The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1900-01-31
IN CONGRESS-.

IN CONGRESS-.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 24.-In the Sem
ate yesterday Mr.. Ross spoke on his
resolution declaring that the provisions
of the Constitution do not, unaided by
act OF Congress, extend over Porto
Rico and the Philippines; that the
United States takes sovereignty over
Porto Rico and the Philippines unre-
strsined by the provisions of the Con-
stitution, and that the successful dis
charge of this duty demands the estab-
lishment of a separate department of
the government to take charge of all
outlying dependencies of the United
States and the passage of general law
making appointments therein nom
political.
Mr.. Ross argument was necessarily
q legal and constitutional discussion of
the question raised.
Mr.. Ross said he did not propose to
discu what relations the United
States sustained to the islands, further
than to observe that the ceding power
had imposed no conditions, or reserv-
ed any rights, defined and secured by
the Constitution, to the inhabitants of
those islands They had not been
guaranteed the rights of citizenship,
and, under the Constitution, could not
be regarded as citizens of the United
States. Only by act of Congress could
these rights be conferred upon them.
In maintaining this point, Mr.. Ross
cited numerous decisions of Federal
courts and other authorities bearing
upon it. He quoted literally also from
9th fraa hu mhinh thia
had acquired additional territory.
OF the control assumed by the United
States over the island of Cuba under
the joint resolution of Congress and
by the treaty Of Paris, Mr.. Ross said:
81 think the United States, upon the
surrender Of sovereignty over the
island by Spain, took out sovereignty
| over the island, not as her own, nor for
her benefit, nor for the people of the
United States, but for the inhabitants
of the island, for the specific and par
ticular purpose of pacihcation Of the
island. We may say that racification
means more than absence of state of
war; that it means until the inhabit-
ants have acquired a reliable, stable
government. Then the announcement
makes no provision for return by
such government, when established,
for the expenditures and obligations
incurred in prosecuting the war and
administering sovereignty. Is the
United States to receive such compen
sation?"
He maintained that the Cubans ulti-
mately would have the right TO arraign
this nation before the bar of nations to
give an account of it's voluntarily as
sumed stewardship, in which many
delicate questions would be involved.
On this point he said: "Yet there are
those who earnestly urge that Congress
should make declaration that the
nation holds Porto Rico and the Phil
ippine Islands under the same uude-
fned, yet, in sense, particular, duty.
In my Judgment, such course is be-
set with complications and difficulties.
By adopting it the nation would court
these, and invite the inhabitants of the
islands to engender perplexing ques-
tions and entanglements.
"The flag of the nation has been
plant on those islands. That il the
emblem of its policy and ever has been.
The flag never did, and 1 hope never
may, represent but one policy. That
policy is individual manhood, the right
to enjoy religious and civil liberty, the
right to stand protected equally with
every other man before the law, in the
enjoyment of freedom, Of personal
rights and of property. Let the flag, as
the representative of these principles,
be planted and become dominant on
and over every island and every inhab-
liant. No other, no better, policy can
be proclaimed. In no other way can
this Congress and nation discharge its
duty to the people of the United States
and 10 the people of the islands. Con.
gress should proclaim this policy by its