Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-06-25

| Is Kind to excess to the latest ACQUISITION.
10 ms family, and gives pleasing promise
| them. " 'oie hor
| Outside of the imposition of sltebt famine,
rary duties on Porto Rican products (Which
action seems fmpolitic because 1t ia irrjtat-
ing and prematurely strife breeding with.
out being necessary to protect anv Vital IN
terest either of the Union or Porto Ricol tho
pohcy pursued toward Hawaii and Porto
rico mas been extraordinarily considerate
ana beneficial In the highest degree
III any member of Uncle SANS kinaar
garten may reasonably grumble It is NOT
the new pupil who has the good fortune 10
enter at time when the authorities have
strictly prohibited, but the old mep,bara
who have for many years been contemntr.
ously neglected by the authorities and hui
lied and abused by the upper classes.
Our TOrrid and Frigid Territory.
In the case Of both Alaska and the Phil.
ippines the republics undertaking is tn
furnish government for the territory
without participation by the people therein
until the time when the population shall
become lifted In numbers and character
to take part In the government. II that
time never arrives then the territory will
continue indefinitely without direct par
ticipation in the government of the repub.
Tic. When Alaska was annexed there was
no more reason than in the case of the
fniilppines to expect that it would ever
acquire sufficient population of the kind
entitled to representation in Congress to
enable states of the Union to be carved
from IT, The objects sought In the annex
alton were national; the local interest and
the Aaskan's rights under the Constitu-
ton were not at all considered
II the Constitution was not smashed into
fragments by the annexation of non-contig-
uous Alaska without the consent of the
Aiaskans and by American government of
Alaska without participation therein Of
the Alaskans. then the Constitution is nm
injured by similar annexation of the nom
consenting Philippines and their govern
ment by the United States without Filipino
participation.
There are more Filipinos than Alaskans.
but the constitutional question cannot turn
on the numbers Of persons involved. The
Constitution Is as badly shattered in prin-
cfpie by the purchase and governing with
out their consent Of a hundred Alaskans as
of q thousand F1lipinos.
The people Of the temperate zones cannot
live and labor to advantage either near the
pole or under the equator For sound ma
tional reasons, distinct from the desire to
form new states Of the Union, we have
annexed a large slice $50 900 square mies)
OF the arctic regions, with the white and
red men who inhsbit 1t, and now a small
slice Q14.OOO square miles) OF the tropics
peopled by yellow and black men, We will
hold and govern both, not. for the present
at least. as an integral part Of the union
OF states. but on American principles, in
the manner best adapted to their condi-
lions, and promoting to the fullest extent
the welfare Of their inhabitants and of the
republic as a whole.
From the Primary Clasa.
Though there is not the slightest promise
Of immediate action in the direction Of SO
wise and equitable policy the District Of
Columbia, with increase of its permanent
resident population may some day. without
necessarily losing its status as national ter
ritory governed directly by Congress, be
permitted to enjoy the privilege of partici.
patton in the national councils as quasi.
state. The discovery Of gold in Alaska and
the rush Of population toward 1t give some
slight promise Of similar privileges in time
to that region, which would have appeared
impossible and preposterous If suggested
concerning 1T when 1t was purchased. The
Philippines seem hopeless now as the seat
of future states. do not believe that the
islands will ever be states of the Union. But
in the light of the prospect OF the happen
ing of the impossible in Alaska, who will
venture to predict with confidence on the
subject?
Eut If the Philippines never graduate
from the primary class in self-government
during the existence Of the republic and
the archipelago is left in time as the sole
thereof through the promotion Of
its classmates 1t will nevertheless have
been during the entire period Of tutelage
far better governed, more prosperous moro
more content and more free than
under any alternating form Of government
Which y hs eas9RaSlS