The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-06-20

leglance TO 1t; they must follow where
1t leads; their property and their lives
may be demanded for it's maintenance
and defense, and yet what is there in
that flag which represents right or
nope for them? Heretofore, a territory
has looked forward to the time and
condition of statehood; it's embarass-
ments have been considered tempo
rary and during its period of waiting
It's people have been protected in the
enjoyment of all the rights guaranteed
TO citizens by the constitution. If its
delegate In congress has had no vote
Its people have been reasonably safe
from harm because the general laws
made for the territories We're also oper-
alive In the states. Now comes new
order OF things; the nation has caught
the spirit of conquest it has stained
its hands with the blood of subject
races. The people of Porto Rico are
notified that they are to be with us,
but not of us. They are to have Meth
er our government nor their own
government, but such a government as
we think good enough for them. We
|
our own terms; we shall make their
laws for them we shall tax them we
shall govern them, and if they dare to
quote our declaration of independence
against us we shall shoot them. "Per-
haps," we shall allow them freedom of
religion--ive judges in a court of nine
speaking for US, say that we are not
| n hi
allow them freedom of speech-the
question is not settled;' perhaps" their
newspapers may be allowed to criticize
carpet-bag of1cials-but it is not yet
determined whether this is a general
right to be enjoyed by the Porto Ricans
or local one to be enjoyed only by
the people of the United States. 'sPer-
haps," they may be allowed to peace
ably assemble-this is matter for fu
ture consideration perhaps" they
will be permitted to petition for re-
dress of grievances, we shsll see abou'
this later.
The Porto Ricans had heard of our
revolutionary war: they had read our
state papers; they had been inspired by
our patriotic songs, and so, when Gen
eral Miles landed upon the island, the
people of Porto Rico met him with
music and spread flowers in his path.
Theirs is rude awakening While
they dreamed of American liberty the
Republican leaders were calculating
the trade value of eight hundred thou
sand Porto Ricans.
Perhaps" Justice Browns opinion
will convince the rank and file of the
republican party that our institu-
tions are in danger and that the re-
publican party should be repudiated.
If liberty becomes perhaps in Por-
to Rico how long will it be certainty
in the United States I?
Some of the republican papers take
exceptions to the statement in last
week S Commoner to the effect that the
decision in the Downes case made the
president an emperor. They contend
that the arbitrary and absolute power
conferred by the court is to be exer-
cised by congress, but they forgot that
the president must join congress in
making laws for the nations subjects.
AS the colonial system increases the
President will become more and more
powerful factor in legislation. Under
the late decision the president is an
emperor-the chief executive of an en-
bound by the constitution and can ex-
ercise whatever power he can persuade
congress to grant.
The gold democrats seem anxious to
find presidential candidate who is
not tainted with the silver heresy"and
insist that that was their main objec-
ton to the ticket nominated in 1899
and in 1900.
Why do they not urge the nonina-
ton of Justice Harlan? Of course, Mr..
Harlan is not democrat, but that OBJ
lection ought not to weigh with the
gold democrats who voted for Mr.. Nc
Kinley. Mr.. Harlan has not only
placed himself on record against inn
perialism, but he also wrote dissent
ing opinion in the income tax case, and
opposed the position taken by the SUI
preme court in the sugar trust case.
He has a splendid record on three
prominent questions, but this the very
reason why the gold democrats would
object to him. They prefer demo-
crat who endorses republican policies
to republican who supports demo
cratic policies.
"We want to make the people of dis
tant lands familiar with our products, :"
says President Mckinley. This is an
other sample of protection logic. The
protectionist says: "Give us protection
against the foreigners because we can
not compete with them; while we can
not undersen the foreigner in our own
market, we can undersell him in his
own" The strange part of this logic
is that so many people accept it as
correct.
Violation of plain duty is perfectly
constitutional.
Some of the republican newspa-
pers suggest that democratic editors