, 1900-09-13
Is A FALSE ISSUE.
DEMOCRAT HAVING TROUBLE
ABOUT IMPERIALISM.
An Interview with Judge McAtee, Of
the Oklahoma Supreme Court-LegaI
Aspect of the Question-Treaty OBJ
legations DIshonornble inconsistency

I
view with Judge John l.. McAtee. as
sociate justice of the Supreme court of
Oklahoma, was recently printed in the
St Louis Globe Democrat. Judge Nc
Aztec has given close study to the legal
aspects of the issue of imperialism"
as related to national history and the
past and present attitude of political
parties. He has searched the records
OF Democratic presidents, and shows
that their position is distinctly op-
posed to that taken by Bryan in his
speech OF acceptance. Bryan's theory
is traced to Calhoun, and the South
Carolinian invented 1t to carry slavery
into the territories. Benton denounced
1t as a new dogma. Judge McAtee's
exposition of the subject is clear, log
ical and convincing. Judge McAtee
says that there were a great many
declarations in the Bryan speech of
the principles of liberty with which
all Americans sympathized. but that
they were not applicable to the con
ditions which had been presented to
the government in the Philippine and
Porto Rican questions. but they were
worked in rhetorically and not with
direct and logical application to the
subject. When Mr.. Bryan undertakes
to deal with the facts the Judge said,
he does not include a consideration of
all the things which should be consid-
cred, and he omits to include some
things which SHOULD be included, and
he includes some things which are not
correct"
Dryan's False Position.
The reporter asked. ITO what, par
ticularly. do you ~refer?"
We'll, take his proposition that the
Porto Rico tariff law asserts tina it is
the doctrine of the Democratic party
that the operation of the constitution
is confined to the forty-fve states.
The Democratic party Mr.. Bryan says,
disputes this doctrine and %denounces 1t
as %repugnant to both the letter and
spirit of our organic law
IF Mr.. Bryan's view is correct, the
consequences would be very serious
and embarrassing to the government
because 1t would result that the inhab-
itants of those territories, whether
cannibal or otherwise, would have to
be admitted to citizenship and the
right of suffrage. 1t would necessarily
follow, also, that a large portion of
our federal revenue would disappear
without remedy, by the free admission
of vast quantities of the products of
very cheap labor, to which the ports
of the United States would, by such
an Interpretation. open. and would
come into immediate competition with
the products of American labor.
THE United States, If this view were
in fact correct, would probably have to
drop the islands, no matter what mo-
tives of duty or obligation to other ma
tions or to the Filipinos who have been
friendly to us would dictate.
Nevertheless, all the great leaders
of the Democracy are or record on the
other sid of this question. Several
acts of congress were passed. in 1903,
1904 and 1905, providing a territorial
government for Louisiana. 1t was pro-
vided that the military. civil and ju-
dicial power shall be vested in such
person and persons and be exercised
In such manner as the president should
direct for maintaining and protect
Ing the Inhabitants of louisiana in
the free enjoyment of their liberty,
property and religion The acts of
congress passed for the territorial or
ganization of Michigan and Illinois, in
1905 and 1909. were in like terms.
Jefferson Against Bryan.
These acts, all approved by Thorn
as Jefferson, as president. excluded the
idea that the people of the territories
were entitled to any constitutional
Guaranteed Tho M nn,,r.o MO-, n,u
sued under the administrations of
lanes Madison and James Monroe. for
in 1872. 1917, 1919 and 1922 acts were
passed for the establishment of terri
torial governments for the territories
IF Oregon and Florida. The first act
If congress organizing the territory of
Florida provided that all military,
,ivil and judicial powers shall be vest
I'd in such person as the president
should appoint In 1886 congress
passed an act providing a government
'or the territory of Wisconsin. 1t was
thought that the laws of the United
States, so far as they were applicable
might be extended to that territory,
and this was accordingly done. Presi-
lent Jackson approved the act of or
ganization.
Acts were afterward passed provld-
ing in like terms governments for the
territories of Iowa and Minnesota, dur
ing the terms of President Van Buren,
and President Polk. who approved and
signed them in 1S4S and lS49.
Constitution and Territories.
These acts and %approvals of or
ganizatlon are in fiat contradiction of
Mr.. Bryan's proposition that the con-
ititutional guarantees were operative
n the territories, and that that is Dem
Dcratlc doctrine. In several instances,
in these territorial organizations the
whole power of government, with the
power to give to the people and with
hold all political and civil rights, were
deposited in the president himself. The
great men who founded the Democrat
&c party and conducted its policy from
1900 up to 1850, including Thomas JEFF
ierson James Madison James Monroe