The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1898-12-28
WHEELER DENIES 1T.
There is No Imperialism in Guardianship of
Savage Races.

Firm the New York Journal
General zoe" Wheeler-What.I am going
to say is merely apropos of Colonel Bryan 5
article, and not in reply nor in reference
to it. The few citizens who oppose the
United States establishing temporary mill
tary government in the colonies which have
fallen into their hands do not suggest any
other line of policy for us to pursue.
One of the reasons which actuated our
people in sending an army to Cuba was to
protect American interests from being de-
stroyed by the turmoil and disquiet which
prevailed in that island Having success
fully defeated Spains army and compelled
them to remove all Spanish troops and Of
hcials from Cuba, it is evident that the i'm
perative duty rests on the United States to
establish some kind of government in the
islands by which order can be preserved
and property protected.
For the United States to shirk the respon-
sibility thrust upon her and to leave the in
surgents on one side and the Spaniards on
the other to fight local quarrels would be
a crime.
The resolution of the United States con-
gress especially stated that we were to
maintain order in that island until stable
form of government had been established
There is no stable form of government in
Cuba now, and the only way we can pre-
serve order at this time is through Qua mil
itary officials. If there is any other way
why do not those who oppose sending SOL
d.erS to Cuba make some suggestion on
that point? What l have said about Cuba
applies to Porto Rico and the Philippines.
l have seen no practical plan proposed
for legislation by congress, and 1 don't see
how it is possible for congress at the pres
ent situation of affairs to wisely legislate
on this subject. We must send troops COM
manded by judicious officers to govern until
congress has had time to inform itself as
to existing conditions.
We have not acquired the colonies by
conquest. We found cruel and arrogant
Spaniards crushing a people to the earth
and numbering peaceful citizens and reduc
ing prosperous country to a land of DESC
lation. We had our army stop these inhu-
man atrocities and uplift the tyrant's hand
from the throat of the suffering peoples.
The world does not speak of what we have
done as conquest, but calls it philanthropy.
A great deal has been said about the dis
lance of some of the islands from the
United States shores. The most distant of
the Philippine group are much nearer to
us in time than was any part of the Louisi-
ana purchase to our capital at Washington,
and the same may be said of California
when that became annexed to our country.
In the present day of rapid travel. there is
no force in the argument that these coun-
tries are not connected with and attached
to the United States shore. We purchased
and made Alaska a part of this country.
1t was detached from us when distance is
measured by time. The arguments made
against these islands becoming part of
the United States are very similar to those
made when we annexed Louisiana and
again when Florida was annexed, and
again when we annexed Texas. These
were repeated when we sought to annex
Hawaii.
ct do not think there Is any one in the
United States that would not agree with
me that our action in annexing these terri
tories was the height of wisdom.