Omaha daily bee., 1898-11-18
pERuLs OF EXPANSION.
Ex-senator Edmunds' strong Argu-
ment Against Taking Philippines.

statesman who. for q quarter OF a century,
represented the state Of Vermont In the
United States senate, is strongly opposed
to the acquisition OF the Philippine islancs
by the United States. Replying to a re-
quest OF Governor Stewart OF Vermont for
his view on the subject, Mr.. Edmunds
wrses as follows. under date OF November
z:
Before the war with Spain, I take 1t that
nine-tenths Of the Intelligent people OF the
United States would hive thought 1t bor-
dering on madness to have taken those
(Philippine) Islands into our domain. Their
population Is almost entirely what may
fairly be called savage, and absolutely IN
capable Of anything that civilization would
call III -government. And II their IN
habitants we're as peaceable as the best OF
other tropical countries. they would still be
las all experience has proved) incapable OF
governing themselves. Our only motive
for their acquisition. theref re, must be the
material advantages supposed by some TO
Cow from controlling the products OF the
islands and their trade. We get all the
! products OF the islands now that we wish
for, and on the same terms that other ma
tions do. If we take them the cost will
be precisely the same, unless we adopt the
ancient colonial policy Of Great Britain and
some other nations. in controlling their trade
exclusively, and allow it to be carried on
only in our own ships. In that case re-
t~altation will certainly follow, and our
ships and goods will be excluded, in like
! manner. from the colonial possessions OF
the great manufacturing and trading pow
ers, which would leave the balance OF dis
advantages vastly against us.
"In a business point of view we must take
into consideration the cost Of governing the
islands. This cost cannot, in all human
probability, be met by the taxation of the in
habitants to any considerable extent. Ma
ture supplies them with substantially all
the I cd and clothing they require. and
they are. Of course, indisposed to labor CT
thrift. II We take them we must govern
them by external power, and not through
any autonomy of their own This means
a large and expensive civil list, governors,
| councillors. administrators, officers Of JUS
tice, and so forth, and so forth. who must,
in the main, be paid out of the treasury Of
the United States. The climate is, OF
| course, very unwholesome for Americans.
| and the death rate of our officers there
would be very large. 1t will also require
an American army of defense and for the
| preservation of peace and order, OF many
thousand men, and an American navy OF
six or more ships, and probably 1000 men,
all exposed, like the civilians, to the cen
slant hostility Of the climate, to say moth
ing of that Of the inhabitants OF most, II
not all, Of the islands. Are we, under
such circumstances, to force a government
upon them?
1.-THE present condition between ourselves
and Spain in regard to the Islands Is, as
tho protocol OF armistice distinctly SHOWS,
that we have MT obtained the islands, and
80 A-A -- rnonnnt0nH
there were those Of holding the bay and
city of Manila and their environments until
peace should be established. What was to
be done with the whole group was left for
negotiations, which our commissioners at
Paris are now engaged In. If, then, We are
to get them without the cession OF Spain,
we must do 1t by force OF further war
against Spain, and probably by force OF
arms against the vast majority OF the in
habitants, who, 50 far as / know, nave
shown no disposition to be annexed to the
United States.
Are we, then, to attempt to force ~civil!za-
ton and Christian religion upon them. as
Mohammed made his proselytes? This. OF
course. would be expressly contrary to our
Declaration of Independence, and to the
principles upon which the 6 vernment OF the
United States rests. How many lives OF
tnelr sons 40 NeTLuOut IL u othSi SeoeSS
Of our solid and homogeneous union wish to
sacrifice to accomplish 1t. and how many
more annually hereafter In governing these
Islands? Our few months experience at
Manila and in nearby Cuba and Porto Rico
should make us awake to these questions.
What logic or what humanity demands or
even tempts US to this sort OF imperialism?
Let the advocates Of such an enterprise Ioint
cut definitely what are the grounds for
such a course. Congress has solemnly
pledged the national honor and faith that
we had no purpose Of territorial aggrandize-
ment, even as to Cuba, only 100 miles from
our shores. 1t is true, the victor in war Is
entitled to indemnity; but the victor who
has made war for humanity has no right
to be extortionate because he is strong.
The cession Of Porto Rico and one OF the
Ladrones for a coaling station and refuge
on the way from our western coast to Asiatic
ports is ample for every expense OF the war
that can be measured by money value. Even
Porto Rico would be, as a part OF the United
States, an injury to us in the long run but
for it's situation in connection with the
Nicaragua canal. Already some newspaper
writer's have opened the question Of its ad-
mission as a state OF the union, with
senators having an equal voice In making
laws for this country with that OF the
senators from Vermont or New YORK or any
other state. The sober-minded inhabitants
Ct each OF the states should consider the
enormous danger Of introducing such
elements and such a power into the senate,
where all our states stand equal. and which,
as John Adams described 1t, Is the sheet
anchor of the republic and the only
security OF state rights.
porto Rico. like every other tropical
country, even II it were not already fully
populated, will not admit Of North American
settlement and development on account OF
its climate. The experience OF hundreds of
years. all over the tropical parts OF the
globe, has demonstrated this. So 1t Is only
in view OF it's location In relation to the
waterway across the continent that 1t Is
desirable to US. Why, then, should we wish
or be willing to receive the PhilippinesT
A POLITICAL ROUNDUP.