The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-30

! free hand for which I plead We had bet
! ter leave our wards TO their anarchy, mis-
! cry. and woe. better leave them to other
! nations having the power and the wisdom
! OF events and situations.
! Mr.. Beveridge declared that the present
/ situation is for this country unprecedented
! and that our action must be without ex-
ample. The decisions Of the Supreme
/ Court are not 10 the point and where an
/ alogy applies those decisions to the pres
ent situation they are conflicting and con-
/ fused Discussing the question of prece-
/ dents. he said The very philosophy Of
/ precedent demands the creation OF new
precedents out OF new occasions. Surely
We can see more clearly the situation be
/ fore " with our living eyes than with the
/ dead ewes of the fathers and even those
dead eyes looking not al our problems, but
az theirs
] so let us admit that old decisions of
the courts cannot avail us. There are
some containing passages one way and
some containing expressions the other
way. but none of them illuminates the new
fields Of thought and action which We en-
ter.
Can we therefore unaided by judicial
decisions ind IN the Constitution the free
hand needful for our new task Have we
the discretion of our own wisdom Are
We 10 have the liberty of our national
manhood Are We 10 have the power of
our mission Did the fathers, uuthinkinE,
put a period to our career as an admins
tering people and close the door of the fu-
ture in our faces o.
The Constitution Quoted.
Mr.. Beveridge quoted the clause Of the
Constitution which says that Congress
shall have power to dispose of and make
all needful rules and regulations respect
ing the territory or other property be-
longing to the United States and said
that the power thus conferred is declared
in words so clear, so absolute. so unre-
stricted. and SO unusual that they have
the ring Of duty and command.
of course. be continued. Congress
must exercise this power in the manner
prescribed in the Constitution. The Con-
stitution determines the method of con-
gressional action in exercising all of its
powers and the Constitution fixes GER
tain fundamental general limitations to
and absolute general prohibitions on the
power Of Congress; and when Congress
makes 'needtul rules and regulations re-
specting territory or other property be-
longing TO the United States it cannot
transgress these limitations or prohibi
tions any more than it can pass laws
in any other manner. except the one
marked out in the Constitution.
Our security, the security of our island
wards. the security Of liberty, is not in
the written word OF the Constitution: it
is in our institutions which are the
spirit Of the Constitution. England has
no written constitution: France has
an ideal written constitution, and yet
England has liberty and law; France has
lrr Oh
Mr. Beyeridge maintained that the free
hand does not mean tariff " Porto .
Rico. that in fact it means free trade. (
The principle of free hand" he said, I
of the liberty of our common sense, of /
the discretion Of our best thought, means
that in Porto Rico We may adopt free
trade if that is best: in the Philippines
a tariff if that is best: in Hawaii Terri (
torial form OF government, II that is best
as the situation OF each possession and /
the welfare Of its people and of the leo
pie Of the United States may suggest.
If the American Republic just EN-
5arksd upon the graudest world career of
all time. fears competition with the least
Of its possessions. let us strike our coloTs
as a sovereign power, tack from our
course marked out by the high inspiration
Jf great events. put back to the port Of
iecay, 20 out of commission and let the
mighty voyage on which We started be
sailed by bolder hearts, loftier faiths, and
Eyes Of clearer vision.
u favor immediate reciprocity, and I
shall 90 on record as voting for amend
nents giving immediate and unrestricted
freedom OF trade to our Island OF Porto
Rico. But il we IN the Senate who believe
hat Porto Rico should have reciprocity at
Ince are not able 10 so amend the bill here
shall after voting for reciprocity amend
nents vote for the civil government bill
Is modified by the committee. because We
must not deny civil government to the
people Of Porto Rico a moment longer,
md because the bill as modified ensures
rec trade with Porto Rico as soon as the
'ivil government of that island provides
! - an - r..aLlr-r- u L. ..r.-r