The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-03-09
8,


collected to the amount of 100000 should
be appropriated to be expended wholly in
Porto Rico for her development and i'm
provement, absolutely no ground was left
for any pretense that the policy of the
President and Congress was in the slight
est degree harsh and oppressive.
Nobody can understandingly object TO
the Is per cent. duty. all paid back to Porto
Rico. on the ground that IL was unfair and
hard towards Porto Rico. He can under
standingly object only on the claim that
there is no power to levy any duty at all,
and such a claim would leave the Presi-
dent and Congress powerless and helpless
In the Philippines as well as In Porto Rico.
Between a Is per cent duty. as provided
by the congressional bill. every cent of
which is to be returned to Porto Rico, that
island also getting all collected at the 9TH
er end. and the removal Of customs duties,
as suggested by the President for humanf-
tvs sake, there is absolutely no difference
whatever in practical results. In both
everything is for humanity Congress was
aiming at the same result as the President.
and the President rightfully accepts the
act of Congress. The representation that
either was not in accord with the other
disregards every essential movement in the
case.
But between a Is per cent. duty and
free trade as a constitutional right, going
necessarily and instantly wherever new
land may be acquired. there is the world
wide difference between reserving full dis
cretionary power to deal with the new pos
sessions as their varying interests and ours
may require, and leaving no discretionary
power in Congress whatever. And this is
the real issue which has been forced by
the attitude of the minority in Congress
A NEW EXPERIMENT.
"The country is starting out new
departure and on a new experiment, and
/. is of the highest Importance. for our own
safety, as well as for the welfare of the
new peoples who have come under the flag,
that we should leave ourselves free to deal
with each case as its own merits demand.
The claim which insists that free trade
goes by legal right to Porto Rico would
bind us hand and foot.
1.-THE partisans who sought to put the
President and Congress in hole have.
perhaps unconsciously. dug pit for them
selves. They will find that they have taken
a position which would estop them from
carrying out the policy they have proposed
for the disposition of the Philippines. But
as I do not wish now to discuss the mat
ter In its broadest aspects. or to treat it
in a partisan spirit. 1 do not pursue this
point. 1t is enough for the present to say
that our contention that the Constitution
does not by its own force extend over the
new possessions without legislative act is
in harmony with the general tenor Of judi
cial decision and legislative action from the
acquisition of Louisiana down to this time.
The Republican party had its birth in
an issue very like that which is now pre-
sented. The Calhoun doctrine was that
the Constitution, by its own force. carried
slavery into the Territories of the United
States. The Republican party sprang into
being from the uprising of the public con-
science against that doctrine. One of the
resolutions of the Chicago platform of 1860
on which Abraham Lincoln was elected
President were these words: That the
new dogma that the Constitution, of it's
own force. carries slavery into any or all
of the Territories of the United States is a
dangerous political heresy. at variance
WIFI the eApucit pFOVlSlOnS OF tndt lnStTu-
ment itself, with contemporaneous exposi-
ton, and with legislative and judicial pre-
cedent; is also revolutionary in its tenden-
cy, and subversive of the peace and har-
mony of the country
1.-THE political heirs of those who put for
ward the oogma that the Constitution, of
it's own force, carried slavery into the
Territories of the United States now MAIN
tain the dogma that the Constitution, Of
its own force. carries free trade even into
the new island territory of the United
States, without any legislative action. 1t
is an interesting circumstance that in this
new epoch of our history the Republican
party is again battling for principle kin
dred to that which gave 1t BIRTH"