The San Francisco call., 1898-02-23

II, we had passed a bill to keep out the ignorance of the Old World that we now proposed to annex territory in which ignorance was the rule, not the excep lion: We had passed the Chinese eX- cluslon act; now 1t was proposed to annex territory which contained large Chinese population. He did not favor the holding of territory under the shadow of the American flag. A,colon- ial policy might be adapted to the na- Iions or antiquity, but it would not do TOT free country which derived it's powers rom the consent of the gov erned- It would be unwise and short SiSHteo, ne sa1d if we should cut loose rom all the traditions of the past and rasniy embark on the unknown sea of territorial aggrandizement. We had coHHned our expansion to contiguous territory in the acquisition of Florida, Louisiana and Texas. In 1853, under f!llmore's Presidency, we had been wise enough and sensible enough to re- Ject tnese Verv islands. We had also rejected the proffer of the mob of St. Inomas and under the administration or General Grant Congress had voted gown proposition to purchase San Domingo.
 only once had we departed from our rule-ln the purchase of Alaska from Russia and only the future could de-
 
 move.
 Possession of extraneous territory meant constant source of irritation inc history of the world proved this. It was urged that the Sandwich Islands were the key to the Pacific. Their strat- eglc Importance was emphasized as if guns mounted there could command the Nicaragua canal and the Pacific Coast, thousands of miles away.
 The annexation Of Hawaii would ac- tabllsh bad precedent. The appetite grew by what it fed upon. To-day the cry was Give us Hawaii" tomorrow 1t would be Give us Cuba," and the next day Give us Samoa" These ap- peals would all be justified by the plea sant sophistries which appealed to our vanity and cupidity, until at last we would find ourselves irretrievably com mltted to policy unnecessary to the material happiness of our people, hurrying along a path which was StreWn with the wreckS of empires and of nations. (Applause)
 He did not deny. he said, that the ac- quisition of foreign territory had added to the prosperity of nations. But his tory showed it to have been ultimately source of weakness. Cupidity bred opposition, it piled up taxes, it shed human blood, it was the first step toward diSmemberment. Let the na- t!ons of the Old World pursue this pol icy of aggrandizement to their hearts content; let them saddle their people with debt, equip armies and navies and shed oceans of blood. Let England boast, if she pleased. that the sun never sets upon her territory. But let us re- member that it never goes down upon the misery her policy has created. Her people starve in India. Let wars and rumors of wars bring anxiety to the faces of her colonists, but let the flower of her colonies, which broke away from her domination 100 years ago, and which, by pursuing the opposite policy, has outstripped her, continue to stand as an example to the civilized world.
 While others seek war and it's horrors let us Soothe our people with enduring peace Peace hath her victories no less renowned than war.
 "We are in the infancy of our re- sources, the morning of our material development We will be wise, he said, to develop our matchless country. The internal reforms which our coun- try demands present a field broad enough to list our best efforts, the pur- ifcation of the ballot, the crushing of the rings and trusts which plunder our people without stint, the restriction of immigration, the establishment of fixed and stable standard of value and the reform of our banking laws afford work for us to do. Let us not be known and execrated as the boisterous bullies of the Western hemisphere. Our country Is all powerful, the world con- cedes cur strength.
 While I am proud of our navy continued Johnson, impressively, T sometimes think that the powerful battle ships we have built have bred of i,,fn nd n is not more true that plethoric treas- ury breeds public plunder than that a we'll equipped army and navy rashly leads to friction and war Let our equipment insure peace rather than provoke war. (ApplauSe.) While it may seem that these remarks are pre- mature, and that I have taken too firm a grip on the forelock of time, it is my purpose to sound the alarm, that the House and the country may under stand the character of the proposition pending in the Senate. My information is that the treaty will fail in the Sem ate, but it will be supplanted by joint resolution providing for the annexa- tion of the islands. I do not doubt it's passage by the Senate and that it will come here. If the Senate fails to do its duty, let us, fresh from the people, ex- ercise our high prerogative and send it to it's doom. (Applause.)
 'I trust God it will not be made a party measure. With exalted patriot ism and deliberate counsels we will reach conclusion worthy of this House and the country and erect a safeguard for the future. If we turn from this temptation now and adhere to the right, twenty-five years of peace and prosperity will yindicate our pa triotism and posterity will bless our memories. Let us have the moral cour- age to say No to a policy which will lead, God alone knows where."
 The demonstration which greeted the conclusion of MT. Johnson'S speech was one of the greatest and most spontane- ous witnessed in this Congress. Many of the Republicans joined in, and the galleries, which were crowded gave evidence of approval. Members throng ed about the Indiana member when he took his seat and warmly congratulated him.
 Results at New Orleans.
 NEW ORLEANS Feb 22-Six furlongs