The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-09-22
Tn, ,mper,ali,tio Act Of 1904.

Wa respectfully call tho attention OF
AR. Bryan. both as a statesman ana az a
LAWYER. 10 a remarkable classification con
Gained in a statute Of the United States
tpassed by the Eighth Congress ana ap-
Aroved on March 27, 1904.
Tho Act In question specifically divided
all territory under the flag and sovereignty
of the United States into three classes
rs follows:
1. states OF the Union;
? Territories Of the United States;
q Countries subject to the Jurisdiction
Of the United States.
The Congress which enacted TINS nm
perIaIIstio classification was providing At
the time for the differentiation OF local
.nots or public records introduced as evil
Ldence in the Federal courts and In al other
courts within the United states. Inc
second section Of the Act was as fohows'
"An m. provisions Of ,h,s At, snd the Act TO
which M A supplement-, shall apply as well 70 'no
publlc acts. records. once books judicial proeeedingS'
courts aud ofnces Of the respective lertl'ohes o. "a
limited States. and e]Ouririfj subject 10 the iuft'dieion
,ot N, UnHsi SlIftS. as TO the public acts teootu''
ono, books, judicial proceedings, courts and onces
Of the several States"
Here f. a distinct recognition OF I'M
nerlallsm, a designation Of successive
grades Of United States territory from
the subject country up to the State In iuil
membership: a framework for a system
OF outlying possessions, colonies, provinces
or whatever you please.
II Is still the law Of the land. The clas-
sincation was preserved In the revision OF
the statutes in 1873 by the lmperialists
OF the Forty-third Congress. Mr.. BRYAN
will ind on page III OF his copy OF the Re
vised Statutes:
SECTION so5. The Acts Of the Legislature OF any
State or Territory, Or OF any e0ur ~ subi'f 70 inc
,u,fsdhtlo7 OF me UnR'd states, shall be authenu'
Gated By having the seals Of such 81 Ite, Territory or
cou,fyu mixed thereto. The records and judicial
nroc,edlnrs OF the courts u any state or Territory,
or Of any such count ". shall be proved or admitted IN
any other court within the United States. by the at
~tes,ation Of the clerk" sc.
And the next section;
SECTION eoe.-Ai recotd, and eHemplIhcatons
Of books. which may be kept In any public ONCE OF
any state or Territory, or Of any country su't'c' fOih
JurtsIidlyn Of The United SiaisJ, not appeT'ining v
a court shall be proved or admitted In any court or
once In any Other state or Terriloty, Or f7dny taH
country. by the atestalon ~ Ihe keeper OF sa'u F''
ords or books = or OF the Governor. or Secre-
,ary Of State. the Chdrcelir or K1eprr Of the Great
seal. Of tne state. or Territory or country" &c
Once more let VS. catalogue the three
classes Of United States territory recog-
nized by this statute:
1. A State;
2. A Territory;
8. A country subject to the jurisdiction
OF the United States.
But who was the imperialistic President
so reckless Of republican institutions OF so
blind 70 the dangers lurking in a graded
system Of allegiance permitting colonial
enterprises and the holding Of distant
possessions that are neither States nor
organized Territories, that he signed the
original act establishing these distinctions?
II may interest Mr.. BRYAN to learn that
his name was THOMAS JEFFERSON.