Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1900-06-28

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already paid md called In for caneeliation
$40, 600 600 of outstanding bonds. me com
Ing winter Will see enacted into law lssiSta-ss
tion which shall reyiyify anq np h',s ot ~
ocean merchant marine and 1enaDle us 70
compete on fair terms WITH tne suusiu. 80
ships of foreign nations which now so iarge.
~ monopolize the carriage OF Aneil t.
goods. And, above all, we shaii, navinS LIZ. a
before us the report OF the able commission
now ascertaining the most favorable route,
pass law under which we shall puiIl Ala
own and operate as properly OF tHs on .ta
States, under exclusive American uonin Az
and control. a ship canal connecting lne
Atlantic and the Pacific. Through IL III n ha'I
of peace the commerce OF the Woriu rus sna =,
pass. If we shall be unhappily engaseu -
war the canal shall carry our WaTsh,ps "nI
shall exclude those CT the enemy ana unueI
conditions which shall violate no treaty sup
ulations.
This is the brief account OF our steW M
ship for four years. During portion OF tna.
period we were involved In, war that lot 9
time paralyzed business and commerce, any
would nave taxed heavily the resources anu anu
credit of any other country lhan ouIs, an1
for the last year or more we have peen EN-
ploying an army Of some $4,000 men IN SUP
pressing an instruction against our autn so,.
ity 5000 miles away. NO INDUSTRY nus aes'
the strain of these extraordinary eAponses;i
nor have they affected the genera sun a.
our prosperity. More than that the conul-
lions resulting from the legislation OF the
last four years have obliterated every ISSUE
ClaJ was rd1SGQ UuTIuS LAC i"oe
The Democracy having therefore to ma
some rallying cry, seek 1t In the results "
our late war with Spain, and upon tnat cues,
ton, as upon all Others we stand READY "
meet them in the open.
The speaker reviewed the war with,
Spain, the acquiring of the Philippines
and said:
Until our soldiers and sailors had landed
at Manila we had known little OF the con on
n ~ f1or 10 IF
soon ascertained that the cruelties ana OPP
pressions existing In Cuba were mild e com nno
pared with the treatment to when S,OoooVo
of people In those islands were subjected.
We realized that IL we relnquished the arcn-
ipelago to Spain we consigned Its inhabit-
ants again to a condition verse tnan sia-
very, worse than barbarism we nad put
our hands to the pillow, and every instinct OF
honor and humanity forbade us to turn back.
universal demand arose from all over the
country that we should retain our hold upon
these islands, afford their people the protec-
tion of our laws, lift them out OF their IN
fortunate condition and fit them II possible
for self government. Any agreement by our
commissioners to give back the philippines
to Spain, resePvtng for ourselves an lslanu
or a coaIing station, would have aroused
a universal national indignation and would
never have been ratified by the representa-
tiyeS of the people.
We assumed dominion of Porto Rico, Cuba
and the Philippines for reasons differing as
10 each OF them. We took to ourselves the
little island of Porto Rico because 1t lay
under the shadow of our own shores ana
because it's continued occupancy by spain
or by any foreign government would be
constant menace to the States and to that
great interoceanic waterway WHICH we shall
build and own and operate an American
canal We found it Impoverished by years
of coloniar misgOvernment and without any
system Of revenue laws. Soon after the
peace it's people were further stricken by
flood and famine. We assumed toward them
every obligation which sympathy and friend
ship could prompt. We contributed as a
nation large sums of money to amellorate
their condition and to enable them TO pant nj
and garner their crops. Then we said to
them: We shall give you just and equita-
BILE form of free government, with power
to manage your home affairs. Until you
shall devise proper and efficient methods OF
revenue and taxation your needed FUNDS
shall be raised as follows: You shall pay
upon your imports 10 per cent. OF the pres
ent tariff rate governing importations into
the United States, which means an average
duty of about per cent All the neces-
saries of life and building materials for the
structures you need shall be free. On the
LIST day of March. 1902, all these duties shall
cease in any event, and shall cease sooner Ii
before that time you can arrange for the
needed revenues of the island.
The recommendations Of the President
were fully and satisfactorily complied with;
the people of the island are content, the
vast mass of the American people approve,
and we have avoided precedents that might
yex us when we come to deal with the prob
lens that finally await us In the establish
ment of our permanent relations toward the
people of the Philippine Islands.
Flag and Constitution.
There has been much discussion during
the last few months in erspect to the extent
of the power of this country to deal with
Porto Rico and our other possessions, and 1t
has been frequently contended by the Dem
ocracy that as soon as we. become the own
ers Of any of these islands the Constitution
Of the United States at once extended over
them, or, In the oratOrical bus misleading
phrase, 1.-The Constitution follows the flag
The argument Is specious, but 1t will not
bear investigation. The same question was
raised in 1903, at the time Of the Louisiana
purchase, and the doctrine then established
by Congress that we could acquire foreign
soil by purchase, that Congress had the
right to establish there such government as
it saw fit, and that the Constitution did not
of it's own force extend over such. territory.
The doctrine was never questioned until in
Calhoun's time it was sought to be denied
in the effort to extend human slavery into
the territories.
The Supreme Court of the United States
has more than once determined the question
and the contention concerning 1t now by our
opponents is not because anybody believes
that the laws we have enacted for the gov
eminent of the island are unjust but In
order to embarrass the administration in
dealing effectively with our new posses
sons. The flag went to Mexico In 1S4S the
constitution ala NOT. Inc nag went to
Cuba and was carried into Santiago, and is
there yet. But our Constitution not only is
not there, but we are busy encouraging
Cuba to prepare Constitution of her own
When any portion of our territory becomes
sovereign state, then is our Constitution It's
corner stone. In the territory Of the United
States not included within state boundaries
Congress alone determines the extent to
which the provisions OF the Constitution ex-
tend.
In regard to Cuba, he declared the Re
publican party still adhered to the pur-
pose to1leave the government and control
of the island to its people. He continued:
And in this connection 1t is fitting to saw
that the populations and frauds committed
In Cuba by subordinate officials have made
every American blush with shame, and until
the last guilty man Is arrested and convict
ed and sentenced that shame will know no
abatement. 1t Is no more to be charged
to the party than would theft by trusted