The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-12-18
Validity of Tariff Law and Status
of the Island and the Philip
pines Are Involved.
GOETZ VERSUS UNITED STATES.
Arguments on Each Side Limited
To Five HOurs-Plaintiff Asserts
Constitution Must Follow the
Flag-Griggs to Speak.

REPl BIIC SPECIAL.
Washington, Dec. 1.-THE Mckinley ad-
ministration to-day raised the greatest
question ever presented for the contempla-
,ion of the Supreme Court since the founda-
ton of the Government. when Attorney
General Griggs filed his brief in the Goetz
case
Th, Government boldly claims that the
President and the Senate may acquire terri
tory to be permanently governed outside Of
the Constitution of the United States.
This daring challenge by the Government
has taken everybody By surprise. IL was
supposed that the administration would at
tempt to avert "A decision on Its colonial
policy. But ther. is no evasion. no subtle
parlying The President has plainly made
up his mind that his right TO establish de-
pendent American colonies must at least
be submitted to the supreme ordeal of ad-
Indication
No Intention 10 Make Them Citizens.
The Government. through Attorney-Gen-
eTal Griggs. declares in effect. that II was
not the intention of the treaty OF Paris to
make the new possessions of this nation a
part OF the United States. and that it Was
not the intention Of the treaty 10 make
their inhabitants citizens.
The Government also declares that the
founders OF the Republic did not intend TO
orga anize n Government which should he in
capable Of acquiring foreign territory ex-
Cept upon condition OF making II an organic
part of the United States.
But the most extraordinary sentence in
the Attorney Generals brief is that in
which he refers TO the revolutionary states
men who framed the Constitution % the
United States. as follows:
They had no doubts whatever as 10 the
power OF Congress to govern acquired ter
ri,ory. en- the basis OF a colony OF province
or as territory outside the Union
ha Gnr In, hi
policy. the whole previous theory of Amer
lean craftsmanship and the whole nature OF
our Government. as II has been understood
by every responsible authority from JefYer-
son-the author of the Declaration of Inde-
peEdence-tD the present time, would be de-
siroyed.
The issues now Joined by the Mckinley
administration in the Supreme Court IN
wolves the very foundation principles of tn,
Government. IL OverW helms and ensu!fs
al other national issues. domestic or for
cixn. for If the supreme Court supports the
theory advanced to-day hy the President
through his deputy. this ration is not a
Republic at all, but colony owning En-
p,re.
Use case Of John H. Goetz VS. the
United States. involving the status of
Porto Rico. was taken UP In the United
States Supreme Court to-day at 3:35 p.
IN. Attorney General GrigRs was pres
eHt IL. behalf Of the Government. and
a number of prominent attorneys. including
former Secretary Carlisle. were Interested
listeners
Edward e. Perkins os counsel for Goetz
asked that the Porto Rico case and that in
voIving the status of the Philippines be
combined The Attorney General assented
to this. and it was arranged that each side
should have five hours.