The times., 1900-12-20
Aut Caesar. Aut NuIIus.

Mr.. Griggs is right in claiming that
neither the Treaty of Paris, nor the Ad
ministration which dictated its terms,
ever intended that our possessions. ac-
quired from Spain, should be considered
American except for purposes of exploit
alton and spoliation. There never was
a suggestion in the attitude Of the Ad-
ministration prior or subsequent to the
peace negotiations that would point in
any different direction. If, in the case
of Porto Rico, the first Magoon opinion
made Mr.. Mckinley feel that his con-
science required him to obey the Con-
stitution, and to warn Congress that
"our plain duty" compelled US to accord
the privileges OF free domestic trade TO
that island, it may be said that, prob
ably, when the President recognized his
duty in that respect, he did not realize
that ii performed, it would require him
to be also loyal to the Constitution in
his treatment of other islands. There
never was the slightest idea, on part of
the ADMINISTRATION, to give privileges to
Porto Rico. Guam. and the Philippines,
which would enable the people of those
possessions to supply American consum-
ers with sugar, tobacco, hemp, rice, or
rum in successful competition with the
trusts and monopolies interested in the
like productions operating in the United
States,
Probably The cession of rich Spanish
colonies, involving as it did an almost
nlimitablc chance for the development
of American enterprise in the way of
| railway, harbor, traction. lighting
power, and cognate concessions, and in
timber operations, gold and gem mining,
pearl fisheries and so on, blinded the
professional exploiters connected with
the Administration to the fact that the
precious robber tariff of the Republican
party-the system which has built up
the trusts-would be jeopardized by the
acquisition of new territory. But the
bell wethcrs of the flock speedily saw
the point, and compelled tie Adminis-
tration to violate plain duty" and the
Constitution, that American consumers-
| the common people-might be deprived
| of the benefits which they had a right
TO expect would flow TO them through
] the GuutAdliDH VI AtiIiNOis Gull
| stitutionally thereby would become
American, and give them the advantage
OF cheaper prices, because of the ex-
pansion of domestic production Of COM
modities of prime necessity.
In view of the foregoing considerations.
and of the psuedo privilege OF imperial
government assumed to be conferred by
tl,a 5gt,
as we all know, has established an i'm
perial form of government in Porto Rico
! and the Philippines, and is engaged in
death struggle before the Supreme Court
TO perpetuate it How the issue may be
decided, it is NOT now competent for any
man TO say; but it is allowable for any
and every American TO believe that the
highest tribunal in the nation will be
found true to the letter and spirit Of the
Constitution.
Is there a place within the jurisdiction
which the Constitution. international law,
| and the settled doctrine OF the American
people for a century and a quarter. calls
the United States, wherein the Constitu-
tion cannot be appealed to- and never has
been heard of? The answer must be that
there is. and that, under the flag which
is The ensign of the Constitution, there
is a great American Empire in the Far
East. where the President-E Emperor in
Washington is the sole dictator, and
where his 'civil government issues re-
| scripts in his name, exactly as the Pro-
Consul OF Rome in Spain, or the Tetrach
| of that Empire in Palestine. issued
his. Could anything be more imperial or
despotis than a decree. which we quote
from the columns OF the manila Amer
ican," of November 10. 1900:
''By authority OF the President OF the Unlted
States be II enacted by the United States
Philippine Commission that:
.'Section l. Whenever, through The withdrawal