The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-05-29
WHAT DEoIsIoN MEANs.
Solicitor General Richards Of Justice
Department Makes Explanations.

Solicitor General Richards Of Justice
Department Makes Explanations.
Washington. May 2S.-Solicitor Cen
eraI Richards Of the Department Of jus
tlce. who had charge of the insular
cases Before the supreme court made
the following statement containing his
Interpretation OF the decisions Of the
supreme court
THE important question involved in
these cases was whether the cessiOri-Of
territory contained in the treaty OF
Paris made Porto Rico and the Phil
ippnies an integral part of the United
states within the Gaming Of that pro-
vision OF the constitution requiring all
dues, iHrpOsts and excuses TO be uni
form throughout the United States.
The court held that the CessiOn sim
ply made Porto Rico and the Philip
pines domestic territory of the United
States, subject 20 the full control Of
congress. which control could be exer-
ciSed without reference to those limi-
WAS intended TO apply 90 the states of
the Union and does. not apply to ac-
Quired territory unless by treaty, and
by subsequent act Of congress q is in
c0rporated within and becomes an in
tegraI part of the United States.
The decisions are substantially a
victory for the government They suS-
tain 20 the fullest extent The sC-caped
insular policy Of the administration
The government now has the sanction
OF the supreme court Tor governing
these islands as their needs and our
interests may require The court
holds that the constitution did not OF
its own force at once apply TO those
coded territories. placing their people,
their products and their ports on an
Immediate equality with ours and con-
ferring upon Lhem all the rights priv
heEcs and imnunities enjoyed by the
people products ana ports Of the sew
erdl states.
While their fundamental rights are
preserved by those underlying princi-
pies OF the constitution which apply
everywhere. the status of their citizens
and the mature of customs and COM
mined uy congress and the exercise OF
the power vested by the constitution
i'm congress TO mSek all ueedful rules
and regulations respecting territory
belonging to the United States ObVi-
ously what I have said regarding Porto
Rico applies equally wen to the Phil
fBpineS so that the president is per-
fectiy free under the SpooDer act TO
govern the Philippines as their needs
and their interests may require.
eat the same fsale that the court has
sustained to the fuHest extent the CON
tention OF the government i'm these
cases IL has directed as matter Of
statutory construction that the Ding
ley act could not De held 70 impose
duties on goods brought from Porto
Rico. because by ceSSion Porto Rico
became domestic territory of the
United States and therefore ceased to
be foreign country 1'he decisions
OF the court call for no cnange in the
admits ration % the law. The court
did not decide what is known as the
second DOOley- case. which involved the
validity Of the collection OF dues uu-
der the Foraker act Of goods taken
into Porto Rico from the United
States.
While Il have no INFORMATION on the
subject, IL may be that the court thinks
there rs involved ia the case another
question as to whether such duties
should nos amount 20 duties on articles
exported from n state The court also
failed 90 dispose of what as popularity