The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-09-28
Swinging into Line.

There was never any danger that
the President would take Coudert's adj
vice, which was to order the destruc-
ton of the Notifications of Manila and
the return of Admiral Dewey. 1t for
tunately happened that the services of
the Asiatic squadron were not needed
nearer home. So Montojo's conqueror
was permitted to remain in the harbor
where he won promotion and where he
is likely to stay until the peace commits
sioners have adopted motion to adj
iourn without date. But there was
danger that the administration would
send to the capital of France a case
calculated to appeal in one particular to
such Americans as Bell of Colorado.
1t is worth while remembering that the
cabinet was canvassed unofficially.
There was no diversity of opinion in
the White House on the subject of the
Philippines. The President was con-
servative. He thought coaling sta
ton in the China Sea would adequate
ly serve our purposes. His advisers
agreed with him to man. They
were entirely in line with national SEN
timent concerning the Sandwich
Islands, but they were a trifie timo-
rous on the subject of the Philippines.
Fortunately for the administration and
more fortunately still for the country,
the Philippine problem necessarily
hung fire. 1t could not be solved out
of hand. Months have elapsed since
Dewey earned sword and months will
elapse before our differences with
Spain have been formally adjusted.
In the interval the administration has
had an opportunity to at least partially
change its minds.
Significant of this change was the
speech delivered at Geneva by the Sec
rotary of agriculture. He knows much
about the American farmer, who, &C.
cording to Representative Richard son,
is to be destroyed. He assured us that
the islands of the Pacific would offer
outlets for our grains, our meats and
our dairy products. He declared that
we would give lessons of many kinds
to the Asiatics, that we would cross
fertilize their pineapple, improve their
sugar, find better rice seed and teach
the native better ways Of producing.
And he dispelled misgivings by saying:
"They produce nothing profitably that
we produce; we produce very little
that we grow with profit" So the
American farmer will manage to sur
vive. He will be benefited rather than
damaged by development. The secre-
rotary OF agriculture comes to the front
as an expaDsionist. He fortifes case
which was already well established and
he sets the pace for Griggs, the attor-
ney general of the United States, who
&c III no aT ha
Members of the cabinet are presum-
ed to catch their inspiration from the
President. So it may be taken for
granted that the secretary and attorney
general are speaking by the card. We
are not to content ourselves with a
coaling station. We are certain to
hold Luzon and it is not certain that we
shall not keep the entire archipelago.
The administration has caught the drift
of sentiment. 1t is swinging into line.
Spain could do virtually nothing with
the Philippines before we began to
create new conditions in Cuba. We
can abandon the archipelago, or any
part of it, only at the risk of showing
that while we have enlarged our re-
sponsibilities we want to shirk some
OF them. The task we imposed upon
ourselves in Cuba has been thrust up
on us in the China Sea. What has be-
come sacred obligation in one place
has become an equally sacred obliga-
ton in another. Upon what theory
harmonizing with the maintenance Of
national honor can we set up stable
government in Cuba and Luzon, and
abandon all the other islands of the
Philippines to chaos2 1t has been sug-
gested that we do the job thoroughly.
Thoroughly done it should be, or at
tempted not at all.-Brooklyn Eagle.