St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1900-01-31

nation and of the Cubans under this as
sumed duty may involve many nice ques
tions and many difficulties.
THE PHILIPPINE QUESTION.
Yet there are those who earnestly urge
that Congress should make q declaration
that the nation holds Puerto Rico and the
Philippine Islands under the same unde-
fined, yet in sense particular duty. In
my judgment, such a course is beset with
complications and difficulties. By adopting
it the nation would court these and invite
the inhabitants of the islands to engender
perpieXng questions and entanglements.
Under the treaty the nation takes the
sovereignty of Puerto Rico and of the
Philippine Islands, under the general duty
to use it in such manner as Congress
may judge will best subserve the highest
interests of their inhabitants and the in
habitants of this nation. | would an
nounce no other duty in regard to them.
Many more complications and entangle-
n1ents may arise in the discharge of the
particular duty to Cuba than are likely to
arise in the discharge of the general duty
to Puerto Rico and the Philippine Islands.
CONGRESS SHOULD ANNOUNCE NO
POLICY EXCEPT THE FLAG.
Ut is urged that this nation should an
nounce the policy of it's purpose in the adj
ministration of the sovereignty. The flag
of the nation has been planted on those
islands. That is the emblem of it's policy,
| and ever has been, even when at half
mast, mourning the loss of her sons slam
in its defence. The flag never did, and I
| hope never may, represent but one policy.
That policy is individual manhood; the
right to enjoy religious and civil liberty;
| ioht Of fn halt ~, 4
worship God according to the dictates of
his own conscience; the right to stand pro-
| tected equally with every other man be-
| fore the law in the enjoyment of freedom.
| of personal rights, and of property. Let
| the flag, as the representative of these
principles, be planted and become domi-
nant on and over every island and every
| inhabitant. No other, no better policy
can be proclaimed. In no other way can
| this Congress and nation discharge it's du-
| ty to the people of the United States and
to the people of the islands Congress
should proclaim this policy by its acts and
make no attempt to do what it has no
power to do--pledge or limit the action
of future Congresses. What future Con-
crosses shall do is for them to determine
and proclaim. 1t can not be assumed that
wisdom will die with the present Congress,
nor that it is any part of its duty to pro-
claim what future Congresses shall do.
Sufficient unto the day is the duty there
| Of.
CONSENT OF INHABITANTS NOT RE-
QUIRED.
| If these principles are enforced as far
as applicable to the government of these
| islands, the inhabitants will be blessed,
whether they consent thereto in advance
oc not. In representative government
! ioi,t 70 &c Of nrix
the consent of the governed until they ar
rive at a stage of advancement which will
render them capable of giving an inte.li-
| gent consent. Four-fifths of the inhabi-
| tants of this country have given no COR
sent except representatively. The consent
| of women, as a rule, and of minors is
never required, nor allowed to be taken.
Wives and children are assumed to be rep
resented by husbands and fathers. Boys
are to be educated, trained, and ripened
| into manhood before they are capable CT
giving consent. Doubtless the boys of fif
teen in this country are better prepared to
give an intelligent consent than are The
inhabitants of those islands. This is not
| their fault. After having lived for more
| than three hundred years under govern
ment of oppression and practical denial of
| all rights, it is not wonderful that they
are not capable of judging how they
should be governed. They are to be train
/ ed in these principles; first, by being al
lowed, under experienced leaders, to put
them in practice in the simpler forms of
| government, and then be gradually ad-
vanced i'll their exercise, as their knowl-
| edge increases.
All accounts agree that the administga-
ton of justice in the islands through the
courts has been farce; that no native
could establish his rights or gain his cause
however righteous, against the Spaniards
| and priests; that therein bribery and
every form of favoritism and oppression
prevailed. Under such training and abuse
falsehood and deceit have become prevail
ent These most discouraging traits of
character can not be changed in genera
tion and never except by pure, impartial
administration of justice through the
courts, regardless of who may be the par
| ties to the controversies. In my Judgment
the people of this nation obtain more and
| clearer knowledge of their personal and
property rights through the adm.nstra-
| ton of justice in the courts than from all
other sources.
SEPARATE DEPARTMENT OF Gov
ERNMENT DEMANDED.
The successful solution of this problem
demands accurate knowledge of the pres
ent conditions of the entire population,
and of the different classes of their respec-
tive habits, customs, and laws AS the
| principles of civil and religious liberty are
gradually intermingled with their present
| customs, habits and laws, changes will be
| constantly going forward An intimate
| knowledge of these changes will also be
necessary for their successful government.
| Hence, as a first step to a successful dis
charge of this duty, Congress should Gre
ate department of government, charged
| with the sole duty to become accurately
| acquainted with and to take charge of
| their affairs, and place exact knowledge
of them before Congress for it's guidance
| They should not as low, be left in charge
of departments overloaded and overwork-
| ed.
| APPOINTMENTS MUST BE MADE
NON-POLITICAL.
| The second step to be taken is to remove
| all civil appointments in the islands from
the realm of politics. The nation will ut
tcrly fail in the discharge of it's duty if
the islands are mcde political footballs
subject to change in government with ev-
cry political change in the administrator.
The administration of the sovereignty
| must be intelligent, honest and uninter-
| rnpted. faithful, intelligent man, with
a full knowledge of the situation, must not
| he displaced to give place TO one ignorant
| of the conditions, however capable other
! wise. The duty rests upon the entire ma
ton. 1t must be discharged for the inter-
est of the whole nation. There are honest,
capable men in every political party.
These should be sought cut and gwen
place in the administration of this sover-
Ai - no