought 70 be denied in the
effort 70 extend human slavery into the
Territories.
The Supreme Court Of the United States
has more than once determined the ques-
ton, and the contention concerning II row
by our opponents is not because anybody
believes that the laws We have enacted for
the government Of the island are unjust.
bet in order % embarrass the AdmiuisJra-
tiOu in dealing effectively with our new
possessions The Tag went TO Mexico IN
1S4S: the Constitution did not The flag
went 20 Cuba and was carried into Santa
20. and Is there vet. But our Constitution
not only is not there. but we are busy en-
couraging Cuba to prepare a constitution
OF her Own. When any portion OF our ter
ritory becomes a sovereign State. then is
our Constitution its cornerstone. In the
territory Of the United States not inelua-
ell within State boundaries Congress alone
determines the extent 10 which the provi-
sious Of the Constitution extend"
Senator Lodge. on Wednesday was brief
or but not less explicit in his remarks On
the Democratic theory OF constitutional
seif-extelsiou-
We have no belief in the old slave
holders doctrine that the Constitution Of
its own force marches into every newly
acquired territory. and this doctrine.
which We cast out in 1S60. We still reject"
Either the last two sentences Of the pas
sage from Senator WOlcOtt's speech or the
single brief and ringing sentence quoted
from Senator Lodges address would have
served admirably as the platform plank on
the broad issue the Democracy has raised
Stated somehow in the Republican resolu-
tiOus Of 1897 the doctrine here affirmed
y
in the platfDrm as presented TO the Con-
ventiOn AMI adopted by the Convention
there is not single line or word about it.
In a communication to the New York
Journal of yesterday from the Hon
Charles H Grosvenor Of Ohio. statesman
whose past relations witt the Administra-
ton are as widely known as his personal
habit OF blunt utterance We find some re-
markabIe statements. General GrOsvenoF
furnishes the text Of the missing plank;
We reassert the principle which was
the watchword of the Republican party in
it's first great battle, Of which Abraham
Lincoln was the uIustrious champion and
on which he was elected President. that
Congress has full Legislative power over
territory belonging to the United States
subject only TO the fundamental safeguards
Of liberty. justice. and personal rights"
Upon his personal knOwl sdge Congress-
man GrosvenOr states that this plank had
been approved and agreed upon by Presi-
dent Mckinley and that il formed part OF
the platform when that document went
into the hands of the members OF the com
mirtee entrusted with the final revision
Upon the authority OF Senator Foraker.
General GroSvenor states further that the
foregoing plank was understood BY the
Committee on Resolutions to be a part OF
the platform and that il was unfairly and
surreptitiously. and without the knowI-
edge of the committee. kept out of the
platform" when the final draft was re-
norted IN fhe Convention And Ca,,-,I