The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-03

long as they are under our control. and 50
long as the flag floats there he should sd-
vocate the extension 10 those people Of
every right and immunity which the In
habitants of the States enjoy.
1T may be a debatable question he
continued, with some persons whether
the Constitution follows the flag bu;
/ there ought not to be any doubt that the
Constitution dominates the Congress and
imposes upon its legislation each and
every restriction, whether the laws he
enacted for the States. Territories. prov
inces. or colonies The flag may outsail
the Constitution. bus Congress cannot get
away from the instrument, nor from TN
der any of its restraints. Its revenue
laws must be uniform throughout all ter
ritory over which the Congress assumes to
legislate; there are in the iDstrumen.
neither exceptions Nor proyisos-nor any
place for expediency.'
Mr.. Bate maintained that the Demo
cratic party origina ted expansion along
the lines which added strength TO our
national resources and in the discussion
of this subject said:
The acquisition of territory with the
purpose and qualification of admission in
the future. into the Union of States is no
precedent for the acquisition OF territory
WHOSE people are DISQUALIFIED DN every th
cumstance and fact in their character ard
nature from ever becoming citizens of a
State in this Union.'
Referring to the subject of the proposed
Porto Rican tariff. Mr.. Bate said:
The debate on this bill has unveiled
the fact thay the Treaty of Paris has given
Spain the same trade privileges that the
| United States may use-free trade if there
is free trade between the islands and the
~ ... 80
in our treaties with many foreign ma
tions stands ready 10 open wide the Phil
ippine door into the United States. In
+. that dilemma this bunglins treaty Il mean
no disrespect 10 its framersl has placed
the Republican party. Il was that discov
cry which hastened the sugar and tobacco
interests as advanced couriers to the com
1 mittee room with the ultimatum of no
more money for political campaign unless
a barbed wire fence of duties was placed
around the industries which heretofore
have put so much money where il would
do the most good
MIR. Cuilom's Argument.
The next speaker was Mr.. Cullom, who
argued in support OF the bill After
brief outline of the events of the past
three years. he expressed confidence in the
President and in the Commission about to
depart for the islands and said that il
would be time enough after peace was
fully restored in the Philippines, the COM
plete supremacy of the Government of the
United States recognized, and after the
people had been guided IN their conduct of
affairs for time. for Congress. under the
Constitution, to step in and provide civil
government for the people of all the isl
ands Of the archipelago.
But" he continued with Porto Rico
it is different. It's people are poor. ig
norant. and unfortunate. their properly
having been largely destroyed or swept
away by a great storm
Taking up provisions OF the Paris
Treaty giving Congress power to deter
mine the civil rights and political status
of the native inhabitants of the Ceded
islands Mr.. Cullom said that Congress had
as yet fixed no territorial or other per-
manent form of government for Porto
Rico The island had been placed under
a military government until Congress
should fix its status and establish per-
manent government. The pending bill pro-
vided civil government for the island
without extending the Constitution over
il. The Constitution, he claimed, could
not go there and enforce itself. He quoted
from the platform OF the first convention
of the National Republican party in 1886
the declaration that the Constitution con-
fers on Congress sovereign powers over
the Territories OF the United States for
their government and that of the second
convention, that the new dogma that the
Constitution of its own force carries
slavery into any or all of the Territories
of the United States is dangerous po-
litical heresy, at variance with the ex-
plicit provisions Of the instrument itself"
There was. he said, probably no more
explicit enunciation of principle to be
found anywhere than in these two plat
forms. 1t was well TO recall them now for
the reason that again the doctrine was
being urged shat the American Consttu
tion by its own force" extended over
every foot of soil owned by the United
States
That assumption" he continued. was
a step toward the justification of improper
methods in Government. and for years it
furnished the basis OF the arguments in
favor Of the continuance and extension of
human slavery in this country.
The Constitution has clothed the Con-
gress with The powers necessary for estab-
lisning Territories. and TO make all need
ful rules and regulations respecting them.
and has given that body sufficient scope
within which to exercise such powers
Congress, not yet having determined the
status of Porto Rico, nor having enacted
a form Of government for it. and not
having made it a territory OF the United
States, nor any form of dependency, the
island has no definable status and possesses
only such municipal governmental quail
ties as may have been conferred upon il
by order of the President of the United
States under the war power. By this bill.
it is proposed to create a civil govern
ment.' He did not believe the Consttu-
tion put Congress in a s;raitjacket and
required a particular form of government
for every acquisition OF territory.
We can, he said, give them a ter
ritorial form of government-such as is
our usual form. We can govern them
by a commission, by a military gov
ernor, or govern them as colonies or
dependencies. We ought TO give them
government of law and gov
ernment of their own, if they are capable
OF carrying IL on. but it rests with Con-
gress TO determine the time and character
of the government when given"
Mr.. Spooner speaks.
Mr.. spooner followed Mr.. Depew, speak
ing II support OF the bill.
The result of the Spanish war" he