Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1900-01-25

recommendation of President McKinlcy
TO the contrary. Tho cry has been RAISED
by one of the republican papers OF New
York that our agricultural interests will
he injured by the free admission of the
tropical products of these islands into our
markets, and II goes so far as to intimate
that If expansion means free trade be-
tween this country and cur recently ac.
quired islands the administration can no,
hope to see its policy with reference to
those possessions endorsed by the people
Some of the republicans in Congress ara
to certain extent aiding in this crusade
against tropical free trade" as they
call 1t. and they are said to have been
encouraged by the discovery of a number
of presidents for holding that new terri
tory may be acquired without becoming
! Immediately subject to the provisions OF
our constitution. 1t Is stated in this con-
ncction that the Orleans territory which ~
cllded the State OF louisiana had for
eight years tariff system essentially diff
fcrent from that in force in the rest of
the nited States. 1t was also shown that
after Florida was coded to this country
by Spain we treated its products for a
time as those of outside territory.
The portion of the resolution intro
duced in the United States Senate Thurs
day by Senator Ross of Vermont declar-
ing that the provisions of the constitu-
ton do not, unaided by act Of Congress,
extend over Puerto Rico and the Philip
pines and that by the Paris treaty the
United States takes sovereignty over Puer-
TO Rico and the Philippines under the du-
" to exercise 1t for the general welfare
of the inhabitants, will evidently enable
the members of the upper branch OF Con
gress to express their opinion as to one
phase OF the situation. If Congress
adopts that clause of the resolution nam
ed, stating that by the Paris treaty
the United States takes Sovereignty over
Puerto Rico and the Philippine Islands"
the territory becomes American territory
and is made subject to the control OF Con-
gress under the constitution no matter
how hard that body may try to vote its
responsibility away. The islands in uues-
ton continue under the sovereignty of
the United States and the question whe-
Their or not that clause of the constitution
In relation TO uniform duties. imports
and excuses" applies to all our territory
remains to be disposed of by competent
authority-namely the Supreme Court of
the United States.
So fac as this problem is a question OF
abstract justice IT will become evident up
on reflection that the fact that our gov
eminent at any time misinterpreted any
provision of our co. stitution, would not
justify repetition OF the error, although
the disposition to follow the precedent
might be strong. AS a matter of fact we
do not impose customs duties upon that
part of our country in the Southwest
which was gained from Mexico the affairs
Of which are still administered under our
general government through a territorial
form of government. Why should we per-
sist in discriminating between different
possessions of new territory that we may
acquire? Is it right for us to annex terri
tory and continue to treat its people as
aliens. beyond the period absolutely nee
essary for the readjustment of the. re-
lauons to our government? These are
some of the pregnant questions that sug-
gest themselves in this connection and
we believe unbiased thinkers will approve
OF the Presidents recommendations.