The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-06-06

The administration has concluded to
tary control of the Philippines and defy
the supreme court The result of the
council Of peace which the president
called together upon his return, proved
to be a council Of war. The expert opin-
ions which were handed in by Knox,
Root, Spooner and Plat were to the
effect that the DeLima case covered the
Philippine situation and that the Spooner
amendment did not bring the islands
within the Downes case. There could
be little question of this. While the
president was empowered to govern the
internal affairs of the Philippines In the
absence of direct congressional action,
he must do it under the constitution.
The general laws of the United States
must be thrown over the islands until
sucn time as congress could meet and
come under the cover of the decision
in the Downes case, so far as the tariff
was concerned
If this were done lit would spoil all
the carefully laid colonial plans and
give the islands free trade with the
United States. Tt would also make the
inhabitants American citizens mo doubt
they are so now) and necessitate the
undoing of the work of the Taft CON-
mission and the substitution of a reg
Mar feprifOrioI
cession and possession furnished thu
knife to cut the knot The administra-
ton simply assumed that we have not
possession OF the islands, that a state
of war exists there and civil govern
ment is impossible. AS war measure,
then, the president has the power to
govern the Philippines until the dove
of peace rests upon the benighted ISL
ands. 1t was the only way out of the
diIdculty-it was the only way under the
constitution as interpreted by the court
that the blessings Of civil and CONNER
cial liberty could be kept from the in
habitants
pines? Bless your soul, yes We have
had possession for nearly two years.
More tnan that, the administration has
been telling the country that the war
was at an end, the leader was cap
tured and that civil government had
been established over nearly all the
provinces of the islands. We were told
that on or about the first day Of July
next, the military authority was to be
withdrawn and complete civil authority
established with Judge Taft as COVER
nor. What mas caused all this change?
Have the F'ilipinos broken out in a
fresh place like the Beers? No, every
thing is quiet. Why then this prepara-
ton for an indefinite period OF war in
the colonies? Why this assuming of
military power by the president where
but a few days ago he assured the peo-
pie that 'mild-eyed peace smiled on the
happy worlds tncrease"2 The admins
tration papers will assure us that this
policy is adopted because the supreme
court sustained the policy Of the govern
ment. Was not that their Interpretation
of the late decisions?
To speak the truth and speak it blunt
ly, the administration by resorting to
this subterfuge to do indirectly, what the
supreme court has said it cannot do
directly, is in contempt of court, and
every man who is party to it should
be punished. If the court meant any
thing in the late decisions 1T meant that
the constitution extends over the Phil
ippines. The president and his advisers
admit this construction and deliberately
prepare to avoid its effect by assuming
conditions that do not exist
We will be much surprised if this de-
liberate insult offered to the supreme
court is passed over by that body in
silence.