The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1898-08-18


cies of the fathers when this coun
try, without a navy, and surround
cd by hostile tribes of Indians
keeping it constantly in warfare
was not IN position to defend dis
tant territory, and therefore coulc
not conset to take it.
If the Island of Cuba had been
annexed when Thomas Jefferson
wanted it annexed, we would to.
dav have control of the trade OF the
West Indies and obtain a much
larger share of the trade of South
! America, and we would never have
had a war with Spain. If we con
troll Hawaii, we will control the
Pacific and protect ourselves
against future wars. If we take
the words of Jefferson, that we
should not control territory that
requires a navy, we will not annex
HAWAII; but if we take spirit of the
language of Jefferson, which was
that we should annex Cuba because
we could defend it, we will annex
Hawaii, because we are amply
able to defend it. l plead with the
Democrats to follow the policy of
Jefferson, their leader, and annex
whatever territory it is TO the in
terest of the United States to
possess so long as it is within the
ability of the United States to de-
fend it. l ask the Republicans to
follow Daniel Webster; | ask the
Democrats to follow Thomas Jef-
ferson. If these are not the fathers,
to whom belong the paternity of
the two great political parties?
And the gentlemen who are
figuring out tremendous costs at
tached to the maintenance of these
islands | refer to our govern
ment in Alaska, which has cost
us nothing. We have made little
direct revenue out of Alaska, but
it has more than paid for itself.
We will make but little direct
revenue out of the Hawaiian Is
lands. The time will come when
the mineral resources of Alaska
will make it another California,
and the time has come now when
Hawaii, as commercial outpost
and a country for the production
of those staples which can not be
produced in the United States,
can be made of immense benefit to
the United States.
Along our Pacific coast, not in
Guiding the Territory of Alaska,
we have 1870 miles, and it is
within the knowledge of all of us
that the protection of that coast is
absolutely inefficient. We have
on the Pacific coast as a usual
complement nine vessels, aggre-
CATION 35,I4G tons displacement.
And in Asiatlc waters we have
five more, of 1886 tons. In order
to reinforce this fleet the Allan
tic squadron must travel over
I4,ooo miles of water in which
the United States has not sin
gle coaling station. In case of
sudden war reinforcement for our,
Pacific fleet are impossible.
Japan has feet of 4S vessels,
aggregating I73,o57 tons dispace-
ment; Great Britain has in Asiatic
waters al vessels, of $1,000 tons;
Russia has in Asiatic waters
about 25 vessels. Three powers
have fleets in Pacific waters double
that of the United States, with
her long coast line to protect.
From Hawaii, if any one of these
powers owned that island, they
could at any time throw a full
feet upon our coast. With
Hawaii in our possession we can
prevent the ships from coallng
and we can communicate danger
to the main coast. There is
another view to take of the question.
Without Hawaii our coast
NAV be attacked at any time.
while with it It is exceedingly i'm
probable that our coast will ever
be attacked at all. The annexa-
ton of Hawaii would be the great
est preventive of war that we
could possibly secure, and the
maxim can ounce OF prevention
is worth a pound of cure is very
applicable. If we had annexed
Cuba when we ought to have an
nexed it, we would never have had
a war with Spain. 1t is not case
of the United States trying to
cover the earth or to add to her
territory; but with nations, as with
individuals, self-preservatlon is the
first law of nature, and we are
acting for our self-preservation.
The western line of the States
as they originally existed was
endangered by hostile tribes of
Indians, and the United States
Government never stopped for a
moment until that danger to its
frontier was over. There are no
Indians to the west of us now,