Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1900-12-21
ADMINISTRATION ATTACKED.

EN-President Harrison Says the Con.
stitution Extends to Our InsuIar
Possessions, and the People Are
Citizens or Subjects.
Former President Benjamin Harri-
son attacked the Mckinley administra-
ton for taking the position that the
constitution applies to the United
States exclusive of Porto Rico and
the Philippine Islands, when he spoke
Friday night at Ann Arbor, Mich, on
The Status of the Annexed Territory
and the Civilized Inhabitants" He APP
peared under the auspices of the'lec-
ture association of the University of
Michigan and 5000 people heard him.
He declared that these islands are a
part of the United States, and that
the constitution extended to them, in
spite of any treaties or congressional
legislation. To deny taxes to Porto
Rico that are not uniform with taxes
in other parts of the United States,
according to the former President, is
to deny that Porto Rico is a part of
the United States. He said that,
while some persons declare that the
sound of Dewey's guns in Manila Bay
heralded a new mission for this coun-
try, to him it seemed better to let it
herald the same old mission sounded
by the guns of George Washington.
He said that the recent annexation
of territory by the United States was
somewhat out of line with American
history; that heretofore the land had
been annexed that was contiguous, ex-
cept Alaska, and even that was con-
tiguous in the sense of being close.
This time, on the contrary, not land,
but people, had been annexed. He
said that territory formerly annexed
had been sparsely settled with civ
iliZed people, and was adapted to the
use of free America, but that lately
there had been annexed insular terri
tory situated in the tropics, and unfit
for American habitation, even IL the
land was not already closely settled.
That these islands were a part of the
United States. even If at the time of
cession the Philippines were in revolt
against Spain, Gen. Harrison declared
no international board of arbitration
would question.
The former President laid stress on
the fact that labor in our new pos
sessions was cheap, and threatened
competition with labor in the States
He said that these new peoples had
no conception of American ideals
that the country had taken the posi-
ton that the Chinese could not adapt
themselves so as to become citizens
of this country; and, therefore, the
people of the Philippines would be
very slow to reach the stage where
they might safely be made citizens.
The important question to be con-
cir RI Harrison
the legal status of the people that
have lately come under the control of
the United Safes, whether they are
citizens or subjects. They must be
one or the other, or aliens, he argued
He invited an inspection of the consti-
tuition, saying that must be the final
authority; that treaty must be in
accordance with the provisions of the
constitution, as well as law. Gen.
Harrison asserted that those men are
wrong who argue that treaties have
certain rights in respect to the gov
eminent of our island possessions, ir-
respective of the constitution. He
said that the President and Congress
would have the right to establish the
status of the people of Porto Rico and
the Philippines If the constitution
does not settle that question, and If
the constitution does say that they
are citizens, then no one has the right
to declare them otherwise, treaty or
no treaty.
Gen. Harrison declared that the
constitution applied alike to the states
and to territories. and that it must
apply equally to all people. He riul-
culed the argument that has been ad-
advanced to the effect that only di-
rect prohibitions in the constitution
are obligatory on the United States
government. He said that atfirma-
lively stated powers were just as obi
gatory. If part of the powers granted
by the constitution are carried out in
regard to Porto Rico and the Philip
pines, he said. then all must be full
filled. He asserted that condition
had been created contrary to liberty
for a commercial profit; that he had
been told that the Porto Rican tariff
law had been passed to protect beet
sugar interests. He said that he
hoped God would forbid the day when,
in the American mind, man as con-
sumner would be regarded as man. the
creature of God, endowed with in
alienable rights.