Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-08-13
OBJECTS TO COLONIES
JUSTICE BREWER SAYS WE SHOULD
NOT ADD TO OUR DOMAIN.

JUSTICE BREWER SAYS WE SHOULD
NOT ADD TO OUR DOMAIN.
Thinks We Should Hold the Philippine.
and Porto Rico rs Security For IN In
demnity and Soon Get Rid of Them-No
Anglo-Saxon Alliance.
Justice David j. Brewer of the Unit.
ed States supreme court gave out the
following interview recently declaring
against the annexation of the Philip
pines, Porto Rico and Cuba and against
territorial expansion OF an Anglo-Amer-
lean alliance:
Il think we may have to take posses.
sion of Cuba, Porto Rico and the Phil
ippines as a war measure and for the
purpose of getting indemnity. I should
look upon all say Cuba simply in the
same light as if held a mortgage upon
a mans farm. | would ~foreclose that
mortgage not because I wanted to take
the farm, but for the reason I wanted
the farm to sell in order to raise the
money. l do not see how Spain will
ever be able to pay us an indemnity,
and SO 1 would take her real estate. I
think it is consistent with our policy,
Il it is certainly necessary that we
should keep Cuba for awhile and have
All army there to maintain good order.
There are more than a quarter of a mil
lion people on the island, and it will
take some time to get a stable govern.
ment, and until they do I think, as a
matter of humanity, that we should
keep a force Of troops there to preserve
order. When we have demanded possess
sion Of those islands as security for the
payment of indemnity and have kept
Cuba for the sake Of order, I think we
should then let them go.
II do not believe in colonial expan
sion at all. l think Hawaii stands in
different circumstances. My objection
to colonial expansion is twofold. You
take the Philippines with from 6, OO0,.
900 to 10, 900, 900 of people, Cuba
with more than 800, 900 and Porto Rico,
l do not remember the number, but
there is but one way to manage those
people and that is by force, just as Eng
land manages Egypt, South Africa and
India to a great extent. Their govern.
ment over these colonies is arbitrary,
despotic, you may call it, but they ap-
preciate the necessity of good govern
ment and govern wisely, but for all
that it is not q government of the peo-
pie. l do not see how we could initiate
that kind of colonial government with.
out changing our theories of govern
ment. OF course we could govern them
that would not be a physical impossi-
bility-but in order to do so we must
change Il theories of government.
"In the territory we have hitherto
taken into our government we have in
troduced a territorial system Of govern
ment, a territorial legislature, or a gov
eminent Of the people. I do not think
that that can be done with those peo-
pie, and l think it will be introducing
a new system of government into the
United States. Again, I think it would
compel an unnecessary increase in our
army. l do not know but that some in |
is needed. We would be bound
to have a large increase in our navy,
and l do not like the idea Of the United
States considering itself a military pow.
I think if we had a large army and
large navy we would be getting into
trouble with other nations. 1t is human
nature for an army officer and a navy
officer to want promotion and if it does
not come rapidly enough they want a
war to bring it about.
I'm SO far as the Philippines are con-
cerned especially it seems to me that it
would be a black eye to the Monroe
doctrine. When we said that the Euro
pean nations must not take possession Of
any territory in this continent, it was a
OF implied declaration that we
would not take any possessions in their
continent. II we would reach out into
Asiatic countries and take the islands
there, it would look as though we could
not say anything if European nations
reach over here and take possession of
territory.
"There is another thing in this con-
l want to talk about. l have
seen in a good many religious papers
and heard in a few sermons that because
we have the best civilization in the
world it was our destiny and our Chris
bian duty to reach out and make other
accept our civilization. It seems
to me that the best way we could make
our civilization Of value to others is by
example and not by force. We could
make it valuable to the world a great
Zeal better by example than by appro-
priating territory.
IF it had been proposed in congress
'he LIST OF January to appropriate the
Philippine islands, Porto Rico and Gu
"a, I believe it would have been voted
down four to one. Yet the war has de.
veloped such conditions that a great
many men in congress as we'll as out
IT it are beginning to think that colo
hal expansion is before us. There is a
,ery different sentiment in congress
han there was at that time"
What is your idea about the pro-
'osed Anglo-Saxon alliance as mention.
d BY Chamberlain in his speech some
ago and talked Of in the United
'tates?" was asked.
lido not believe in a formal alliance.
think George Washington's advice is
IS sound today as it was when it was
'iven, to avoid all alliances. At the
anne time l believe in an arbitrating
tribunal to settle all disputes between
he two nations and also believe in the
closest kind Of intercourse between
hem. ! think u formal alliance would
xpose us to the possibilities Of contro.
'ersies with other nations" New