The record-union., 1898-07-29

acquisition. But, as the ''Times" says,
I'VE must do something-remember
that"
The venerable Judge Peter S. Gross
cup of Chicago, in a recent essay holds
that we should retain the island hold
we have, and give Spain so to under
stand from the beginning of negotia-
tions. He well says:
Without violating the purpose for
which a war is inaugurated, the victo-
rious nation has right, at the conclu-
sion of peace, to honorably mend its
hold wherever fighting has taken place.
This war has shown that we need a
home port in Asiatic waters. The STRAIT
egy of war has compelled us to obtain
a temporary foothold in the Philippines.
/ believe we will find a way to make it
permanent I believe that, having no
policy looking to colonial settlement, we
will find such way without offending
any great Power. At any rate, the
period of possession through the price
of blood and victory is the time to
formulate our purpose. Another oppor-
tunity will never come.
We believe that if the fair and un-
biased judgment of the American peo-
pie could be ascertained by vote to-day,
it would preponderate in favor of re-
tention Of the Philippine group with
out any modification as to bounds or
parts; the establishment there of free
government for and of the people; the
maintenance over it of such protection
as is necessary, and for as long as is
needed to enable the people to stand
alone, against the world, and then to
permit them to say whether, with GER
tain shelter rights reserved forever to
US, independence or annexation should
be their fate. The American Judgment
would be that such a policy, regardless
or the time or the difficulties involved,
would be beneficent and in keeping
with the destiny of this nation and
would not imperil our liberties, or vio-
late the teachings of the fathers.
1t is shameful that in the contracts
Ior the making of army uniforms in
San Francisco the contracts were let to
men who employed Chinese labor when
hundreds upon hundreds of our own
race and kin are suffering for want of
what was wanted in that case Of
course. some one made a big rake down
by the mean trick. OF course, our own
sewing women and men were not de-
prived of the opportunity to work, nor
were the jobs given to Chinese sweat
shops without some one meanly and
disgracefully profting by it,
Fellows who turned willing American
workers away and put greasy Chinese
at work on our soldiers uniforms would
do pretty much any other kind of an
infamous job for the sake of turning
a miserable penny. What a farce it is,
to be sure, to shed tears over the suf-
fering victims of Weyler's brutality in
Cuba, while turning our own unem-
ployed away from the task of making
the clothing for our soldiers, who are
sent out in the name of mercy and
humanity against the Spanish, and en-
ploying instead alien Chinese to fill their
purses and enlarge contractors profits
at the expense of the hunger and sweat
of our own.
1t is estimated that there are between
4,0OO and 5000 sewing women in San
Francisco who are capable Of and anx-
ious to do the sewing, but they were not
employed, while a legion of Chinese
We're set to work instead. The scandal
should be hunted out and down to the
roots, and those responsible for it held
up to loathing and scorn