The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-12-28
EXPANSION, PRO and Con.
Discussion Before Boston COngrega-
tional Club.
HON. GEORGE $. BOUTWELL, CON-
DENNIS THE POLICY.

President Elmer Capen of Tufts Sup
ports It--Mr. Boutwell, Says we
Never Could Have Beaten spain
without England's support.
Boston. December 27.-The Congrega.
tional club observed ladies night at Lori
naer hall tonight with Ex-Governor George
s. Boutwell,, former secretary OF the
treasury and President Elmer Capen OF
Tufts college as the speakers Their dis
cussion of the expansion question being
from opposite points of view, was exceed
ingly interesting. Gov. Boutwell, was
introduced first and spoke as follows;
Ex-Gov. Boutwell, said:
81 now lay before you, two statements
as my fixed opinions concerning tne
future of the country:
birst-If by the treaty with spain.
ratified BY the American Senate, we take
| Jurisdiction OF the philippine islands for
any purpose or for any period OF time,
that Jurisdiction will never he surrenoereu
| voluntarily by the United States.
| Second-That the sovereignty of the
| islands will be yielded to force finally,
and that that force may be exerted by the
| inhabitants of the islands, or by England
or by Japan, or by Russia, and not un-
| likely by the combination OF che co-opera-
tion of two or more of those powers. II
we hold the Philippines, we shall hold
| them because Russia permits us to do so
and not otherwise. This in itself IS
humiliation. The fortunes OF Russia and
| China are now Identical and hencefortb
| their immense resources are to De welded
as one power. Americans may take note
of four or more observations that are OF
| supreme importAnce:
I've are indebted to the pro ecUing
naval sire myth of England for success In
| the war with Spain.
Ave are to deal generously with
| Canada.
| 3-Whateyer trade benefits may arise
| from the conquest Of the Philippines,
England is TO enjoy 1t with us.
| There must be neutral help In the
coming contest with Russia.
We have loaued ourselves with posses
| sions which we do not need, We have as
sumed jurisdiction over millions OF
human beings who do not recognize the
| righGfulness of our authority. We have
extended our system of taxation and have
| increased the public debt in sum of
hundreds of millions. Our pension rolls
have heightened to the end of the first
| half of the next century and we are
threatened with permanent increase OF
| The army and navy at q cost OF $lbo, OOO.
00J o year. 1t is matter OF minor i'm
| portance that the supremacy of the Re
publican party has been put in peril that
! some of us seem to think such an event Is
no slight catastrophe. What are our COM
pensatIonsl Tne miseries of Cuba have
not been relieved, and the sum of them
has been multiplied many times over
within the limits of the United states.
| While we are not to under-value the
achievements of the army and navy, they
are but slight compensation for the sacr1-
| tces and suffefings incident to the war.
DR.. Capen began his remarks by saying
that after q careful consideration he telt
himself compelled to lift his voice in be-
| half OF the policy of President Mckinley.
"My sense of nationality is too intense
| to permit me to do otherwise. hate to
| be called little American. Moreover,
| feel that expansion has been the moving
principle of the country from the time Oh
| the earliest settlement. l believe that the
| United States is perfectly Justified in
wrestling the Philippines from the grasp
of Spain, and in hoiuing tnein for the
purpose of good government and progress
siye civilization. The Constitution OF the
| United States sands face to face with
condition to &hich 1t must bend.
| Again it is said that the course pro-
posed hy the President and involved in
| the treaty of peace is unjust. 1t is con-
| trary to the declaration OF Independence
which asserts that the just powers OF the
states are derived from the consent of the
| governed
.'Tnere has never been time when the
principles of the doctrine of Independence
mas been in perfect operation. Yet how
| shall the operation of these principles be
secured in the Philippines.
| "By leaving them to anarchy, or by
taking control, preserving oroer, pre-
scribing just laws. setting up schools,
teaching letters, morals and the free and
wholesome, religion We brought to our
shores. No doubt the fathers would have
been stricken dumb at the thought of
dominion In the far off islands OF the
Pacific sea- Another reason for expansion
is found in the demands of commerce.
Again the policy of expansion is de.
manded by the law of reciprocal obliga-
tion.
"Fiually, / may claim that expansion
is justified on the grounds of humanity.
For myself cannot but take the most
hopeful view of the entire situation. The
coming of the Olympia on that May
morning into the bay OF Manila was the
herald OF the dawn Of q new day in the
| Malayan archipelago