The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-06-24
Democratic Annexations.

Republican imperlaliStS meet Demo-
cratic opposition to annexation of Ha-
waii. the Phillip mes, Puerto Rico. Cuba
and any other oceanic possessions OF
Spain en- which hands can be laid with
the retort that, excepting Alaska, every
extension of our territory has been
made by Democratic administrations
Jefferson added the French possession 8,
but by purchase. paying S15,00O,OO0 for
them; Monroe added Florida, buying It
of Spain for s5,O00.000: Tyler, a Demo-
crat in fact. added Texas. virtually
paying 100000 in the shape Of a ces-
sion of territory to which Texas claim
ed and Mexico disputed title. Polk
added New Mexico and California in
the peace treaty with Mexico, but paid
SIS, 100000 for them, besides S3,5O00G0 of
assumed claims Of our citizens against
Mexico. Pierce added another slice of
Mexico in the Gadsden purchase, pay
ing $1O.00O,OO0 partly as a salve for
Mexicps wounded pride and partly to
secure the rich mineral regions about
! Tucson and Tombs. one as we'll as to
bring our territory down to where the
Colorado empties into the Gulf of Cali
fornia.
When the policy of extending our
boundaries to include contiguous ter
ritcry was begun our Atlantic coast line
terminated at the southern line of
Georgia. Our Mexican gulf line began
train. France held both banks of the
| outlet of the Mississippi and all the
territory west of that river, cepting
he underlined possessions of Spain.
Aside from a Spanish garrison at st.
augustine the population of Florida
was limited almost wholly to the war
like Seminoles. Aside from the few
Spanish and French in New Orleans,
The trading posts at Natchez and st.
Louis, there were no others than In
dams in all that vast territory. No
where, except in Texas, was there indie
pendent government, and Texas voted
fer annexation. None of the conditions
existed in any of this territory that
exist in all the regions on which i'm
perialism now sets greedy eyes. Nor
here was there any problem presented
more difficult than confronted the col
onsts on the Atlantic coast. Annexa-
ton only opened vast vacant tracts to
settlement by cur peop.e.
In none of these cases was there
spoliation. Even the t. rritory obtain
ed from Mexico was bought at the
close Of a war begun by Mexico be-
cause we accepted the offer CT the stat :
Of Texas, state whose independence
we and other nations had recognized
but which Mexico claimed. We bouslht
Florida and the louisiana territory
California, New Mexico and Arizona
There were sound reasons Of nation al
policy supporting all these purchases.
II put out of all posi- bility the con-
tcntions that were arising ard would
have become prolific Of wars had Spain
and France continued to own THAR o s.
sessions. 1t~waS al epplica.i2n of the
counsel of the Farewell Address, be-
cause it removed conditions that would
have made inevitable the foreign en-
tangleme hts against which Washington
counseled. 1t opened the way for the
enunciation of the Monroe doc .rine. Be-
tween such propositions and one to
take into our fold the Philip mes, with
a population five times as dense as
cur own and with absolutely nothing
IL common with us except their bare
humanity; with language, customs,
laws, habits, religion, everything that
ours are net, there is a gu,f CT reason
which nothing but greed and fol can
SpaQ