Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-12-20
HARRISON ON EXPANSION.
Ex-President Says His Former Re-
marks Were Incorrectly Reported.

Ex-President Says His Former Re-
marks Were Incorrectly Reported.
A special to the New York World from
Indianapolis. Ind, yesterday says: EXPIRES
ident Harrison is much displeased at the
recent publication in certain newspapers
OF what purported to be a verbatim report
of the lecture at Ann Arbor He feels that
these so-cdlled reports have left an alto
gether wrong impression of the general pur-
port Of his address. When seen today he
said:
while 1 do not claim that my style Is
perfect, I have never been accused Of In
coherency and most of the reports Of my
address We're imperfect and even incoher-
ent."
Mr.. Harrison has received many letters
from prominent men all over the country
commencing his lecture. What eX-Presi-
dent Cleveland said was especially crafty
ing.
Discussing the lecture today, Mr.. Har-
rlson gave the following synopsis Of its
contents and import:
1t was, he said, not intended to be
legal argument on questions brought into
discussion by the Porto Rican BILL but
rather a popular discussion on some Of the
views that have been expressed in relation
to our annexed territories.
In the lecture, he said he had declared
that we had something out of line with
our historical precedents. not in the fact
of expansion, but In the character OF 1t.
He said we had taken over peoples, rather
than lands as heretofore. He held that
the civilized Inhabitants of the territories
were citizens of the United States and that
the revenue provisions of the Constitution
relating to taxation for federal purposes
applied to the territories.
The occasion for the recent departure
from precedent was found. he said, espe-
cially in the character Of the Inhabitants Of
the Philippines. AS to Porto Rico and Ha-
wall, there would probably have been no
occasion for treating them otherwise than
we have usually done. The competition
with our home products. and especially The
freedom Of the FiHpinos to settle in the
states, were causes of alarm. These consd-
erations, he SAID might very appropriately
have had influence when the question of
taking over the Philippines was before US,
but 1t Is now too late.
He argued that the provisions OF the
Spanish treaty and of all treaties were SUBJ
iect to the Constitution and could not i'm
pair it. And If these islands become part
OF the United States in the sense of the
Constitution their people become citizens and
the revenue clause, which was especially
under discussion in the Porto Rican case,
applied.
He argued that the limitation in the Con-
stitution on the powers of Congress, Wheth-
er expressed in the affirmative or negative
form. applied to the exercise of that pow
er in all places; that the very object In the
section requiring duties to be uniform
throughout the United States (Which was to
prevent Congress from establishing any
where under the jurisdiction Of the United
States favored reports) would be thwarted
IL foreign goods might be admitted to Porto
Rico free and thence into the United States
FREQ.
He especially dwelt upon the liberty
clauses Of the Constitution necessarily
applicable to all civilized peoples owing al
legiance to the United States.