Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-12-02
ANTIEXPANSION SENTIMENT.

The great problems of nationality upon
which we have been engaged for more
than century have not yet been solved.
We are still in the experimental stage.
Our. progress has been wonderful but we
have not yet reached the limit, and there
is yet room for unlimited expansion here
within our own proper territory and with
the new race we are evolving out of m any
others. But let our people yield once to
the temptation that proved fatal to
Greece and to Rome and to France and
to Spain, and the problems that we regard
as so important will be left for others.
Can we afford to do this? Do we wish to
take the backward step?-Sioux Falls, 5.
D.. Press (Rep.).
The percentage of deaths in Cuba and
the Philippines will undoubtedly he heavy
and will indicate that if the United States
is to maintain colonial possessions in
equatorial chimes. the country must pay
the penalty in human life. Even the iaun
diced Spaniard, who is about as fever
proof as any mortal on earth, finds it a
hard fight to ward off the fatal fevers
that come with tropical rains, and the
hardy Americans, used to the brisk air
of the highlands and northlands, are the
easiest victims that could be selected
Denver Republican (Silver Rep).
If there is any part of the country that
ought to join heartily in this movement it
is the South No section will suffer more
from the annexation of the Philippines.
1t will lose it's political strength, it will
find its products lowered in price because
of the competition of the coolies, it will
be taxed heavily to keep distant posses
sions, in which it is in nowise interested,
and from which it can secure no possible
benefit. Finally. the South is well aware
of the danger of introducing race prob
lens into this country, and must always
oppose any policy which proposes to NAL
tiply tenfold the race problems we already
have.-New Orleans Times-Democrat
(Dem)
Set the Filipinos on their feet and let
them govern themselves. That is the only
thing we can do which is consistent with
our constitution, cur own welfare as a ma
ton, and the enlightened ideas of the
nineteenth century These people may be
barbarans. Then we must teach them
civilization as we taught it to Japan. We
can require the Philippine government to
make treaty with us which shall give
us the use of their ports for naval pur-
poses and our consuls a supervisory right
over their laws and institutions, similar
to that exercised in Samoa. We may even
declare a formal protectorate over the ISL
ands. But to make them a part of the
United States we cannot without chang
ing the constitution of the United States.
Buffalo Express (Rep).
1t seems inevitable that the United
States must take the responsibility for
establishing government in the Philip
pines 1t is important that the task be
done if possible, without making the ISL
ands an integral part of the United
States.-Chcago Record Qnd).
In plain English, why on earth should
we conquer and administer the Philippines
with expense and trouble to ourselves, if
we propose to give other nations exactly
the same trading privileges as those en-
joyed by the producers or the United
States? Nor is this by any means the
only question at issue The constitution
of the United States provides that GUS
| toms and revenue regulations shall be
uniform throughout American territory.
How will it be possible to have one set
of revenue laws in operation on American
soil at the door of Asia and another and
totally different set in the remainder of
the United States unless the constitution
is amended in this respect? And in this
case, what becomes of the principle of
protection to American interests and in
dustries ?-Philadelphia Bulletin (Rep).
The fact of the matter is that If the
L ngley tariff is good enough for the
United States, it is good enough for every
foot of territory that the United States
may acquire 1t is nonsense for the Pres
| ident to talk about buying new farm
and keeping the bars down there. He is
outside of his authority and is tampering
with a dangerous matter. If it is neces-
sary to distort the constitution out of
shape in order to acquire a few thousand
square miles of wild territory, and a few
millions of still wilder inhabitants, the
! United States can spare the Philippines
better than they can spare the constitu
tion.-Detroit Tribune ISL. Rep).
Can Spain give clear title to the Phil
ippines, anyway? We seem to have Man
lila and the insurgets the most of the rest
of the archipelago. Having bought the