New-York tribune. [volume], January 21, 1912, Page 2, Image 16

About New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924

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Six Men Can Speak or Introduce Bills in Confess, but Cannot Vote There
They Are Delegates or Com
missioners of Our Terri?
tories and Insular
Possessions.
TO possess all the privileges of mem?
bers of the national House of Rep
resentatlves except the right tc
vote is the peculiar lot of only six men.
They are the delegates and resident com
missioners of the territories and insular
possessions of the United States. It is
doubtful if any other six men could b*
gathered from the two houses of Con?
gress who would present such widely
varied and interesting Ufe histories
and records of endeavor as do the repre?
sentatives of Alaska, Hawaii, the Philip?
pines. Porto Rico and the last continental
territory soon to become a state, Arizona.
J. Kuhio Kalanianaole, the Hawaiian, is
a prince of the royal house that ruled for
many years. Had the kingdom of Hawaii
continued he would some day have suc?
ceeded Q?ieen I.iliuokalanl and become
King of Hawaii. The two men who repre
ient the Philippines were both leaders In
Agulnaldo's long fight against American
rule in the Philippines.
James Wlcker.'ham. delegate from Alaksa,
?adventurer and mountain climber, made a
partial ascent of Mount McKinley, before
the famed exploit of Dr. Cook, who claimed
to have reached Its head. Ralph Cameron.
of Arliona, quiet and retiring, built the
Bright Angel trail down the walls of the
Grand Canyon of the Colorado and made
a name for himself as a worthy follower
of the pioneers.
Within a year the delegates In Congress
Will represent only the far off possessions
cf the United States. The last territory
within the nation's borders passes out of
?xlstence with the admission to statehood
Of Arizona, for New Mexico took its place
as a state on January 6, and duly elected
members of Congress possessed of all th^
power conferred by election to such offices
will com? soon to take the place of Dele?
gate Cameron.
A delegate in Congress may introduce
bills; he may Interrupt the sessions of the
House to make a speech, move the passage
of a bill or make a point of order against
a member; he has the franking- privilege;
has an office in the official office building,
and regularly draws the full salary and
allowances of a member of Congress. He
cannot, however, cast a vote or make a
motion to reconsider a vote that has been
taken.
The Spanish war brought the first insular
representation into the House of Represen?
tatives. Hawaii, when it came into the
possession of the ligaited States on its own
volition, secured the right to seat a dele?
gate in Congress as a territory, and since
then the resident commissioners of Porto
Rico and the Philippines have had the
ssm? standing as the Delegates.
Who are these men who combine in this
votelesa coterie the representation of all
the outlying possessions of Uncle Sam and
HAWAIIAN EXECUTIVE BUILDING
AT HONOLULU.
the last division? of the Fnlted Statei
Itself to be enrolled In the rank of states?
Four of them are foreigner?, thoroughly
representative of the people whose affairs
they are sent to watch at Washington.
Delegate Rivera, of Porto Rico, was an in
?urgent against Spanish rule in hi? native
country more than ten yeara before the
clash between the United States and Spain,
which cast Porto Rico free from the Span?
ish yoke.
Manuel L. Quezon, one of the Filipino
Commissioners, only thirty-three years old,
vas a major In the insurgent army of
Aguinaldo. Benito Legarda, his colleague,
?was a member of Aguinaldo'? cabinet In
the exciting daya of the Filipino revolu?
tion.
Jointly these two Filipinos have a con?
stituency of eight million people, a million
more than the thirty-seven Congressmen
from the State of New York. They are
distinctly representative of their own peo?
ple; they stand for the independence of the
Philippine islands, although they entertain
different ldeaa a? to how and when this
condition of Independence ?hall be brought
about.
Manuel Quezon Is the popular Delegate
from the Islands, elected 1 y the Filipino
Assembly, while Benito Legarda is thi
delegate chosen by the American commis?
sion which rules the Islands.
Delegate Legarda is fifty-eight years old.
la wealthy and a leader in the Progresista
?party. During the days of the Filipino Re?
public, the early day? when Aguinaldo wtf
leader. Delegate Legarda was Secretary of
the Treasury of the republic. At the same
time Delegate Quezon, then a boy o? seven?
teen, was a soldier In the army of Aguin?
aldo.
When Americas occupation came and the
T'nlted Stat-20 took over the sovereignty of
the Islands from Spain, Legarda went Into
Manila and began the work of bringing
peace between the people and their new
ruler. ?Quezon still kept to the field, where
he had won promotion after promotion. In
the last days of the conflict between th?
American one" rili;,in<-? troop? Major Que?
zon was (ft red, and he was held as a
military pi *1< ? in i until peace was declared
?orne -i?; m* lib? later.
Hot Is m. n are lawyer?, graduates of the
I nlverslty of St. Thorn??, at Manila, an
Institution twenty-five years older than
Harvard, and both are expert linguists,
?peaking their native dialect?, English,
Spanish, French awl Portuguese. Quezon
repreacnts the Nationalist party, the party
now in control of affairs In the Islands, and
a? representative of that he demand? im?
mediate lndcp< ndence for the Filipino peo?
ple.
Legarda. a? representative of the Pro?
gresista purty, im stands for the Inde?
pendence of the island?, but it is the view
ci the leader? of his party that the Island
people are not yet ready, and that ln?le
pendence ia at least one generation away.
The dlfferenoe in political views and the
earnestness of the advocate? of both Ideas
Indicate a healthy Interest In public af?
fairs among Uncl? Sam's newest citizens. |
By "immediate independence,'' the Na?
tionalists, whose vl? ws Delegate Quezon
represents, do not mean that the islands
rhall cast loose from the T'nited States M
soon as the independence is authorized.
They believe that the problem can be
I andled Intelligently and the independence
brought about scientifically, so that in
about six years the Filipino republic will
sail forth fully organized as the first re?
public of the Orient to hr? established un?
der the puiding hand of the United State?.
Both of the Filipinos now at Washington
have held Important positions In the island
government since the memorable day In
1S98 when Dewey captured Manila. Dele?
gate lacgsrda was appointed a member
of ?he Philippine Commission on February
1. Hit, by President MoKlnhy, and held
that office until he was elected commis?
sioner at Washington, in 19?"7. Delegate
and was received with royal attention. The
prince and princess were In South Africa
at the time of the Boer war, and the Brit?
ish government designated Sir Summers
Vine to escort them as guests of the gov?
ernment. Delegate Kalanlanaoh- stands
high In Congressional circles In Washing?
ton. On no proposition advanced by him in
Congr?ss h?n he ever been turned down.
The affairs of porto Rico are represented
In ?'ingress by Lots Mt.noz Rivera, one Of
the most active figures In that country in
tlM long light for greater liberty under the
Spanish colonial government. Delegate
FJivera Is a Journalist of power and rtCOC
nlzcd standing. He was writing for pro?
cessive newspapers cf Porto Rico at twen?
ty. At thirty he had founded "laa Demo?
cracia, a daily published at Ponce, devoted
to opposition to Spanish methods.
His activities brought upon him the con
the mountain; in fact, the Cook party went
In Just about the time the Wickersham
party, provisicnless and exhausted, was
beating Its way out subsisting on short
rations.
Judge Wickersham took ttWS men and
two mules, nanvd Mark and Hanna. and
] made the first actual attempt to scale the
?mountain. The trip started May ?6. b>'
steamer to the head of navigation, and
j then across to the mountain partly by pol
i Ing beats and partly overland. Provisions
?gave out after a week's irort. at the at?
tempted ascent of the mountain. ?luring
Which the party reached an altitude of
10.000 feet, had thrilling rxperlem*. s with
?glaciers and snow-covered crevasses, and
?made many Important topographical maps,
later adopted by the geological survey.
It takes the Alaskan Delegate nearly a
year to cover his district In a campaign.
He reaches the coast cities by boat, goes
down the Yukon to the interior, and goes
In as far as time and facilities permit to
the interior camps. So closely is the popu?
lation packed In the settled districts, how?
ever, that he is able to tell by midnight of
election day, from the telegraphed reports
from the moro Important cities, whether
or not he has been elected.
Delegate Ralph H. Cameron, of Arisona, ',
LUIS MU?OZ RIVERA.
Porto Rico'a Commissioner in Congress.
FILIPINO ASSEMBLY IN SESSION. MEMBERS OF TAFT PARTY
IN FRONT OF THE AYUNTAMIENTO AT MANILA.
GOVERNMENT BUILDING TO BE ERECTED IN PORTO RICO.
Quezon, who wa? raised In the province of
Tayal as, wa? elected provincial Governor
of that province In IS-*., \v?-?.s elected to the
Philippine Assembly from that district In
1S07, became the floor leader of the Na?
tionalist party, and resign? d in 1909, wh? 11
ch< ?sa resident commissioner at Washlng
[ton.
Of the island representative in Congress
I Prince Kalanlanaole, of Hawaii, has served
I the longest, having been elected five time?
| by popular vote in the Hawaiian Island?.
He l? probably the only heir to a throne
who ever graced the halla of Congre??
Notwithstanding the fact that the ruling
family was overthrown and the Republic
"f Maw-all formed In 1893, Prince Kalanla?
naole'? personal popularity I? attested by
the fact that In each of* the five elec?
tions as delegate hi? vote has exceeded the
combined vote of the other two candidates.
Delegate Kalanlanaole Is a cousin of King
Kalakaua and of Queen Lllluokalinl. As
there was no direct heir to the throne he
was created prince by royal proclamation
In 1884, and would have succeeded to the
throne had the kingdom continued. He Is
forty years old, a lover of ?porta, and the
possessor of a large country place on the
island of Hawaii.
Fach summer the men who live on thra
big reservation go to Honolulu ta represent
the former prince a? participant? In the
race? and ?port?. For year? Delegate Kal?
anlanaole has had an outrigger crew in the
canoe crew In the canoe races, and time
after time they have carried off the prize
as the fastest crew In the water.
lie is fond of yachting and spend? much
of the summer cruising about the Islands
After his marriage in 18)6 to the daughter
of a chief of the Island of Maul. Prlne?
Kalanlanaole made a tour of the world,
slant attention of the Spanish authoritlis
luring the ten years preceding the Span?
ish-American War. and more than once
these attentions amounted to prosecution.
Ha founded the Liberal party In Porto Rico
In 1S97. and In the same year, when Queen
Maria Christiana of Spain decreed a sys?
tem of self-government for the Island, Ri?
vera became Secretary of Stale, and later
president of the Porto Rlran Cabinet.
Under American control of porto Rico
Rivfra continued for some time an presi?
dent of the Cabinet. I.?*,ter he ?ame to the
United States to urge free trade with PoriO
Rico, and in 1S??*?1 he established the "pono
Rlc*> Herald" In New York, and published
it for four year?. He Is now the lender of
the Unionist party in the Island and was
elected resident commissioner at Washing?
ton in 1910.
The other two delegates are typical
Americans. Delegate Ralph H. Cameron,
of Arizona, was. born in Maine, and I>elc
aa?e James Wlckcrsham. of Alaska, was
born, educated and admitted to the bar In
Illinois.
Judge Wickersham climbs Alaskan moun?
tains for pleasure. He was practising law
In Tacoma in 1900 when President McKin?
ley appointed him district Judge for Alas?
ka. H? travelled over ?hat territory with
dogs, boats and snowshoei. He held court
in Fairbanks when it was composed of
one or two log huts, Instead of the 1,000
people it now holds, and when the hotels,
electric lights, gas and other modern con?
veniences which It contalna were un
thought of.
In the Interval of court work. Judge
Wickersham organized an expedition In
190*3 to climb the famous Mt. McKinley.
Dr. Cook had not ye? mude hi? asctnt of
?ENITO LEGARDA.
Deleg?is from ths Philippinas.
MANUEL L. QUEZON.
Delegate from the Philippines.
moved out to Arizona in IM, Ills app?ar
anoa hardl*. lafgSftl the work he has done
in the Southwest as sheriff, pioneer, trail
builder, stock raiser and miner. Cameron
was Sheriff of t'oconlno Cour.tv for three
t rrr.-*. f,e located and built the Bright
Anvel tr.?'l into the Grand f'any? n of the
Colorado; sad bo still nvi.ntalns it.
The "position of the D.-lrgat:' In Ccrgresa
has alvvav? been a source of trouble. Whan
the number of states wi.s small i. ?'n.l tin?
trrrltorles more numerous, the Delegates
Weft frequently in controversy with mem?
bers of th-? House as to what powers they
could exe:?!
As a matter of fact, although the Constl
:uti ?i of tli?> dittod States provides only
for Henitor? and Representatives from
states, ?ni Anee not mention DelegatSJ
from terrltorlea, the Delegate was author?
ized by the ?Vntlnental ?'ongre>?s in 1787,
two yeorj before the Const.uni m wa?
adopted.
in that year the Continental ?'?ingress
passed "an ordinance for the government
of th.' tetrltory of the United State? north?
west of the river Ohio." and authorized
that Immense region to Ml ? Dale-gats t<>
Congress, who should have the "right of
c*.o'i,ai!n;i.'' but not of voting." In 1817 that
principle wa? put Into a general law by
Congre??, ?o that all territorial Delegate?
? re notor author!?*.! to debate, but are pro
hlhltfd from voting.
In th.? earlier day?, time and again the
Delegates had to appeal ?o the House to
determine Ihetr powers and ?landing.
Hcnty H. Fibley. then a Delegut- from
Wisconsin, afterward Governor of the Stat?
of Minnesota, obtained a memorable rul?
ing In IS*,, when he took charge on the
floor of the*Hou?e of the pasaage of the
bill to orRonlzo the Territory of Minn
Slbleyi! rtfth? to make the necessary mo
*Uoii#s was aue?tloned. and he apyotded to
RALPH H. CAMERON.
Delegate from Arizona.
t
?Speaker Rob*rt c. Winthrop. of Ifaimtlfc
After ? careful study of the author?
jity under which Delegates sit in the House,
i uml the precedents which had governed
their participation In its proceedtnzs.
Speaker Winthrop permitted Del.-g.it- Sib
ley to make the necessary motions.
' It Is clear that the gentleman from Wis?
consin has r.o right to vote." said Speaker
Winthrop. "The ehalv has had some doubt
whether the gentleman has the right to
make a motion. It has. gttWOVat, been the
uniform practice In ?he House to allow
Delegates to make motion*?.
"The chair i upon the whole, that
Delegates from ttfTtl 1 not sub?
serve the purposes for which they are sent
here unless they have the right t" make
motions; and aa the law does not expns?.y
deny them that right, the ?hair Is dis?
posed to accord to them the largest lib?
erty."
Most of the questions concerning the
r!gh?a of Delegates wore settled long as".
Practically all of the Internal problems.
as regards lands, homestead laws, settlers'
rights, mining and prospecting, with which
they were formerly so intim. Italy ? a
parti i). hive gone Into the hands if state
delega Uo M. Within ?mother ?/?Mr thera
will be a markeai change In the ch.n MMf
| of the territorial delegation.
It will then be distinctly th-? representa?
tion of the far-off people ..f the United
B i ea Already Alaska and Hawaii are
.clamoring for "bORM rule. The Philip
l>Mi. s m the demand for independen?',-, have
i many stnrg siporiers in ron.:?i-?-s There
j are big Insular problems t'> be dealt with
in UM not ?listant fut- re, and tl > De'.e
| gates from the island saaastwibSMI of the
United Btattl ail! pl.?.\ an important part
in their development.
THE TRUSTFUL AVIATOR.
Th'> Rev. R. J. Campbell, the i"ugll?l?.
j expontnt of ihe n-w thfol f*y, was talk?
ing to a Philadelphia leporter about poli?
tics.
Modern politics," he ?aid, "are worie
than modern business. You, here In the
States, are so u-ed to political io:ruptioB
that >ou Joke about It.
"I heard a joke about it on the l?>at An
I avlutoi UM Joke ran -descend.-d In a field
, ,e ?I tab*, to a rather will rlreeeail individual:
1 " 'Here, ml? ?l ray ?i Mae a minute, will
you ?"
?' 'Wluit?' the well dr*MMd in livid i.il
snarled. Me mini your machine? Why,
I'm a United Stat.s Senator!"
" "W, II, what of If." .said the av.ator. 'i'U
trust you.' "
? ?
THE TWO-NIGHT STAND.
"The tjlil met \\ 1th an i mino':.? ??? K 'piton.'
.*?:?i ! Mayor Basant pi ntttksaA. dis useing
u measure that luv i fail. d. "Us ?'?" ?ft.?*
was, In fact. ?;s omlnoux ns thut ??? urde I
i to the Christmas melodrama in the two
i night stand.
| "A melodratna- M;?rdei<d a? Christmas
thlto'??as to be niv.n for two nights In ft
email town. The tir?t night there was a.
fair audience, but when. In art ?lute, the
senior villain said to the Junior, lli-t. *r?
we alone'." a volco from the galkry
growled:
" No. Himfat, not tonight; lu:t you can |
bet you'll bo to-morrow night.' "
APROPOS OF TRIPOLI.
.?.??ropos of the war in Tripoli. Colonel
Henry C. Hamilton said the other day W
Monterey.
' A man ashed me this morning whethrf
you 'dispatch' troops or 'despatch' them *
answered:
" 'If they ate your own troops you *??
spa tel ? them; but If they aie the enetn"*'*.
you 'di-spatch* them, with the sxcobt t**1
the dl.' "