The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1901-05-31


Rico Only directly. But the Philippines
rufersn,iaiiy.
Washington, May 2s.-Solicitor-Gcn-
ernl Richards Of the department OF
Justice. who hi d charge Of the insular
cases before the supreme court last
night made the following statement
containing his Interpretation nj the
decisions of.ttc court:
"Thc important question involved IN
these cases was whether the ccssiou
of territory contained In the treaty
of Paris made Porto Rico and the
Philippines an integral part of the
United States within the meaning OF
that provision of the constitution re-
quiring "nll dltics, imposts and ~
ciscs 10 be uniform throughout the
United States The court held that
the ccssion simply made Porto Rico
and the Philippines domestic terri
| tory of the United States subject To
| the full control Of congress. which
| control could he exercised without ref
| crcncc to those limitations. This.
limitation. the our held. was ito
tended to apply tn the states of the
Union and does not apply 10 acquired
territory unless by treaty and by
subsequent act of congress II II In
co%rporatcd within aud becomes nm in.
tcgrnl part 81 the United States.
"rhc decisions are substantially ~
victory for She government. They
sustain TO the fullest extent the su-
called insrlnr policy Of the ndminis-
t%rntion. The government now has
the sanction Of the Supreme court fpr
governing these islands IA their needs
require. The court holds that the
constitution did not Of its own forcc
~ oncc apply to those ccdcd terri
tories, placing their people. their
products aud their ports on an imm;-
date equality with ours and confer
ring on them the rights. privileges
aud %immunitlcs enjoyed Icy the pco-
pie, the pro'lucts and ports Of the
several states. While their funda-
mental rights ARE preserved by thO~c
underlying principles Of the consiltu-
iion which apply everywhere, the
status Of their citizens and the nature
of the customs and control rrguli-
iions are Ia be- determined by con-
grcss. aud the exercise Of the plwrr
vested 10y the constitution in congress
Ia make oil nccdful rules and rcguin-
tions respecting territory belonging
10 the tinted States.
obviously what l have said regard
ing Porto Rico applies equally well n
the Philippines, so that the president
~ perfectly free under the Spoonrr
net 10 govern the Philippines ns their
needs and our interests may rec
quirc.
AT the same time that the court.
has sustained 10 the fullest extent tn.
contention of the government in these
cases. u has decided, M u matter of
statutory construction. that the Ding
ley act could not he held to impose
duties on goods brought from Porto
Rico. because by ccsslon Porto Rico.
became domestic territory Of tn.
United States, and therefore ceased To
be u foreign country The decisions
OF the court call for no change In the
administration OF the law.
"rhe court did not decide what IL
! known as the second Doolcy ease. In
which Is involved III. validity of the
. collection OF duties under the Foraker
, net on goods taken to Porto Rico
! from the United States. While ! have
no information on the subject. II may
be that the court thinks there Is in
volyed in the ease another question
Us To whether such duties would not
amount to duties on articles exported
from n state. The court also failed to
/, dispose of what is popularity known
, ar The Fouriccn-Diamond Rings cnsc.
: involving the entry for duty of rings
brought into the United States by q
returning soldier from the Philip
pines,
n "Thcre were no decisions affecting
the Philippines, yesterday, and | pre-
q sumo both of these eases referred IA
. will go over until the fall term of the
I court
The other cases decided by the
court were the Goethe W.. The United
States, involving duties on importa'
n tions from Porto Rico: and Cross
man w. The United States, the duties
on Hawaiian imports being involved
In these two eases the De Lima de
cision was followed and assessment ol
duties prior to the enactment of lcgis
lation for the islands held Illegal.
a. The assessment OF duties was par
h TALLY sustained and partly upheld IL
the eases OF Dooley and Armstrong vs.
Inc United States. The duties wcr,
held legal when made during militar,
occupation OF Porto Rico and prior :,
ri ratification of the peace treaty. bur
II illegal when levied after the pnnc,
q, treaty, but prior to the passag. o
4. the Foraker act.