The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-10-22
Do We Need More Land :?

tion, shall the policy of the United
States be to extend its dominion?' The
ability of the speakers equaled the i'm
portance of the theme, and made way
for national attention. The first speak
er was Azel +. Hatch; and the essence
of his argument is contained in the fol-
lowing excerpt:
Not every extension of territory is wise
any more than II Is prudent 10 buy every
thing in sight without respect 10 our me-
CessltiCs or profit. lU. consider, II YOU
please, the commanding and lmpreEnaDle
position of the United States II our do
mlnluu could extend from the Gulf OF
Mexico to the arctio seas, thus sweeping
from the North American continent the
la.t VestiEe OF British rule. What the
American people need today is 4 market,
Not n market sustained by restricted pro-
duction Not a market upheld by COM
binatlOns and trusts. Not a market
which Is u succession OF SIutS ana iaHlll,S,
but a broad, steady, universal marNrl-
the marke; of the world II our people
are to be employed We must furnish u
place to sell the goods which they produce.
III We are to have a foreign market adc-
Quate to our needs We must have great
foreign commerce, and that commerce
must be protected The rights OF the Amer
lean citizen abroad must be protected.
lie must not only be secure, but he must
feel secure. that however remote MS sit
Uation and however humble mis- lot his cry
will he heard in every ease of aggression
and wrong and the whole power Of the ma
tiua will support him in his rights, The
name Of England Is TO many American
politicians a lyword 10 curse 10y and 4
party cry to arouse the ignorant vote, but
hpr policv has been to extend and protect
a. any cost her foreign trade. Her policy
has made her capital the treasury of the
world. Her flag Is respected on every sea
and the rights of her citizens protected in
every land We have borrowed from her
our language. our laws, our institutions
and our habits of life. May We not also
learn wisdom from her business methods
ana her foreign policy?
The next speaker was Mr.. Edward d.
Cooke. After showing how the down
fall of nearly every nation of antiquity
could be traced to the craze for terri
torlal acquisition, he said:
1t seems altogether wise and jus tihable
for yhe United States 10 acquire such isl
ands and such territory as may be direct
| ly necessary or available for its defense IN
time OF war or directly useful TO its citi-
Zens under wise, economic poHcy; but
beyond such limits IL should not go IN ac-
uuirlng dominion. The hunger for terri
tOHal gain becomes a colossal crime when
u brings together masses OF people VINO,
thrCu.h differences Of race. language,
religion and IDEAS of civilization, cannot
live together a. happy conte1tei and
weil-gOyerncd nation Should II be our
policy to 70 forward now, In particular,
to seek and acquire new possessions in
Canada. Mexico. CUBA or Hawaii? As 10
Mexico, ! should, in my humble judEnGut,
answer no. The people of Mexico and
Central America are not OF our race,
habits, history, customs or legal tradi-
tions. They are indo-Spaniards. foreign
to our system of civilization; are not fitted
10 assimilate with our people, and should
not be taken into the American union.
As to Canada, | should also answer no.
What do we want Of Canada Is a perth
nent question. What does Canada want
of us that she cannot acquire for herself
in her own way and in her own good
time? II she wishes an Independent, re-
publican form of government. let her as
sumo II whenever she Is ready to do so;
and in that we woull wish her Godspecd.
She Will be our neichbor and our friend,
either in apron strings or running alone
whichever course she may choose TO
adoDt. As TO the more distant lands. the
islands of Hawaii and Cuba. or other
islands OF the sea, circumstances should
largely determine whether we shall ever
acnuira them or u prOtcctOrate over them.
The character Of their population seems n
great drawback to our requirement or
them. But should their people strongly
desire to come under the protection OF
the United States, or to be admitted as
way he honorably and practically opened
therefor, they are 80 limited in area that
our power and strength are, perhaps,
amply sufficient TO shield them or admit
them. without detriment to our own peo-
pie or TO theirs.
Somewhat different Is the belief ex-
pressed by Harry Rubens, who said:
VIII anybody at this day dispute that
the accession of Canada would not be Of
the highest benefit TO the United States?
Its population IL to an Overwhelming de-
gree composed of people of our blood, Of
our religion, OF our customs. trained in the
arts Of husbandry and of manufacturing.
skilled In commerce and trade and naviga-
ton, accustomed to Sclf-goVernment,
peaceable, law-abding and enjoying even
to higher degree than our own the bless
ings Of civil reform and of an impartial
and swift execution OF the laws of the
land. As there can be no annexation of
Canada except with the consent OF It's
people, the problem IL rendered difficult
because of the political wisdom of the
British government. But difficult and In
the far distance az the solution OF tho
problem of Canadian annexation may APP
pear, the day Will come when the Stars
aud Stripes shall float from every house
ton of the Canadian dominion.
Still more improbable and far removed
and to many undesirable will the access
sion OF Mexico apDear at the present
as Lucas Alaman in his great work on the
history OF the Mexican republic speaks Of
his country as "A land OF prosperity. but
10 will not be for the races who now in
habit It," and prophetically points to IAN
other race" 40 destined to suppant It.
VIII not and should not Mexico share the
fate OF the Flordas OF Louisiana, of
Texas and of California, and will not he.
who now shakes his head In dissent in
years to come prove to have been 40 much
mistaken as Daniel Webster and Thomas
Jefferson were with reference to the land
kissed by the blue waves of the Pacific
ocean?
A problem OF annexation much more
pressing upon the attention of patrio otic
Americans relates TO the pearl of the An
tilles-the island OF Cuba. ! do not under
rat the difficulties, diplomatic and other
wise. which still have to be overcome be-
fore the Stars and Strips will float on the
public buildings of Havana, nor DO ] un-
derrate the difficulties, perhaps still great
err of dea ling with the new member of our
political family after its admission. But
people which conceived and carried out
the problem of American independence.
which devised our constitution. which sun
pressed rebellion and managed the prob
lem OF reconstruction which enlarged It's
original territory by almost three mill
ions of square miles In less than hun
dred years and successfully amalgamated
with Il large populations OF Spanish and
French and Indian origin. which built the
Pacific railroad and invented the cotton
rin. and the electric telegraph and the
telephone. and. last but not least. con-
caived and carried out tho miracle Of the
wo~,d's fair Mt Chicago. will not fail in the
solution of the problem how to deal with
and make contented q million and half
Of Cubans.
The final speaker, Congressman Ma
ID