The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-03-09
PUERTO RICO AS A TERRrToRy,

Congressman James A Tawney con-
cludes the long winded and wholly I'M
satisfactory explanation of why he voted
for the Puerto Rico tariff bill with the
following statement:
AS for myself, upon the question Of
our power | prefer to follow Daniel Web
Ster. Abraham Lincoln and the. Repub-
mean party, who have always commended
that The constitution does not of its own
force and without congressional action
extend as a blanket over territory be-
longing to the United States"
This sounds very we'll but as a matter
of fact 1t Is pure and unadulterated bun
combe, and 1T is very singular that any
lawyer-for Mr.. Tawney is a member of
the legal profession-should have the te-
merity to make it. The power of the
United States to hold any geographical
division other than as a territory has
been decided many times by the su-
preme court of the United States. the
most notable decision being that in the
famous bred Scott case The third and
fourth sections of the syllabus In that
decision are as follows, and are sub
mitted for the benefit and information of
Mr.. Tawney and his colleagues who voted
as he did on the Puerto Rlcan bill:
The United States, under the present
constitution, cannot acquire territory to
be held as colony, to be governed at it's
Will and pleasure But If NAV acnnire
territory which, at that time. has NOT
a population that fits 1t to become a
state, ana may govern it as a territory
uhil 1t has a population which, in the
judgment OF congress, entities 1t to be
adInti ed as state of the Union
DufinS the time it remains terri
tory congress may legislate over it within
the scope OF It's constitutional powers in
relation TO citizens of the United States
ana may establish a territorial govern
heht. and the form of this local govern
ment must be regulated by the diScrefion
or congress, but with powers NOT excead-
ing those which congress itself. bv the
constitution. is authorized to exercise over
tlllzTn9 OF me United States in respect
property" ei'S VI
Inc supreme court having so clearly de-
fined the law, and this definition being 81
clearly applicable to Puerto Rico. this
tariff question must of necessity fall nm
der that provision of the constitution If
the United States declaring that "all du-
ties and excuses shall be uniform
throughout the United States"
II IS singular, too, that, having this
bred Scott case decision and other SINH
lar decisions Of the supreme court TO reIv
upon as to the main question involved
as to the formulation of tariff for
Puerto Rico, the administration sbould
stiiI pretend 1t to be necessary to secure
still another decision from the supreme
court as to the extent of the applicat ion
OF the constitution to the new possess
sions of the United States.
Neither Congressman Tawney nor Com
gresham Eddy has furnished a satisfac-
tory excuse for his vote on this meas
ure The eminent and verbose repre-,
sentative from the Second district Mr..
McCleary. Is yet to be heard from. and
Messrs. Norris and Stevens have NOT We,
spoken but without desiring to PREJUDICE
these gentlemen it is apparent that they
can advance no sound or valid reason
Tor their action in helping to fracture
the constitution which heretofore they
have been so fond of invoking in their
attempts to put their political enemies
to confusion.