The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-02-20

MEANING
Continued from First Page)

| Continued from First Page.)
ings with them. Our constant aim shall
oe TO elevate them. and whether we in
! corporate them finally into our system or
send them forth among the nations OF the
| world. We will vouehsafe to them the
| blessings OF liberty. Wherever our flag
! goes it shall not come down without hav-
| ing first guaranteed under its fold the
] blessings of civilization, of liberty and OF
| sovereign citizenship"
| Mr. Richardson (Tenn). the leader OF
| the minority, made the opening argument
| in opposition TO the measure. 81 am not
! an alarmist." said he but. in my judg-
ment, the pending bill is more. dangerous
TO the liberties OF the people of this re-
public than any measure before seriously
presented to the American congress. It
will prove more far-reachiug in is provis-
ions and more disastrous in the results
that must of necessity follow if it should
be enacted into law, than any act ever
passed by congress.
1.-THE bill is framed upon the idea and
assumption that congress entered upon
the government OF Puerto Rico unre-
strained by the provisions of the consti-
tuition. This we deny. Those of US who
| oppose this measure, I believe. without
exception, maintain that the bill connat
be enacted into law without a total dis
regard and violation of not simply the
spirit but the express letter of the con-
stitution. The Louisiana Territory. Flori-
da, Texas, California, New Mexico. Ore
gon and Alaska have all been acquired
wit 10
strain to any of its wise and benefeent
provisions and without any demand for
its amendment. Every foot Of this vast
domain was acquired and annexed under
Democratic presidents.
1.-The Democratic party has always fav-
ored proper expansion. Those of us OPP
posing this measure are not basing our
opposition to it ON the ground that it is
measure for expansion. This is not d
measure of expansion. Whether the con-
stitution of the United States is extended
to the island Of Porto Rico ex proprio
vigore or not, it must be admitted that
when we enter upon legislation for the
island, as congress viii do if 1t passes
this bill, that question will be put at
rest and the territory will then be a part
OF the United States. The control of the
president and of the military will have
ceased and the expansion as to the island
will have been completed. Legislation
by congress for the island also makes it
part of the United States. II this bill
passes it must follow that it is then a
part of the United States. This being
true, the proposition which this bill car
ries for unequal taxation of the island
-f Il,
baldest form if Imperialism. The oppos-
ton to this bill plants itself on this
ground. The measure is imperialism IT
self In the former acquisitions to which
I have referred no such measure as the
pending one was ever proposed or deem
ed necessary. This effort, therefore.
clearly marks the dividing line between
all former acquisitions and that of Porto
Rico
Now, cannot we, in conformity to for
mer rules and laws which controlled us
in annexations of territory. do so now
without violating our organic law? If
not, the argument, to my mind, is strong
and perhaps unanswerabIe. that thus an
neXation should not be made. They will
cost rs more if this be necessary than
they can ever be worth
This is a tax measure. The power to
tax is the power to destroy All taxes
are burdens to be borne. They are borne
without murmur, no matter how high and
onerous, if they are only equal and uni
form. Under our beloved government.
with a constitution approaching perfec-
ton, all it's blessings fall. share and
share alike, on all its citizens everywhere
and all its burdens great and small. are
laid equally on the people. The wisest
clause in it, perhaps. is that one which
declares that all taxes shall be uni
form throughout the United States.
When they are unequal the complaints
will be loud and long and will eventually
rend us and destroy the government"
Mr.. Richardson then proceeded with an
exhaustive legal argument 10 prove that
the constitution extended over our new
possessions. quoting numerous decisions
Of the supreme court in support Of HIS
contention.
But even If it conceded that congress
has the power to legislate, in accordance /
with the provisions Of the pending bill"
he continued. then the exercise o. such
power would be unwise. II we pass this
bill II will be an act Of bad faith toward
the people Of Porto Rico. We are told
that the inhabitants Of that island wei
coined General Miles and the army Of the
United States in July. 1893. when they IN
vaded their territory and shtruck down
the power Of Spain. They did this be-
cause they were assured and confidently
believed that as the tyrannous shackles 4
Of spuain were stricken from them they
and blessings Of our liberal institutions.