Washington sentinel., 1898-12-03
EXPANSION

The overshadowing problem o
the present hour LETT to US as ;
legacy Of the present war IS that o
territorial expansion. Hawaii /!
already a part Of the United States
and Porto Rico, Cuba and the
Philippines according to the term:
Of peace are as good as ours
Those who are clamorIng tor hold
ing everything in sight or as they
put it not hauling DOM the flag
where it has once hoated. profess
to be actuated from philanthropic
as well as commercial interests.
They dwell upon the deplorable
condition OF the ten millions Of
human beings in the Philippines,
and tell us it is our duty to take
them under our care and dprotection.
Their thought always formulates
itself into the question: "What
ought we to do for the Philip
inos9" 1t is a query, creditable in
itself to the warm heart of a great
people who have just waged war
for humanity, but plausible as it is,
it strikes US that it does not go to
the root OF the matter. Because
of our sympathies, now unusually
alert in their concern for humanity
as whole, we are in a great danger
ol being swept of our fee I into an
error of judgment which will be
disastrous alike to ourselves and
those we are inclined to help.
The real question back OF this dis.
cussion, much of whi ch is confus
ing in its statements, is; "What eff
feet will the adding OF those islands
have upon us as people an d the
government we have here estab-
lished."
1t cannot, nor will it, be denied
that our first and greatest TespOn
sibiIity is to so develop these free
institutions Of ours that we hand
them over to our children unim-
pared, that they may enjoy the
great blessings which have been
so kindly vouchsafed to US.
Would the accession of these
isla nds OF the sea make for our
safety and permanent prosperitvs |
Under our form ot government,
sooner or later the people in every
section must rule thsir own affairs
and have part IN the making Of
the Nations laws and the election
OF its ruler. Any Colonial rule
that atte mpts to become permanent
is literally out OF our considera-
ton. 1t is rePugnant to our
thoughts and foreign to our ma
tioual purpose. THIS being true,
tkS character oi the people living
nm t,Sese islands becomes matter
Of the m .ost far reaching import
ance. Who are theyl In Cuba
aud Porto Rico they are native
CreoIes and Negroes
with A small number OF Ameri-
cans. French, German and English.
In the Philippines, millions OF bar
barous Malays, Orientals and
Spaniards whose restless turbu-
lence already calls for a larger
force of Americans TO keep them
quiet than have yet landed at
Manila under Dewey and Merritt.
Such people have never, in all
the worlds history, shown a capa-
city for self government. Mexico
under Diaz is the only exception,
and IL may be correctly said that
This is because Diaz IS great and
vise leader who has force enough
% controi thems snd not because
ol the people.
But the friends Of annexation de-
clare with great confidence that
here will be a great rush OF immi-
grafton into these favored islands, Z
and that by the ingoing Of Ameri-
can blood and enterprise, the char {
aeter of the population will rapidly
and surely be transformed. u this
eoule be verified BY
acts, then our objection TO their
on the ground of their
menace to American in
would have little 20
stand upon. But Il cannot. There
Is not seintilHa Of evidence to show -