Washington sentinel., 1900-03-03
Mr.. Kleeberg,

adOpted the 4exaS Ota(e OGunO
cratic platform, which provides
! that Puerto Rico should become
part OF the United States. Slnct
the ratification of the treaty o
peace between spain and th'
United States and our peaceful oc
crpation oil this island by the con
sent oil both our people and th'
people OF Puerto Rico It has be-
come a part of the United States
II il is not fully now, said Mr.
Kleeberg, part of the United
States, it certainly must become
so If Congress legislates with ref
erence to it. This being the status
Of Puerto Rico, it would be clearly
unconstitutional to pass this bill,
as the Congress has no power
under the Constitution to lay and
collect duties, imposts and eXcises
which are not uniform throughout
the United States.
II the Congress can thus act
without the Constitution and i'm
pose this tax against the people OF
Puerto Rico. it can likew sc sus-
pend every other constitutional
right which the people OF that ISL
and enjoy under the Constitution,
such as citizenship, trial by jury,
and all other rights affecting their
person and property. Such exer-
else OF power would be imperial
ism in its most radical form, and
therefore would practically oyer
throw and destroy the Constitution
and vest arbitrarily all power con-
cerning all the Territories and
their people in Congress, regard
less OF all constitutional limita-
tions. Taking this vie OF the bill,
he was utterly opposed to it and
should so record his vote.
Inasmuch as it is claimed in GER
tain quarters and by certain people
that American natura lized citizens,
and especially those OF German
birth, indorse the Administrators
policy of imperialism, he wished
to deny this statement.
Let it be remembered, he said,
that the love OF liberty and local
self government is not only i'm
planted and inborn in every Ger
man heart, but it is interviewer in
his history and embedded deep in
his character and his race: that his
ancestors not only repelled Roman
aggression under ArminIus and
destroyed the legions of Varus in
the Teuteburperwald, but that they |
carried the germs of civil liberty
from Saxony TO Albion; that they
not only stood sponsors at the
birth of trial by jury and represen-
tative government, but have ever
defended them on the battlefield
and in legislative councils at home
and abroad.
Not only are they lovers OF per-
sonal liberty, continued Mr.. Klee-
berg, but Of civil liberty as we'll; |
and wherever the German has gone
he has carried with him his love for
freedom, for free speech, and for
religious tolerance, and his devo-
ton to local self-government.
While he is a good and loyal sol
dier in the Fatherland. as we'll as
in his adopted country, he is not
an admirer of militarism or imper-
ialism, but devoted rather to the
arts OF peace and orderly cons.itu-
tional government. More espec-
tally IS this so with the great mai
oritv who emigrated to the United
States.
Their motive in leaving the old
county was largely due to the de-
sire to enjoy greater freedom in
this great Republic and to cast
their fortunes with those who are
here engaged in the upbuilding
and maintaining Of free institutions
for themselves and their posterity.
How natural, then, that they
should oppose the present policy
OF militarism and imperialism in
this country.
Identified as they are with our
principles ofco Institutional govern
ment, they are especially Jealous
in perpetuatlng them, both on ac-
count of their historical antece-
dents, as well as from political
choice, and the idea oil subiugating
foreign peoples at the risk of over
throwing constitutional liberty is
utterly repulsive to them. Nearly
every German newspaper in the
United States is anti .imperialistic
and directly opposed to the per-
manent retention ofthe Philippines
or governing their people as a col
onial dependency and the estab-
lishment of large standing army.