St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1900-09-12
uIrlPERIALISM."
, strong letter from Senator Ross ON
the .EParamOunt ISSUE"

- IN he read with interest by all our
readers.
The Democratic party put forth i'm
.or;alism as the paramount issue in the
ppending presidential campaign. 1t fails
Pe"d rfne what it means by the use of
~ uncommon word. The leaders of
.be oartv evidently imported it into the
stIotlorm and left it there underlined as
p oore word with which to conjure and
msIead. ,..r., .o-.to.
,+r;ITne and has been seized upon think |
~ hone OF terrifying honest minded citi-
~, zen voters into voting the Democratic
~ into power again. This must be
tbs;r secret purpose in declaring imperial
: .,r ia he the paramount issue. They
,T1 know full we'll that the most cher
isbed leaders and founders OF the Demo
nratic party in the early history of the
notion established forms Of government
4or territories much more radical than
a,vthing vet done by President McKin-
lev or by the Republican party. They
denounce the Porto Rican civil govern
ment act as imperialistic. 1t is muchless
co than the territorial act tor the gov
eminent of Louisiana, passed in 1903,
when Jefferson, the ackno wledged found
or of Democracy, was president, and
which was administered by him and
Madison, another apostle of Democracy,
for nine years, until Louisiana was ad-
tnitted as state.
The Porto Rican civil government act
allows the inha bitants OF the island to
s,rct all members of the House, and halt
of those of the Senate of the Island.
They thus participate in legislation. 1t
emnowers the President, with the ap-
nroval of the Senate, to appoint the
Governor, half the Senate, and the chief
Justice. 1t has been fundamental prin-
ciple, running through all territorial acts
from the beginning OF the government,
that the national government should
control the heads OF the three depart
ments. the executive, judicial and legls-
lative. This is necessary when the terri
tory eventually is to become a state.
Otherwise the government might not be-
come republican in form as required by
the constitution. Latterly it has some
times retained cont1 oil over the legislative
department only by reserving the right
to repeal any law enacted by the terri
torial legislature. The president has al
WAYS appointed the heads of the execu.
tive and judicial departments. Under
the constitution he appoints the Judges
Of the supreme courts.
Bv the act of 1903 for the government
of Louisiana, the executive, Legislative
and judicial departments were glver
wholly to the control of appointees o
the President. The governors ant
councillors appointed by him were glyel
authority to make and execute all tn
laws of the territory. The inhabitant
of the territory, who were OF trenc
origin, under the code Napoleon, did no
participate in the government OF the tel
ritory and urgently protested agains
this act. They memoriaized Congress
against it. This memorial was reterre
to a committee whose chairman, oh
Randolph, reported adversely to i
The committee found nothing imperia
istic in the act. No empire, no owe
throw of a Republican form OF govern
ment, grew out of it. There was lou
outcrv, as now, that such would be til
result.
Again. in 1922, when James Monrt
was president, a territorial act Tor u
government of Florida was enacted
The inhabitants were not given ar
voice in the management of any OF Il
three DEPARTMENTS. All who controllt
the executive, legislative and judicial d
nartments were appointed by the Pre-:
dent. This was continued tor 70 year
while Monroe, Jackson, Van Buren, al
Tyler were presidents. Jackson and Vi
Buren, are among the eminent leaders
Democracy. Yet the country survlv
this act also. So did the government
the people, by the people and tor t
people.
These were the earliest territori
which had a government and system
laws unlike those which obtain IN tt
country.
The white inhabitants of Louls'a
were mostly of French origin, and
Florida, of Spanish origin. The char
ter of the inhabitants, and the laws
customs OF these territories when acqu
ed were not greatly dissimllar ire
those of Porto Rico. Many OF tue
ritories when organized had no syst
of law except those received from u
gress and their inhabitants came larg
from the states. None OF them COZ
participate in the national governm
while territories. The national COVE
ment has not been endangered nor h;
the citizen voters become corrupt
holding these territories tor time
state of tutelage.
BY the constitution all power rega
ing the government of territories as
as of the islands acquired under the
cent treaty with Spain vests Congr
The citizen voters make Congress acct
ing to their will. Is there any more d
ger that they will, for governing P6
Rico, Guam or the Philippine lslal
elect a Congress less imbued with
fundamental principles of the gov
nent now than in the days OF letter
and Madison, of Jackson and Van BuI
In nothing which President McKinle
the Republican Congress has done b
they gone beyond what was done
approved by the leaders OF the DE
cratic party from 1903 to 1912 in
case of Louisiana, and from 1872
1916 in the government OF FLORIDA
The only difference in the relation
three territories to the national gov
ment from those of the islands acqu
under the treaty with Spain is that
former, by the terms OF the treaties,
in due time to be admitted as ST.
But this condition in the act OF ces
did not change the spirit w hich ever
and ever will dominate the voters OF
nation. They have ever been and