The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1901-06-05
msttbmau 4 gonrmaI,
ARTHUR ROPES. General nditor.
Expansion Settled,

The shell aud its coating are neces-
sary parts Of the nut, the husks are es-
sential accomplishments of the ear of
corn, but what the great multitude Of
people is chiefly interested in is the
meat that is in the nutshell, the kernels
the husks inclose. People at large pre-
fer their nuts cracked, their corn husked
and shelled.
What the great body of American
people want to know is Just what the
Supreme Court has recently decided in
respect of the relation of the nations
new possessions to the government
at Washington. The development Of
the question, the elaborate processes of
reasoning out the result reached, they
leave to the professional men, to the
sharps in matters OF law, to students of
constitutional and related questions.
1.-The result-o'erleap all else and
light on the result" is the cry Of the
General reader confronted with the
mass Of erudtion the op nions of the
black-gowned justices present. Sub
joined 10 the kernel Of the nut the Su-
preme Court has cracked, the CON ia
the ear that tribunal has husked:
We are of the opinion that the Island
OF Porto Rico is q territory eppurtenant
and belonging to the United States, but
not a part Of the United States within
o1or,co 81 ~ Generalization,
Patriotic and intelligent men may diff
fer widely as to the desirableness Of
this or that acquisition, but this is sole
ly political question. We can only
consider this aspect OF the case 80 far
as to say that no construction OF the
Constitution should be adopted which
would prevent Congress from consider
ing each case upon its merits, unless
the language of the instrument imperR-
lively demands it. A false step at this
time might be fatal TO the development
of what Chief Justice Marshall called
the American Empire.
Choice in some cases, the natural
gravitation OF small bodies toward
large ones in others, the result of sue
cessful war in still others, may bring
about conditions which would render
the annexation of distant possessions
desirable. If those possessions are IL
habited by alien races, differing from
us in religion, customs, laws, methods
of taxation and modes Of thought, the
administration Of government and JUS
tiCe according to AnglC-Saxon prln-
ciples mey for time be impossible,
and the question at once arises wheth-
er large concessions ought not to be
made for time, that, ultimately, our
own theories may be carried out and
the blessings Of q free government uu-
der the Constitution extended to them.
We decline to hold that there is any
thing in the Constitution to forbid such
action.
In this conclusion of long and
strenuously debated matter there is
nothing new. Men as able as the
learned justices OF the Supreme Court,
in Congress and elsewhere, have been
traversing this highway of legal logic
aud have arrived ct the same destina-
ton. Men not learned in the law, but
having the gift of common sense, have
arrived across lots at the decision OF
this matter recently proclaimed by the
courts. What is important is that the
decision declared by Justice Brown is
the authoritative announcement of the
highest legal tribunal in the land and
constitutes the supreme law Of the Ma
ton the individual judgment of many
men in all departments of affairs and
all capacities to judge.
If the opposite contention could be
analysed, it would probably be found
to consist of nine parts of partisan pol
itics, or some other foreign element, to
one part Of honest, conscientious be-
lief or conviction. Rarely has any
great question, in all the history of the
government, been debated but what the
ready objection on constitutional
grounds has been raised. If these OBJ
jections had materialized in law this
American republic long ago might have
been added to the roll OF failures in gov
ernment. The acquisition Of Louisiana
the original act of expansion--was
vehemently declared to be unconstitu-
tioual, "just cause" as Josiah Quincy,
Massachusetts Statesman OF the times,
declared, "for the dissolution OF the
Union," an act forebOding the end
of this experiment in self govern
ment. The acquisition of Florida
and every square mile of territory sub
1RBRRANFBE9P WVp1