The evening times., 1900-03-29
Mr.. BEVERIDGE SPEAKS
The Indianan Addresses the Senate
on the Porto Rican Bill.
He Declares That the Constitution
Gives Congress Free Hand to
Go on Record as Voting for Imme-
diate Free Trade for the Island.

speech which he prepared some tine ago,
having made slight changes in it.
He said in part: The issue Joined in
this debate involves the power Of Congress
over the islands and the peoples which
Providence has placed in our keeping. and
therefore the eXpediency or retaining
them. II involves the power and progress
OF the Republic throughout all its future.
For il Congress has not a free hand to
deal with these Islands as their different
conditions and changing needs demand, II
is not only ineXpsdient, hut it may be i'm
possible 10 hold them. To treat Porto
Rico as We treat Hawaii. and to deal with
the latter as we deal with the Philippines,
and 20 apply to all without delay the same
fixed formula of laws which custom and
the intention OF Statehood have prescr.b ID
for our Territories from which our States
are formed. is a proposition as mad as it
is novel
we have the greatest opportunity. the
greatest duty. with which fortune ever
blessed its most favored nation. Events
have placed us in positions OF command
over the Pacific. The key to the commerce
Of the East is in our hands. We are the
warden Of the GATES Of the Gulf. With the
canal q completed work we control the
chosen and the natural highways Of the
commerce Of mankind more than any power
than England. More than any people Of
history. Events are placing us where we
may command ard compel the peace Of the
world. Porto Rico. Cuba the Canal Ha-
waii. the Philippines make us literally the
sovereign power among the nations. ! say
make US the master people Of the world. for
! never viii believe that we Will surrender
our possessions 20 others, because We can
not invent sane and appropriate Methods
for their government and control I viii
never believe that our Constitution mana
Cles our hands and narrows our vision and
numbs our brain. I will never admit that
cur Constitution is such a charter Of death.
The First Issue.
And yet. / repeat again and again. that
just this fell and dread even--the sur
render OF all the war has won fo- Us-is
the first issue in debate; for we cannot
keep these islands unless we may provide
for them according 20 the wisdom OF
events-according TO the common sense Of
situations. The needs OF Porto Rico are
/ peculiar to Porto Rico; We must admins
ter 70 them as good judgment may de-
mand. The demands OF Hawaii are pecu-
liar TO Hawaii. The needs Of the Philip
pines are peculiar 10 the archipelago. The
needs Of all are utterly unlike our Ameri-
can States when they were Territories.
The situation is. for US uaprCCeUd,ut-
I ed. Our action must be without example.
/ The decisions of our Supreme Court are not
/ to the point, and where ana ogy, that frail-
! est Of the methods Of reasoning. applies
/ those decisions 10 the present situation,
] they are conflicting and confused. This Is
I q 10 q 70
/ situations should be met with new meth
I DDS. We should have the courage OF our
/ new condition, the frankness Cf our new
4 difficulty, the conservative ability OF our
/ new necessity.
/ But the Constitution does give US pow
/ er as ample as our opportunities; power 50
| express and emphatic that the opposition
4 dare not quote it, lest it confouud them.
/ but hy TO subueties and refnements OF
! other sections not bearing on the matter
! in dispute; power so clear that il bears
Z almost the authority OF command; power
| written by the instructive anticipation OF
| our development. power penned by the
racial impulse IN the blood OF the fathers:
/ power so complete emphatic. and unusual
! that there is in Ii the suggestion Of duty.
! The Congress shall have power 20 dis
! pose Of and make all needful rules and reg
/ ulatiOns respecting territory or other prop
/ erty belonging 10 the United States
/ The Exercise of Power.
! "Of course Congress must exercise this
1 power in the manner prescribed in the
4 Consultation. The Constitution determines
/ the methods Of Congressional action in ex-
ercising all its powers, and the Constitu-
! tion fXes-certain fundamental general lin
itations to and absolute general prohibit
/ tions on the power Of Congress: and when
! Congress makes 'needful rules and reguIa-
tions respecting territory or other prop
/ erty belonging to the United States II
| cannot transgress these limitations OF pro-
! hibitions any more than il can pass laws
in any other manner except the one mark
| ed out in the Constitution This is. Of
/ course, self-evident, but I state it only
| that even the malice of partisanship shall
| not say that We put Congress above the
| Constitution.
Reciprocity with Porto Rico will help
| that island; il oannc, hurt us No. il viii
help us more than II will help Porto Rico
| 1t affords us a safe experiment with our
| possessions at the very beginning of our
! experience as an administering power. For
! a nation OF 10000. 600 of people with an
| imperial continent for its home. and prac-
| ticed in sII the arts or industry. cannot
| suffer in competition with a littls island
| smaller than a single county Of Texas.
I
| by less than one-seventieth of our num-
! Der Of inhabitants. pOverty-stricken and
| PROSTATE, ignorant of the meaning Of self
| government, and beholding modern Civili-
! ZatiOn as through a glass darkly. II the
| American Republic. just embarked upon
the grandest world career of all time. fears
competition With the least OF its possess
! slons, let US strike our colors as a sover-
| elgn power, tack from our course marked
out by the high inspiration OF great events.
! put back to the port of decay go out OF
commission, and let the mighty voyage on
! which we started be sailed by bolder
| hearts, loftier faiths, and eyes OF clearer
vision.
"If. then. We give reciprocity OF trade 10
this faithful little island it will inspire con-
hdence throughout Latin-America. 1t will
create that friendship which is the basis
of all genuine International understand
ings. II will encourage other people to
| welcome cur protection whenever il NAV be
TO our interest TO extend il. And il will be
the unimpeachable witness at the bar of
the nations and of history, to cur fidelity
to our national pledges, and tc the purity
Of national purposes.
To Vote for Free Trade.
For these reagons 1 favor immediate
reciprocity, and l shall go on record as
voting for amendments giving immediate
and unrestricted freedom OF trade to our
Island OF Porto Rico. But il we in The
Senate. who believe that Porto Rico should
have reciprocity at once, are not able to so
amend khe bill here. I shall, after voting
| for reciprocity amendments, vote for the
/