The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1900-12-28
SOME PLAIN TALK.
Ex,Pfesldent Harrison Speaks on
Our lnsular Policy.
lMPERiAL,sM ATTACKED

4 speach That Puts inc DIS.
tlngulahed Gentleman Out It
Harmony With taissPaty
Ex. President Benjamin Harrison, a,
Ann Arbor, Mich, Friday night, at.
taokod the ii klnley administration fol
taking tho position that tho constitu.
t:un appeals to tho United S.ates, ex.
cluoiye Of Puerto Rico and the Philip
pine Islands. He declared that these
islands arc part cf tho United Statcs,
and that the constitution extends to
them in spite Of any treaties or con.
greesional legislation. Gen. Harrison
spoke under tho auspices Of tho Loo
ture Association Of tho Univorsity OF
Michigan, and 8, 600 persons heard him
The eubjeol of Ia lecture was 1.-The
Status'of Annexed Territory aud Of Its
Civilised lnhabi,ants. He disolaimed
any Intention of making legal or any
thing but q popular discussion Of his
sut jeot. Ho said that recent anncxa
sion Of territory by the Unlted Statos
Was somewhat out Of line with Amori
can History, and proceeded as follows: !.
We have now acquired inbuIar terri.
tory unsuitable for American Bottlors,
eVea II they Wero not populated as they
aro. W. have taken on peoples rather
than lands. The native labor ls cheap
and threatens competition. We have
said that the Chinese will not anal
gamato. and tho Filipino will bo equal
~ allow at least. II 10 not open to
ques,ion, I think, that if wo hau only
taken over the SaDdwich Islands and
tho West Indies, tho questions would
Aaya been otherwise.
The, Supreme Court has said that
constitution glvos power to mako war,
and that carries with it tho power to
acquire territory. Tho people, then,
have delegated to congress and the
president the power to acquire terri
tory; as we havo acquired tho Hawaiian
Islands, Puerto Rloo, and tho Philip.
pines. These islandB havo boon. taken
oyer not for the temporary purpose. .ss
we hayo taken Cuba, but to have and
to holdfor ever. Indeed, .wo havo moi
yot mado up our minds what We will do
withtthem, an6 only. claim now that
thcy are part of tho United States and
its. psbplo must obey our authority.
IL 10 urged that Spain was not ii
possession whom she sold the Philip
pines,s but this is not proved. There 10
no doubt that any international tribu.
nal would affirm our title to tho Philip
pines. The question which troubles
M 10 thor status. Arc those people
cit'zots or subjects, which? A reoont,
newspaper hsad.u attracted my alton.
tlon. 'CltBsns Of Puerto Roo Not
troperlSd9itln Of the United Sta.os."
ASe'fhoy improperly oitlxens or citizens
There seems to DO some.
thing lmpropor about it.
A treaty ls o part Of the law in tho
s9pe hense that d. ,ot Of congress is,
and lot as the constitution is. If the
constitution leaves the subject, opon as
to whether tho people Of l'uer;o Rlco
6bal, BIZ ciilSsns aftcr .annexallon, then
tho president and pgrcss may deal
with them as thoy see ft. If tho con
sti.ution has lett no huoh controversy
then the constitution must stand no
matter what tho t1oaty may say.
There arc two vIeWs to be takon:
FHst, that all governmental powers arc
delcRaled by tho constitution, that
equal taxation applies 10 overy man
aud woman within the nations 30, or
eigrlty; second, that tho term United
S,a,es.dchnes only those regions aud
people withln the organized States, and
that Tho Eovef4mcnt Of tho territories
10 an aosolu.o government and moi oon.
gtitnuonal, and Wo are under no obIi-
cation TO treat as oltizcns those living
In the territories. This idoa seems to
have found it's birth within CONNER
c,ai necessity. The nan who cntlrtl "
depend upon tho bonovolonoe Of another
10 . slavo. Agovornment Of unl,mitod
and absolute executive power is not an
AMerlcan government. For one, | do
not beiltvo the makers Of our c0nsti
tuition ever intended to confer tho
power OF any suoh government over
any one IN the constitution. IL is not
right TO say that booa1so Of slavery our
fathers did lot man. all men. 1t is
different thing to allow an existing
condition to continue from creating an
sAnllfely different oondition 20 meet
Amnercial necessity.
9||SSe ererhaps it should DO asked further
S her the rulo Of equal taxation
apply toaIl people. The ,nAtruc.
tot the president to tho Phllip
Commission scem to indicate that
|sl1SS |ss1SS constitution muet apply to any
?amont That should bo established
Tho provisions our fathers
g At for wero tor iights, not for
iloges. NJ man can read that
SSTneaulo Of rights which the presidout
= ave 70 the Philippine Commission, in
y q inverso order, without horror. Did
Us 0u ever read ono Of tho troaties made
ny tho United States with an Old
World Power? On one side thoy speak
Of the subjects Of hor Majesty" and
on the other tho oitizens Of tho Uni.
tod S.atos. Nov II these proyislops
guaranteed to citizens OF the Uoltod
States do not apply to oitisons OF tho
Philippine Jslanos, it Is time for us to
amend thoae treaties by adding 'tand
Anbjocts" aftor tho words "oitizons OF
the United States"
sTho constitutional provisions rceu.
lntins the orime Of treason seom to ep
ply to these people. We have never
had any trouble with this question in
orr goyeTnmeht Of tho torlitorios be.
FORE What have we been doing? Have
Tc acquired these territorioa that we
might hold them for crown colonies?
Thara wss. only one door Of esoape
tEon the provision for uniformity of
te&asioh In; tho constitution, and that
was declared that Puerto Rico Haa NOT
atpert Of the United States. It would