The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-15

Senator Teller addressed the Senate yester-
day at the conclusion of the routine morn
ing business on the subject of the Porto
Rican bill. He prefaced his remarks with
The statement that owing TO his departure
within few hours on a two weeks trip TO
Cuba he had asked Mr.. Turner TO yield
the floor to him before completing his
speech, begun Tuesday, on this same sub
ject.
The constitutional questions involved in
the discussion of the pending bill, Mr..
Teller said, had been thoroughly elabor-
Rted and discussed, but he believed them
10 be Of sufficient Importance TO be worthy
of further consideration. though his only
purpose at that time was TO say in gen.
eral way that he had no doubt of the
power Of the General Government to gov
ern the possessions It had acquired He
declared that he could find ample authority
for legislation relative TO our insular pos
sessions without its being derived from the
Constitution.
And l do not believe" he continued,
that the Constitution is in force in any
VI OuI new pOsStsSiOUS. congress. L Dt-
lieve, is supreme, so far as the making of
legislation for acquired territory is con-
cerned. OF course, in eDacting such legis-
latioi; Congress is bound by certain fun
dsmen tai principles that underlie this free
government.
After a careful examination of all Su-
preme Court authorities, ! have been able
TO find not more than one case that will
support the doctrine that the Constitution
territory.
MIR. TeIler's Theory.
My theory is" Mr.. Teller continued,
that we can make them a part Of the
United States If We see fit; and If we con-
ciude that we do not want to make them
part of the United States l believe we
have the same power to hold them in a
different relation that Great Britain has.
/ can conceive OF no reason why the SOW
ereignty of the United States is limited
10 territory which il makes part of the
United States. Porto Rico will be part
of the United States undoubtedly in one
sense II We exercise protectorate over il.
III we choose We can provide that the ter
ritory OF Porto Rico 1.-THE geographical
territory shall be under the control and
sovereignty of the United States.
We may say TO the people OF the island,
You may make your own laws. We may
give them absolute self-control, or we may
reserve the right to say 10 them that
there are certain things which they will
not be allowed to do, and that If they do
them We will intervene. From my stand
point there is no difficulty in dealing with
these possessions, and il becomes a ques
ton OF policy only. Speaking for myself.
not as member of any political organi-
xation nor bound by any caucus do not
want to make Porto Rico or the Philip
pine Islands an integral part of the United
States. do not want to make their peo-
pie citizens of the United States. with all
the@rights that citizenship ought to carry
with it. -
The relation which I would establish
with them is absolutely consistent with
every tradition of our Government and our
people from the time We organized this
Government up to the present hour. II
/ had time / could show, historically, that
the fathers of this Republic contemplated
that we should some day have colonies
II may be that it is not a good policy to
have colonies, but that is another Ques-
ton. 1t may be. though / do not believe
It, that it would be wise to get rid Of |
Porto Rico. to return the island to Spain, |
or to give il TO its people. II may be that |
Il would be wise for us to give the Phil |
ippine Islands over to that anarchy and |
confusion which would follow the with
drawal of American troops at this time,
but / do not believe it.
IL admit that there are some difficulties
in dealing with the subject. / foresaw
that from the beginning, and ] see it
more clearly now than / did year ago. |
But the American people will deal with |
that question in spirit OF fairness and |
In spirit of courage. They are not go |
Ing 10 be frightened by the contemplation |
Of the fac: that there are difficulties IN |
front of them. II anybody can show a bet |
Ter way out of it than for us to hold the |
Stands ! am prepared 10 consider it,
The Paramount Question.
But now the paramount question is: |
What is the duty that We owe. not to the |
not TO the Porto Ricans. but to |
The people Of the United States?' Porto |
Rico is not a part of the United States to-
lay: neither are the Philippine Islands. bu, |
hi. bill makes the Porto Ricans citizens OF |
he United States ex industrial. That feat
ire alone would compel me TO vote against |
he bill. / do not want these people made |
citizens of the United States. / want TO
-Atend TO them all the privileges that come
rom their relation 10 this Government ex-
,ept that OF citizenship. ] would got es-
ablish any relation with them that would
snable them TO participate with us in the
election Of the President or give them a
on this floor or in the ether
house.
The question as 10 imposing duties oil
heir goods must be solved by their rela-
lions TO the people of the United States.
II the Porto Rieans are citizens CO the
United States. you have no right TO impose
iaties on their goods. II they are not,
hen Il is a question OF policy and not
question of justice. What right have they
10 insist that they shall have free trade |
With US. II they are not part and parcel |
If the United States? II they are citizens.
Is they Will be under this bill. you have !
40 right 10 put a duty on their goods, and !
1 would be an act OF gross injustice. one
which could not be legally maintained. II
hey are not citizens you have as much
light 10 put a duty on the goods as you
lave on the goods that English subjects /
end here from London.
This bill seems incongruous and unsat-
sfactory from any standpoint. 1t is not
/ useful bill. / have no hopes that il will
be materially modified; and think IL
sould have TO be reformed from the en-
acting line TO the close TO ensure my
Fote-''
In conclusion Mr.. Teller said: 81 have
DO patience with Senator who holds that
We ehsll do the same thing in Porto Rico
Is we do in the Philippines. or that we
must be bound 10 afford the Philippines
The same legislation We give Porto Rico.
The questions OF the treatment of Porto |
Rico and the treatment Of the Philippines
are entirely different and distinct. The
great question is how we can do justice
70 the inhabitants Of those islands and do
Justice TO ourselves AT the same time. |
Bad as this bill is, 1t is Infinitely better |
han anything the people OF Porto Rico
EVER had before"
Mr. Turnpr Rssumes