The Portland daily press., 1900-03-15

power TO hola them - Great Britain has
to hold oolonisl rosssssions.
NJ. Teller did not bslievs that it was
necessary 20 make the acquitted territory
q part Of the United States In she sense
that Il should be regarded and governed
as inoiplent states Of the Union. Porto
kioo might, be thought. be held under
the sovereignty Of the Unitsd States and
the people, subject TO our dictation,
the United states might determine what
the inhabitants should or should not do
He found NO legal difflculty I'm dealing
either with the aequlTe1 possessions or
their inhabitants.
"I do net want to make Per.o Rico
and the Philippines q part Of the Unitsd
States and do not want to make their
Inhabitants oisizsns Of the United
States" said Mr.. Teller. he added tha
the relatioa hs would establish between
the United SsatSs and the acq uirsd terri
tory, was entirely consistent with ths
history traditions and principles Of this
country. II he had time, he believed he
could prove that the fathers Of the
country contsm p hated the aequisition and
the holding Of colonies by ths United
States.
Mr.. Teller said difficulties might grow
out Of the problem presented, but he
knew thai the American people would
deal with the problem with fairness,
with justice and with courage"
These islands are not part OF the
United Statss today. eve don't want the
inhabitants of thsss islands to be made
oItlzens of the UnItsd States. That is
what this bill doss, and IL there were
nothing elsa against IL, that alone would
induce ms TO vote against It."
Mr.. Teller said hs desired all possible
and reasoI able advantages and privileges
to be extended 20 those people. but he
would not have them participate In the
ele:t.o, OF President OF the United
states nor would he give them reprsssn-
tation in Congress. Ii Porto Ricans
were not citizens of the United States
then they had no right 10 demand that
they be given free trade with us.
II the people of Porto Rico are citizens
of the United States then we are doing
them a great injustice II We levy tarih
ON their products; II they are not oitizsns
then we have the same right to levy q
tariff on their goods as we have TO place a
tariff on the products of Great Britain.
Continuing, Mr.. Teller said; "I have
no patiencs with senator who holds
that we shall do the same thing In Porto
Rico as we do In the philippines or that
we must be bcaad to Afford the Philip
pines the same legislation we gave Porto
Rico. The questions Of the treatment Of
Philippines are entirely different and dis
tinot. The great question is how can We
DO justice to the inhaEitan Ia Of these
islands and do iustios to ourselves at the
same time Bad as this bill is. 1t is inf
nItsly better than anything tbs people OF
Porto Kico ever had before"
MIR. Teller concluded with the state
inoongruous proposition and he had little
hope of its being materially improved be-
fore Its enactment.
Mr.. Turner Of Washington then re-
sumed his discussion OF the Porto Rican
measure. He challenged any senator TO
produce decision. OF the supreme court
holding 1t to be necessary that the oonsti-
tuition should be extsuded by act OF Con-
gress over acquired territory or that the
constitution did not extend ex proprio
vigofs over suoh territory.
In conclusion, he declared the pending
bill was manifsstly unconstitutional. 1t
WAS undemocratic, unrspublicsn aud an
unauthorized exercise of power over the
Inhabitants of Porto Rico and ne thus
warned the powers In the majority;
''Beware lest you Dstray the hopes of the
future In the exissncies of the present. ~
The Senate then adjourned.