The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1912-03-21
HOUSE DEBATES AND PASSES
BILL TO MAKE PORTO RICANS
CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES

by admitting as States into the UnioT
| with possibly deciding power in The
Senate, if not the House, peoples who
are somewhat at least, strange to oul
internal problems and to our form Of
civilization.
yield five minutes to the gentle
man from Illinois (Mr. Cannon.
Mr.. Cannon-Mr. Speaker, question
the wisdom of the enactment of this
bill into law. We have the Monroe
doctrine. We have had the War with
Spain. We are responsible for Cuba.
We are responsible for Porto Rico.
The gentleman says it is a Territory.
I do not so understand it. We are
responsible for the Philippines. We
control the customhouses in Santo Do
mingo, and practically in Honduras.
If the Monroe doctrine is to continue
as it will continue no one knows what
is to happen during the sing of the
twentieth century. The people of Por-
to Rico-and l weigh my words when
I speak of Porto Rico, because I have
been there-do not understand, as we
understand it, government of the peo-
pie, by the people. They have a diff
ferent language.
Mr.. Slayden-Is it possible for them
to become competent?
Mr.. Cannon-Mr. Speaker, I do not
believe, considering they are 20 de-
grees north of the Equator, consider
ing all Of the conditions, with Haiti.
San Domingo, Central America, and
elsewhere, that they are competent
for self-government. That is as much
as We can do at all times without con-
flict Qaughter), let alone people down
there, north of the Equator, mixed
blood. Oh, there are men in Porto
Rico who are fully as strong as
am, but one swallow does not make
a summer
Mr.. Slayden-Wil the gentleman
permit an interruption?
Mr.. Cannon-I have only five min
utes.
Mr.. Slayden-I just wanted to pro-
test against that last statement of
he gentleman. l am in sympathy with
a great deal of what the gentleman
states, but I can not agree to that.
Mr.. Cannon - met some very
bright men in Porto Rico, and very
patriotic men.
Mr.. Slayden-No doubt.
Mr.. Cannon-Now, Christ died to
save all; yes, but all that he died for
are not now competent of self-gov-
eminent on this earth. We require
education touching our outlying pos
and what may be our out
lying possessions. Here we are very
apt to measure everybody's corn in
our half bushel / undertake to say
that if you pick up a million peo-
pie, your kind of people and my kind
Of people-the Caucasian race-and
put them for one years or 200 years
or 300 years, without any unmixed
blood; 20 degrees south of the Euua-
tor, I undertake to say, in my judg-
nent, the civilization would decrease
in force, in capacity for self-govern-
ment. The gentleman from Illinois
CMr. Mann) has well said this is but
the entering wedge for a demand for
statehood. They are protected. I do !
not know, but as I am informed by
people who are familiar, IS or 80 per
cent of those people are mixed blood |
in part and are not equal to the full
blood Spaniard and not equal, in my
to the unmixed African, and |
yet they are to be made citizens of
The United States.
They are entitled to protection at
he hands of the people of a great Re-
public and will receive it, but I think
we could be a little slow about this |
legislation. Therefore, hold
Ing the views that l do about it, |
seeing what there is in the future, l |
shall be glad to know that if there is
an addition to statehood. l should be
glad to know that there is capacity on
the average for selfgovernment. Does
anybody dispute that proposition? l
pause for somebody to combat it. Why, |
you may say, you go out in the noun
tain States, with a small population;
but if you will take the zone in which
the people in the United States proper
reside and then consider the race,
they grow and grow, they pass
through a period of childhood, have
an experience that a growing Com
has, and the history of
the States proper shows that we can
build a Commonwealth,
Or that they can build Common.
wealths, in the present area of the
United States. (Applause) |
For one, am not ready to vote for
this bill at this time.