Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1901-03-08
AGrant Of Imperial Powers.

AGrant Of Imperial Powers.
One section of the army appropria-
tion bill, known as the Spooner Amend,
ment, provides that the military and
civil powers for governing the Philip
pine Islands shall be under the control
and direction of the president. RMS
met with vigorous opposition from
the democratic members of Congress
because Congress had no power TO
delegate this authority to the presi-
dent. $50 they said: land yet the amend
ment is in exactly the same language
as was employed for governing the
Louisiana purchase by Thomas Jeffer-
son, when president, and again when
the territorial government of Florida
was provided during the term of James
Monroe. 1t follows, that if the present
action is wrong, democratic action IN
has remained for later day democracy
to discover the errors of these fathers
of the Republic!- DEBORAH Republican
The Spooner resolution comforting
upon the president unlimited power
in the Philippines reads as follows:
"That all military and civil powers
necessary to govern the Philippine
Islands. acquired from Spain by the
treaties concluded at Paris on the 10th
day of Dec. 1898, and at Washington
on the 18th day of November, 1900,
shall, until otherwise provided by Con-
gfeSs, be vested in such person and
persons and shall be exercised in such
manner as the Presidentof the United
States shall direct, for the establish
ment of civil government and for
maintaining and protecting the in
habitants of said islands in the free
enjoyment of their liberty, property
and religion: Provided, That all fran
clliSeS granted under the authority
hereof shall contain reservation OF
the right to alter, amend OF repeal
the same"
This granite of more than imperial
power to the President is defended by
the Republican and by the presidents
supporters generally, on the plea that
the Spooner resolution is substantially
copy of the laws giving to Jefferson
and to Monroe similar powers over the
Louisiana and Florida acquisitions.
But these parallels fail in very i'm
portant and vital points.
The Louisiana and Florida acQusit-
ions were of contiguous territory
sparsely populated, acquired and ac.
copied under distinct pledge that:
ssThe inhabitants of the coded ter
ritory shall be incorporated in the
Union of the United States, and ad.
mitted as soon as possible, according
to the principles of the Federal Con-
stitution, to the enjoyment of all the
rights, advantages and immunitieS of
citizens of the United States"
This pledge was scrupulously OBJ
served. There is no such promise il
the Spooner grant to Mr.. Mckinley
Is there any such purpose or possibili
ty in respect to the more than ter
millions of people who occupy the
group of alien islands that constitute
the Philippine archipelago?
The grant of authority in the Louisi
ana matter was to terminate With til
session of congress that Conferred tn
authority in these words:
"Until the expiration of the presen
session of Congress 1.-THE Eighth, IN
unless provision for the temporar.
government of the said territories be
sooner made by Congress.
The Louisiana purchase was com
pleted December 18th 1903, and it wal
organized as a territory March 26tl
1904, thus terminating the grant o
authority given.
We have not at hand the date G
organization of the Florida territoris
government, but she was admitted a
state in 1915, and for years prio
thereto had her Congressman in til
House of Representatives.
Bryant in his United States histor
gives the entire inhabitants Of Florid
at the time of its acq uisition at 5000
two thousand of which were Spanisl
soldiers.
The Spooner amendment fixes n
imitation to the Presidents sovereig
power in the Philippines, and no on
familiar with the facts and from
knowledge of the people, doubts bl
that the military control and rule col
ferred must continue as long as tt
United States shall assume to hol
control.
Beside, we find in the Louisiana &C
that the President powers were care
fully defined as ''being assuch as wei
exercised by the officers of the exis
ing government.
BY the Spooner resolution the Pres
dent is made the absolute dictator
the archipelago, with ''all the mi
tary and civil power necessary to go
ern them, without reference to CO.
stitution or law. He is made absolu
master Of the islands with authori
to grant full protection to the lootir
franchises that through fraud ar
spoilation, may be acquired, with l
reference to the rights of their i
habitants.
These facts constitute a very wiz
distinction between the authority CO
ferred upon Jefferson and that given
Mckinley, and it follows that no su,
democratic action in 1903 and 1921
the Republican mentions ever eXiste
Twas Ever Thus.
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