The Courier. (Genoa, Nev.) 1899-1904, 1900-03-09
Newlands on the Porto Rioan Bill.

considered Iue TGldtlODS Vi ali u Jul
new possessions to the United States
and particularly the relation of the
Philippines. We copy from the Wash
ington Times the following extracts
from his speech:
THE PHILIPPINES.
The Porto Rico question, Mr.. New
lands said, was thus linked with the
Philippine question; that the latter
presented the only difficulty in the
way of the solution Of the relations of
the newly acquired islands, and that it
was necessary therefore to ascertain
what duty, interest and constitutional
obligation required with reference to
these islands. The fact was that the
United States had destroyed the Span
ish government and had also de
stroyed the Philippine government.
The only government which existed
there to-day was the military govern
ment of the United States. 1t was as
clearly the duty of the United States
to pacify these islands as it was to
pacify Cuba. In this pacifieation, the
organization of a stable government
was necessarily involved. A slow and
tedious process must be entered upon
of organizing municipal, provincial,
and insular government, and later on,
possibly, confederated government
or governments including either all
the islands or groups of islands related
TO each other by race or interest. This
could only be accomplished by the
recognition of the sovereignty of the
United States for that purpose. Back
of all government lay force and the
only government that existed in these
islands today was the government of
| the United States, and it's power must,
as a matter of necessity be recognized
and obeyed. Thus far therefore both
imperialists and anti imperialists
agreed; that the Philippine islands
must be pacified; that force was essen
tial for that purpose; that the military
power of this country must be asserted
] lllClC III tic AliAIl Sob Vi OA0SA eAAiNt CC1
government; that the people must be
for a time in the condition of tutelage,
their duty being to obey and that of
the United States to control, but with
the corresponding obligation to grad
ually and progressively instruct them
in the science of self-government
Mr.. Newlands said that the only diff
| ference between the opposing parties
was that the imperialists wished to
hold the Philippines forever as sub
ject territory, not controlled by the
Constitution, but under the absolute
power of Congress, whilst the anti
imperialists insisted that an immediate
declaration should be made assuring
the Filipinos Of ultimate independence
whenever, with the aid of the United
States, a government was established
in the Philippines capable of maintain
| ing order, and of sustaining interna-
tional obligations, the United States to
be the judge as to when such capacity
of independent selfgovernment was
complete.
Meanwhile, the friendship of the
people being assured, commercial in
terests of the United States could be
rapidly developed there and COM
mercial hold on the islands would be
secured to an extent impossible now SO
long as the Filipinos maintained their
present hostile attitude. Naval sta
tions and coaling stations could be Sc
cured during the process of the estab-
lishment of the new scheme of govern
ment, a process necessarily of long
duration. Currents of trade with this
country would be established which
could not be detected. This process
meant the expansion of trade without
the expansion of territory; involved
the abandonment Of the periIous UNI
dertaking of changing our theory of
government, abandoning our traditions
and expanding our territory without
applying our Constitution, laws, and
institutions to it,
The Philippine Islands, he contend
ed, could never occupy to the United
States the same relation as the terri
tory gained from France, Spain, Mex
leo and Russia. From this territory
the majority of the States of the Union
had been created, and the small bal
ance remaining was certain of admis-
sion into the Union as States. No such
contingency as the admission of the
Philippines into the Union as States is
possible, he added
A CONSTITUTIONAL QUESTION
Mr.. Newlands insisted that unless
Congress declared its purpose Of hold
ing the Philippines in trust for their
own people until stable government
could be erected, the necessary pre-
sumption from the cession of the isl
ands would be that they We're territory
belonging to the United States.