The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-12-19
Will sooN RE SETTLED.

The appearance of the Philippine and
Porto Rican cases FOL argument before
the United States supreme court will
be welcomed by the entire country The
great questions of national polity which
are involved in those cases ought long
ago to have been adjudicated upon; and,
no doubt. would have been had it not
been that a presidential election was in
progress.
There never was a question, since the
DAYS of the bred Scott decision which
has had SO strong a bearing on the
future character of the political and So
cial institutions of the United States
as those which were brought up for
hearing yesterday in Washington. 1t
has for several years been maintained
that if slave found footing anywhere
on the soil Of Great Britain he would
by the act become possessed of the priv
ileges and rights OF a free man, and
let it be said TO the honor-o of the Brit
ish nation there never was a resource
possessed by Britain that she has not
shown her readiness to sacrifice in
maintaining the sacredness of her soil
to the hunted victim OF human tyranny.
This doctrine, which the United States
authorities are today insisting upon, is
in its essence a limitation of the princi-
pie thus contended for by Great Britain.
The constitution of the United States,
we are told, does not extend to the soil
or the people Of American territories
Our new possessions are to be scheduled
among "all other property which the
nation happens to possess. The man
who lands on American soil which is not
within the domain of an existing state
has practically come to No Mans
Land, SO far as his political and social
rights can be said to be affected by the
American constitution.
We are soon to know whether this is
good law and good constitutionaIism. 1t
may prove to be all right. But there is
hesitancy tC accept it which is certainly
to the credit of the American people,
who are unwilling that there should be
any avoidable limitations applied to the
exercise and enjoyment Of American lib
erty on any foot of soil over when
the jurisdiction CT the stars and stripes is
acknowledged
Whatever the condition of the law may
be in any American territory, however
liberal its domestic legislation may be,
there is nothing for any self-respecting
American man or woman who happens
to live in such a territory to do but
either to move into a state or to insist
on the immediate admission of his ter
ritory to The Union, in case the supreme
court decides that the constitution
does not extend in its operation out
side the several states OF the Union.
1t will be very surprising. in case such
a decision is granted, if there is not such
movement for statehood inaugurated in
the several territories as will make con-
gress put as speedy an END as possible to
the territorial forms of government on
this continent. However The residents of
the several territories may regard such
decision from the party political point
OF view, it is reasonably certain thar it
will meet their entire approval from the
standpoint Of expediency. since it is al
most certain to seriously advance the
day when statehood will prevail ON every
foot eff American soil, from the gull to
the Canadian boundary line.