Political Relations with Cuba.—­Cuba was under the control of our military authority between the time when our troops occupied the island, during the Spanish-American War, and the announcement of its independence in May, 1902.  Although Cuba is now an independent republic, it is considered as a “protectorate” of the United States, and is subject to the influence of this nation in its dealings with other nations.

The Admission of Territories to Statehood.—­While Territories depend to a greater or less extent upon the nation for their government, it has always been the policy of the United States to admit them into the Union as States when conditions became right for this action.  That the power to admit States into the Union belongs exclusively to Congress is evident from the language of the Constitution: 

Article IV, Section 3, Clause 1. New States may be admitted by the Congress into this Union; but no new State shall be formed or erected within the jurisdiction of any other State; nor any State be formed by the junction of two or more States or parts of States, without the consent of the legislatures of the States concerned as well as of the Congress.

Territories first apply for admission to the Union, and then either of two processes may follow:  (1) Congress passes an enabling act authorizing the Territory to frame a constitution, which is submitted to Congress for approval. (2) Or, the Territory frames its constitution without waiting for the enabling act; with this in its hand the Territory then applies to Congress for admission.  In either case, before giving its approval to the admission of a State, Congress must see that the constitution submitted contains nothing that is inconsistent with a republican form of government.

Our Public Land Policy.—­In the Territories which lay between the Allegheny Mountains and the Mississippi River, and in all the acquisitions that have since been made, the unoccupied[60] lands became the property of the United States.  So the National government became the possessor of many millions of acres of land, and it still holds immense tracts in the Western States and in its distant possessions.  Upon the admission of a Territory as a State, the ownership of its public lands does not pass to the new State, but remains with the National government.  The latter has followed a most liberal policy in dealing with its lands, (1) It has granted great amounts to the States.  The school lands which are the basis of the common school funds in the Western States were acquired in this way. (2) Many thousands of square miles have been granted to railroad companies as aid in the construction of their lines.  These lands are still being purchased at low rates by settlers in the West. (3) The “homestead law” provides that citizens may acquire 160 acres of land, or less, free of cost, on condition of living upon it for five years and improving it. (4) Millions of acres are still held by the government, subject to sale at low prices.