The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-02-20

hDie. tnat Sucn annexation SnOulu not p'
made. They will cost us more il this b'
necessary than they can ever be worth. L
we are determined to make such annexa-
tions, and IL they cannot be made and the
territories governed without violating the
Constitution, then. as wise Legislators and
as patriots, we should set to work to 81
amend the Constitution as to allow us Il
accomplish the desired end. We should
not march to that end over the dead and
mangled form of the fundamental law we
have sworn TO protect and defend.
The niIippincs Not Involved.
81 am not speaking here of the Philip
pine Islands. as they are not involved in
the pending measure. AS to Porto Rico
we may be able to govern 1t as we have
governed all territorial possessions in the
past. i believe We can, though the task
will not be free from difficulty. The terri
tory is n small one In area. The popula-
ion is not large 1t is near by us. The
Inhabitants have given every assurance
that they desire to be with us and part
of us, to enjoy our free institutions and
our civilization. The chief objection TO
having the island annexed, to my mind.
consists in the fact that there is SO little
room there for an increase in the popuia-
tion. 1t is already far more densely popu-
lated than our own territory. and there is
no room, or but little room. for more peo-
pie in the island. Being part of our pos
sessions as the result OF war which we
did not by our own declaration wage for
conquest, / might be willing to accept it
and try the experiment of governing it as
we have controlled all other territories in
the past. i can never agree TO the plan
Of dealing with it as is proposed in the
pending bill
''Sir. this is but the beginning of our
troubles If we enter upon the policy of i'm
perialism. The box of unmeasurable evils.
tabled to have been presented to Pandora
by Jupiter, from which, when opened.
countless ills and diseases issued forth to
afflict mankind. was as nothing as COM
pared to the ills and diseases that will af-
flict us in our body polite when our policy
Of Imperialism is developed.
This is a tax measure. The power to
tax Is the power to destroy. This is the
language of the Supreme Court, If ii be
not unlawful. at this period OF our his
tory to quote the language OF that high
tribunal. All taxes are burdens TO be
borne. They are necessary burdens. They
are borne without murmur. and without
no matter how high they may
be and onerous they are. If they are only
equal, and uniform in their burden. Under
our beloved Government. with a Consti-
tuition approaching perfection. all its bless
ings fall, share and share alike, on all its
citizens everywhere, and all its burdens.
great and small. are laid equally on the
people. The wisest clause in 1t, perhaps,
is that one which declares that all taxes
shall be uniform throughout the United
States. Equality OF taxation, equality OF
governmental exactions. equality OF con-
tributions to the nations revenue. are the
privileges expressly guaranteed every citi-
zen OF the Republic. Upon no other prin-
ciple or theory can We hope to raise the
millions and hundreds of millions neces-
ssry for governmental purposes. Whe-
these exactions are equal and uriforlo
none can complain or murmur. When
they are unequal the complaints will be
loud and long, and will eventually reno us
and destroy the Government Mr.. Jeffer-
son announced great truth when he said
that all taxes TO be Just must be uni
form
The Power 10 Levy Taxes.
"The power of Congress to levy taxes
IS derived from section s. Article l. of
he Constitution, as follows:
.'The Congress shall have power to lay and col
ect taxes, duties, imposts, and cxcises, to pay
he debts and provide for the common defence
md geneial welfare Of the United States; bot
all duties inposis, and excises shall be Uni.
10 n throughout the United States"
in constituting this section We must
FIRST decide what is meant by the term
United States as here used. Does the
term include simply the area actually in
rluded within the boundaries of States
Dr. does II cover all the territory belong
ing to the United States?
The committee in framing the pending
bill proceed upon the idea and make the
that the term United States
IS used In the Constitution has reference
,nly to the States that constitute the
Federal Union, and does not include Ter
.itories. They assert that the power OF
congress with respect TO legislation for
he Territories is plenary. and that Con-
yress may prescribe different rates OF
luty for Porto Rico from those prescribed
or the States.
II dissent in toto from this conclusion.
insist that the meaning of the term
United States as here employed, what
,yer definition may be given the term
shen used elsewhere, is the designation
,f the whole of the American Republic,
which is composed OF States and Terri
ories. / shall cite decisions of the Su
)reme Court of the United States which
II my judgment are absolutely decisive
II this question. AS / read and under
'tand our early history one Of the leading
objects in calling the convention which
idopted the Constitution was TO make
iuties and customs equal and uniform.
When the Constitution was framed and
adopted It was declared by its makers
hat I'VE do ordain and establish this
Constitution for the United States Of
a u. -
owned the great Northwest territory, as
large or larger in extent than the orig
nal States.
1t was expected and intended that this
vast territory would be peopled by many
who were then inhabitants of the thir-
.een old States and their descendants.
The trainers OF the Constitution most as
suredly did not mean that these people
we're not to enjoy its benefits and the
of liberty. This territory must
have been. in the opinion of the trainers
1f the Constitution. included within the
erm United States as they used 1t.
Uniformity of Customs Duties.
81 have Just stated that one OF the chief
objects the trainers of the Constitution
iad in mind was to make customs duties
equal and uniform. The complaint was
1t that time that New York could levy
md collect a different duty from that
evied and collected at Boston, or Charles
on. or other ports. The Northwest ter
'itory was adjacent to Canada and the
Great Lakes, and also was bcinded by
he Mississippi River, opening a market
o the world by way of the Gulf. There
we're ports and landing places on these
ireat Lakes and the Mississippi River
within this territory, and. as stated. it
,orderod on Canada. 1t is not to be sup
,osed that 1t was intended at that time
hat these ports would not be bound by
he equality OF rates OF duties while in
erritorial condition. There could have