Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-04-02

shall be entitled to the protection of the
United States texcept those who have
chosen to preserve their allegiance 10
SPAIN, who, together with such citizens OF
the United States may reside there, shall
Constitute 4 body polite, under the name
of the people of Porto Rico, with certain
governmental powers as authorized In the
Hill. 1t was the purpose, as l understand Ii,
of the distinguished chairman of the COM
mittee reporting this bill to avoid the in
sertion of any provision in the bill which
could be construed as extending the Consti-
tuition over the island at this time. The
Constitution cannot go there and enforce
itself. The statute laws of the United
States not locally inappicable, as in the
bill provided, shall be extended over the
island.
There has been much said about the Con-
stitution, of and by its own force. follow
ing the fag-that whenever the SOW
ereignty of the United States is established
over any territory then and there,
proprio vgori. the Constitution is in force.
without any action by Congress. MIR. Presi-
dent, do not agree with that. In my judg-
nent such doctrine is not sound
Powers of Congress.
Mr.. Cullom quoted the following declara-
ton made in the first national convention
of the republican party, held in Philadel
pha in 1856:
Resolved, That the Constitution confers
on Congress sovereign powers over the ter
| ritories of the United States for their gov
eminent"
| AS well as that four years later. when
| Abraham Lincoln was nominated, the plat
| form of the party then declared:
THAT the new dogma that the Constitu-
| ton Of its own force carries slavery to any
| or all Of the territories of the United States.
| is q dangerous political heresy, at variance
| with the explicit provision of that 1nstru-
| nent ITSELF
| He declared there was probably no more
| explicit enunciation of principle to be found
| anywhere than in these two platforms 1t
was we'll 10 recall them now for the reason
| that again the doctrine was urged that the
| American Constitution "by its own force
| extends over every foot of soil owned by
| the United States.
| That assumption was n step toward the
| justification of improper methods in gov
| eminent, and for some years it furnished
the basis of the arguments in favor of the
continuance and extension of human slav-
cry in this country.
| The Constitution had clothed the Con-
greSs with the powers necessary for estab-
| fishing territories and to make all needful
rules and regulations respecting them. and
| had given that body sufficient scope within
| which to exercise such powers. Congress.
not yet having determined the status of
| Porto Rico nor enacted a form of govern
| ment for it. and not having made it a ter
ritory of the United States, a colony,
| nor any form Of dependency, Porto Rico
had no deiinable status and possessed only
such municipal governmental qualities as
may have been conferred upon it by order
|
the war power. BY this bill ii was proposed
to create a civil government.
The truth is he declared that Con-
| gress under the Constitution can give to the
| Porto RiCans such Il form of government
| as is deemed best for them and best for us
| / do not believe that the Constitution of The
| United States puts Congress in a straight
jacket and requires a particular form OF
| government for every new acquisition Ol
territory. We can give them d territorial
| form of OVcTnment-Such is our usua
form. We can govern them by a commits
sion. by military governor or govern then
! as colonies or dependencies. We ought tf
| give them government of law and a gov
| carrying it on, but ii rests with Congress tt
determine the time and character of The
government when given
, After explaining the bill at length Sena
tor Culiom said man could truthful,
say that if it became q law Congress wa
not dealing most literally with the peopl
; of Porto Rico. 1t imposed no hardship
upon those people-it provided the leas
; possible rate of duty upon few things il
= order to raise little money to run thei
: government, and that little only for
| little while until they could get "a start il
| | taking care Of themselves by their own sys
| free trade would be established between tn
= | United States and the island
In conclusion Mr. Culum said:
Mr. President. let US in justice TO Port
! Rico and the other islands not destroy tn
> distinctive relationship which exists be
, | tween the islands and this country, an
= | with reference TO Porto Rico the bill noy
pending should become a law at as early
- | date as possible. l rejoice that We have
| government and an administration, Wit
| stamina and good sense enough to see tina
E justice shall prevail, and l hope that tn
e middle course marked out by this bill, viii
by its enactment, soon demonstrate the wis
e dom Of the government of the Unite
ii | States.