The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-04-25


both civil and military, as is the case
with Madagascar. The government of
the colonies of the various nations, num-
bering in all something over one hundred,
may be represented with slight individ-
ual Variations-by the three styles of
British colonial governments. These are:
First, colonies possessing representa-
tive institutions and responsible govern
merts, over which the crown exercises
only veto power, through an appointed
governor.
Second, colonies possessing represent
ative institutions, but not responsible
governments, over the acts of which the
crown exercises a veto power and cen
trolls the public Offices.
Third crown colonies in which the
crown has entire charge of legislation
while tne administration is carried on by
public officers appointed by the imperial
government.
In the first class the colonies exercise
all acts of sovereignty except to declare
war and make peace. In all diplomatic
controversies in which their interests
are involved they are represented.
The republic of France admits repre-
sentatives from her colonies to the ma
tional assembly, this departure being a
concession to republican principles. TIE
Republican party through the admins
tration at Washington is attempting to
introduce one of the above named sys-
TENS of colonial governments into our
system of government. Why? Let us
see. We have territorial system of
government within the constitution
which provides for a local government by
the people of the territory under a gov
ernor appointed by the president. It
is a system very closely allied to the col
onial system number two of Great Bril-
tain. While it gives the people a large
measure of local government, the hand OF
federal authority is always ready
to repress disorder. 1t must be
the crown colony, then, that the
administration desires to introduce
into our system-a government where
in the people have no voice whatso-
ever. But this is hardly consonant with
the promises made to Porto Ricans and
the Filipinos, to whom the nation promis
ed local governments Of their own. There
is nothing left, then, but to prefer the
British colonial government number tive
over our own territorial system. 1t is
here that the underlying motive appears.
This system is preferred and fought for
even before the supreme court, because
it allows the home government to place
a tariff on the imports from these, our
own territories, which the constitution
expressly forbids 1t is not because of
the condition Of the people to be govern
ed, not because the constitutional system
of territorial government viii not work
in these islands, but because it is feared
that certain opulent interests Of the Unit
ed States will be injured by the appl:ca-
ton of free trade under the constitution
to these possessions. So much for the
ernmental revolution. How about the eff
feet if it be successful? All advantages
which the people, as a people, would re-
ceive from the increased trade and cheap
ened products of these tropical lands,
would be rendered nil by wall to pro-
tect the home trusts The islands which
will prosper and grow in grace and CIV
ilization under the stmulant of free trade
with our eighty millions, will continue as
they have been under Spanish rule. The
millions spent and the lives lost to give
them the blessings of freedom will be in
vain This is what American imperialism
would do for the insular possessions. Do
we want it?