The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-23

Ex Proprio YiEore.
In an editorial article printed last Mon
day The Times commented upon the action
I Of the United States Senate in tabling with
out debate a resolution offered by Mr.. Allen
which declared that when Porto Rico was
annexed to the United States the Constitu-
ton was thereby extended to the island.
/ We ventured TO regard this curt and appar-
emily eontemptuous disposition of a great
I constitutional proposition, which already
I has become the dominating issue of the
I Presidential campaign Of 1900. as unworthy
/ and to remark that in the golden days
1 when the Senate was recognized as the
most digniied and able deliberative body
/ ia the world'' a resolution such as the one
/ referred to would have been debated ex-
/ hausuvely before anyone would have
[ thought OF bringing it to vote.
! Our esteemed contemporary the New
/ York sun takes us courteously to task
/ for the expression Of this view, and re-
minds us that the question as to whether
The Constitution extends to Porto Rico
ey proprio vigore had been discussed for
days and weeks in connection with nearly
every subject before Congress. prior to the
introduction of the Allen resolution. This
is true, but the naked proposition that when
foreign territory comes under the flag
and sovereignty Of the United States it
iPse- frete- eorses- vg5eF. the Constitution of
the Upifed States. had never come up di-
rectly until presented In the Allen amend
ment
When the statesmen who had helped the
Administra ton TO abandon its original at
titude Of good faith and constitutional
obedience in relation to Porto Rico. and
had led it in the race to display abject
suhservience to the trusts. found them
selves face TO face with the main issue
they dared rot meet II. While debate had
been general on the Payne-Foraker bill
and other measures, and had not been
directly addressed TO the constitutional
question. they were able to evade it, or In
some sort OF way to defend the course OF
the party. Some Of them though by no
means successfully. had ventured to argue.
largely on the strength Of garblcd or unim-
portaHt decisions. that Congress albeit a
creature Of the Constitution. is above that
auth6Try ana may eSrend itself to the ex-
clusion of It's creator to all parts Of the
United States NOT Nithin State boundaries
But when the direct issue was raised the
Republican leaders lodged and ran away
In the golden days Senators had the cour-
age OF their con FiotIons and would have
joined battle on the instant: but in thos4
same golden days convictions were more
personal and honest than they have since
become in some quarters. At least their
genesis was not traceable back 10 the stock
ticker or to the banks and Offices Of pluto
Gratis who furnished the Republican cam,
paign fund Of 1896 and are depended on to
contribute that Of 1900.
In calling us to account for what it
regards as an insinuation that the Senate,
or rather the portion of it controlled by
the trusts and protected by monopolies,
is open to a suspicion OF "degeneracy or
dishonest evasion We are glad to observe
that the sun" nowhere attempts TO
apologize for or pslliate the offence OF
those Republicans in the Administra-
tion or Congress. who have been or now
are chsmpioning a course Of national bad
faith and dishonor, and defiance Of the
Constitution. Being the ablest and most
influential exponent in New York of
the party organization to which it ad-
heres. the sun" has shown itself to be
independent OF machine dlctation. in its at
titude toward the Hay Psuncefote Treaty.
and other questions OF national or inter
national Importance. We should not
therefore expect so great a journal 10 be
swerved from the path Of Constitutional
Amcricanism, merely because its party
leaders are under pressure Of terrible /
campaign temptation.
As far as The American public is CON
cerned. the question OF the extension !
OF our Constitution 10 Porto Rico. and /
every other iusular possession ex proprio /
vlgore, may be considered as res adju-i
dicata. The affirmative was held by /
President Mckinley when he sent his an /
nuaI message to Congress in December 1
It would be useless for his friends to !
deny that now. As lately as The twenty !
sixth Of January his manager on The /
floor Of the House declared, in i letter to /
a constituent. that free trade must /
be given to Porto Rico since il had been
accorded to every other state aud Ter
ritory. and 10 Alaska not organized into |
a Territory" Nothing could be more
conclusive OF the fact that, until the /
trusts ordered a change Of front. the
President and his supporters in Congress
fully recognized the extension of The
Constitution 20 Porto Rico. They have
not nor could they have, changed their
minds on that subject, in the face of an
uubroken line OF Supreme Court de-
cisions. extending from that Of CHIEF
Justice Marshall in the Loughborough
case. through eighty years of American
history ali and singular dcclarato1y Of
the incoutrovertibIe truth that the Con-
stItution goes with the flag In the de-
clslon above referred to Marshall said:
''The power thea. to lay and collect duties,
imposts. and ercises may he exercised and must
be eNeIc ised. throughout the United States Docs
ttis term designate tire whole or any particular
portion Of the American empiFeg Certainly this
question can admit Of but one answer. It is
he name given 20 our great Republic. which
IS composed Of States and Territories The Dis
tslct Of Columbia or the territory west Of tie
Missouri is not less within the United States
ihsu Maryland or Peunsy lvRnia and i, is not less
nocoss5ry. ca the principles Of our Constitution