The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1894-01-11
TERRITORY TO THE SOUTH.
why IL Is Undesirable for Annexation :

Why ft Es Undesirable for Annexation to
the United States.
The acquisition of territorv to ths
sodth of us would spring, not from the
feeling ofnaturally belonging together,
but the desire on our part to gain GER
tain commercial advantages; to get
possession Of the resources of other
countries, and by exploiting them to in
crease our wealth; to occupy certain
strategical positions which, in case OF
war, might be of Importance, and SO
on. 1t is evident that if we once are
fairly started in the annexation policy
for such purposes, the appetite will
grow with the eating. There will al
ways be more commercial advantages
to be gained, the riches of more coun.
tries to be made our own. more STRAIT
egical positions to be occupied to pro-
tect those already in our hands. Not
only taste for more, but interest, the
logic of the situation, would push US
on and on.
The consequences which ineyita bly,
would follow the acquisition of Cuba,
which is especially alluring to the an
nexationist, may serve as an example.
Cuba, SO they tell us, possesses rich
natural resources worth having. 1t is
in the hands of European power that
may, under certain circumstances be.
come hostile to us 1t is only few
miles from the coast of Florida. 1t
threatens that coast 1t ''com-
! Ie-S o1c f1o I'll - J,
! the mouths of the Mississippi and the
Caribbean sea. Its population is dis
! contented; it wishes to cut loose from
! spain and join us. If we do not take
Cuba 'some other power will take
it. That power may be hostile. Let
us take it ourselves What then? Santo
Domingo is only few miles distant
: from Cuba; also 4 country of rich re-
sources; other powers several times
tried to get it; if in the hands of a hos
tile power it would threaten Cuba;
it also Commands" the Caribbean sea;
larger part of the island, offered to
! join us once and will wish to do so
again; to acquire the Haitian republic
we shall have to fight; it will cost men
and money, but we can easily beat the
negroes. We must have Sarto Donin-
go. Puerto Rico will come as :, matter
of course with Cuba. The British pos
sessions of Jamaica will still he there
; to threaten" and commend" every
! thing else. It will be difficult to get it
and the other little islands from the
clutch OF the British ion. TIM, all
the more necessary will it be to have
possession Of the mainland bordering
and commanding" the Gulf of Mexico
ana the Caribbean sea on the western
side. We must have all the keys to
the seas and to the land, or at least as
many as we can possibly get, one to
protect another. In fact, when once
we'll launched on this course, we shall
hardly find a stopp:ng-place north of
the Gulf of Darien; and we shall have
an abundance Of reasons. one as good
as another, for not stopping even there
Carl Schurz, in IIarpcr's Magazine
OVER a BILLION DOLLARS.
!
America for the Next Ten Years.
1t is only in American cities having .
population of more than 10000 that
less than one third OF the total lengths
of streets has been paved in any man
ner If the construction of new pave
ments on the remaining 2i,S3S miles Of
streets in such cities proceeds as rapid
~ as now seems probable, the expen1I-
lures for this work for the next ten
years will aggregate upward of $l,09),-
900, 900. 1t is ouotful if moro than 90
per cent. of the streets OF those cities
would then be well paved. From a
well-paved street a5utting real estate
derives increased value, hardly ever
; less and often many times more than
the cost apportioned to it. 1t is, there
fore, right that admitting property
| should, as it does in most American
cities, bear the cost Of the construction
of pavement, which becomes at once
a substantial improvement, having a
salable value. on which the property
owner alone can realize. The benefits
are shared to some extent by adjacent
property which may not abut on the
: street, but it is doubtful if fair and
practical apportionment of the cost
could be Carried beyond the border
line, though the JUSTICE Of this rcstric-
ton is almost intolerabIy strained
when one paved street is compelled to
bear the travel that would pass over
others If put in equally good condition.
| All calculations of the economies and
profits of paved streets fail to encom-
pass the sum of gain from them, be-
cause there is much involved that is
intangible in character. The benefits
of better sanitary conditions with the
consequent proiuctiveness resulting
! from good health, the saving Of ex-
penses for medicines and the profess
ssiio4al services of physicians; the pro-
longing in some cases of lives that
might succunb to the aeleterious in
fuences Inherent In bad streets-all
are incalcula BILE; nor can be estimated
the far-reaching results of the re-
tarded development of city due to
failure to provide good streets. The
eolrmon mistake Of regarding the cost
Of street pavement as merely luxu-
sious expense, rather than as a profita-
Bile improvement, has, more tkaQ any
thing else, deferred the work Of put
ting the roadways Of our American
cities and towns in proper condition,
and, it should be added, has hindercd