The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-08-21
KS GONPERS SEES /
Expansion Is Not in the In
tereSt of Labor
OR OF FREE CIVILIZATION
Unless it Stops Short of
Actual Annexation.
OR OF FREE CIVILIZATION

conference on the IOIc4SA POl4SJ "a liz
United States resumed its deliberations
this morning. It was presided over by
Robert Treat Paine of Boston. IN a brief
address he defined himself as an antiex-
pansionist.
I'VE must treat these islands captured
from Spain as prizes to be dealt with Is
we think best. We must do the best thing
we can under the circumstances. While
we may not hold them by right Of con-
quest. we should see that a proper form
Of government IS established over each.
We should never for moment forget the
great principles that underlie this great
republic"
MooredeId Storey of Boston next ad-
dressed the conference.
At the conclusion Of Mr.. Storey's re-
marks Mr. Paine the chairman. said he
coincided with the leading anu-expansion
features of Mr. Storey's address.
The next speaker was Samuel Gompers.
president Of the Federation Of Labor, in
part as follows:
Il have been invited, as a wage Garner,
and a representative of labor to address
this conference upon the subject for
which it is called and it is not unfair to
assume that the season which prompted
the Invitation was the desire to learn as
nearly as possible the view which the or
ganized wage-earners Of our country
hold regarding this, at present all alb
sorbing question. eltsaa
I'VE have annexed Hawaii and appoint
ed a commission to determine the form
OF It's government How many Of our
people are aware that of less than 100000
inhabitants Of Ha avail $4,000 are contract,
and practically slave laborers; that Of
these there are eighty Chinese and Jap
aness and about twenty Portuguese from
the Azores and South Sea Islanders; that
the terms Of these contracts usually run
seven years; that the laborers have no
right to change their employers or leave
their employment; that the contract 10
labor is specifically enforceable by law and
that the resolution adopted by congress
specifically declares that the laws of Ha-
wall shall govern until the new form Of
government shall be adopted; that any
time laborer may serve in prison be
cause Of his desertion from labor is added
l. Dor.
AS tc the Philippine Islands, they have
between seven and eight million OF in
habitants Of semi barbarlc population, al
most primitive in their habits and Gus
toms as unlike the people Of the United
States in thought, sentiment, education,
morals, hopes, a5pira tons or government
forms as night is to day.
What advantage. then, can the pos
session of these islands bring to our
country?
TO make OF the United States the work.
shop of our manifest destiny is our duty.
and thus, side by side with other nations
In industrial and commercial rivalry, we
basing the consideration Of the workers
upon the highest Intelligence and the most
exalted standard of life, no obstacle can
be placed in our way to the attainment Of
the highest pinnacle of national glory and
human progress But to attain this end
Is the requirement of the Philippines,
with their senli-savage population, neces-
sary2 Surely not. Neither its gates, nor
those OF any other nation of the globe
ran long be closed against our constantly
growing industrial supremacy.
The most reckless advocate Of the sn-
uexation Of the Philippines or Of any pop
ulous island of the group, mus. admit
that this program involves the govern
ment and domination of The many by the
few, to an extent and degree never before
known under the American flag We have
savages against their will in the process
OF our uproodng of Indian tribes, but
never wher it was not reasonably certain
that their places would be sool taken by
n seriled white population many times
as great as that of any Wilderness occu-
pied only by nomadic hunters and war
rio. In the Philippines, with 'ts soven
or eight millions in an area OF less than
half that OF the state of Texas, no such
change can ever take place
The whole moral effect Of the scquisi-