The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1898-10-15
CDLOHlAL EXPANSION.

| Ol tHc country Is CONTINUOUSLY dufoSaI-
ing Il policy of territorial expansion to
the uttermost bounds of the earth.
| Flushed with victory over Il fifth rate
| power the American jingoes are scream
ing for expansion and acquisition OF new
territory in tropical lands on the pre-
| tense that it is in the interest of hui
manity and civilization. From the be-
| ginning the Irish Standard has assumed
a firm stand against seizing foreign pos
sessions against the will Of the inhab-
| itants thereof, and on several occasions
| it has given reasons for its opposition TO
the scheme of governing inferior races
by military force That kind Of govern
ment may be undertaken by monarchy
| like England. but u republic like the
! United States should be slow to depart
from it's traditions and follow the en-
| ample of piratical nations. The follow
! ing communication from correspond
cnt of the Boston Pilot may throw some
| light on the motives of the advocates OF
imperial sway and government by rifle
in confiscated Spanish territory:
In order to hide the purpose OF the
syndcates and trusts which IRE secretly
pushing upon the country the policy of
colonial expansion, it is given out that
we need new markets to expand our
trade" The cuticle of the c0nspirators
ought to be peeled up and some salt and
! vinegar applied. but in the meantime our
people are entitled to he advised what
| this wholesale annexation scheme
means. To compress 1T into 4 nutshell,
the islands proposed to be annexed are
in sub-tropical regions and produce GER
| tain articles that will come into sharp
competition with those produced at
home, such as tobacco, sugar, rice, hemp.
| fruit and cattle. while salt AMI iron ore
| abound, and all these would come in
free OF all tariff duty in case of annex
alton. There appears to be a sort of an
neXation epidemic extant. Only few
weeks ago the island of Jamaica wanted
| TO he annexed. And it is little remark
able that this disease seems to break out
| IN those places that produce sugar. to-
bacco, hemp, rice. ETC.. agricultural ar
ticles that pay duty and want to get
rid OF it through "anneXation," which
means nothing more nor less than TAX
ing SO much present revenue from the
treasury and unloading it upon our own
taxpayers. And just here the colonial
policy becomes OF great interest to the
sugar trust and the tobacco trust that
want to get raw sugar to refine, and
leaf and other tobacco in free" 1t
wouldn't reduce the price of sugar nor
Of tobacco to our people Il nickel. The
trusts and foreign planters woull divide
the duty now paid between them. while
our treasury would lose between $50
100000 and s3o30o,00o of money. Just as
VIC gave the Hawaiian planters $780,
900 year through annexation. But
even this Is not the worst of this colonial
policy. The products which would come
in free" of duty are those which we
produce at home. and a severe ctmpe-
titiOn would at once be precipitatcd and
our own industries would be driven to
the wall because of cheap labor, salubri-
GUS climate and more productive soil in
the islands.
There isn't Il single feature to COM
mend the colonial policy. 1t would de-
plete our re"en'rts and iniurc our farm
ers to benefit trusts and foreign planters.
The scheme in the case Of Hawaii, was
put forward to expand trade" when it
was well known that we already had
| the whole trade of Hawaii and that trade
| could not expand where there we're only
| 100000 people to absorb it. And yet this
/, cid trade" chestnut is being made
+, again to do duty to annex other islands.
| The American people are certainly easily
| dipped if they give it count"nance. A
very intelligent correspondent of the
New York Herald, writing from Califor-
mia, says: THE people out here know
perfectly we'll that Hawaiian annexation
! gives to them no new commerce. be-
cause under the reciprocity treaty we al
Hawaii. That is why there is no en-
| thusiasm out here over this annexation.
Hawaii. it is generally felt here. is of no
Importance to us except rs halfway
house to the Philippines"
This is a frank avowal, but it comes
| too late to prevent the consummation of
a colossal ''job." Yet while the Hawaiian
scheme was pending in congress the
most alluring pen pictures were drawn
of the great advantages of Hawaii; what
| splendid opportunities the ISLANDS open
ed to our agricultural people! Today
| we have a dispatch from Honolulu, via.
San Francisco which exposes the de-
ccption that was practiced on our people.
1t says: There is much distress among
the many people who have rushed to the
Hawaiian islands expecting to engage in
business. They have come out with lit
| tic money. and they find that there is
nothing for them to do. Numerous ap-
plications are being received for free
transportation back to the United States
on the part of people who have come
with Misrepresentation of the con-
! ditions"
| OF course our sympathy runs out to