Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1898-11-30

the balance are Chinese and Fill
pinos. Nearly all the Filllpinos live
In thached huts aud China town IN
San Francisco very we'll describes
the city generally so far as looks and
cleanliness are concerned. The busl-
ness portion occupies about the same
space as Commercial street, not more.
There are little open-alr shops every
where, run by the Fllliplnos. Now,
as TO the value commercially to the
United States that Is hard ques-
tion. We could, no doubt, furnish
them and 1t would prove an excel
lent market + or our flour, dairy pro-
ducts and canned fruits, and they
would furnish us IN return, cheap
sugar, coffee and rice The custom
duties, so far as / can learn, OF the
entire archipelago is about s3,00O.OO0
10 round numbers, but remember;
this has been a tax on the country
which has kept 1t ground down and
the revenue from all sources, taxes,
etc, has been about Sl3,OO0,0O0 yearly.
The resources are great; rich valleys;
fine forests, of the finest hard woods
in the world; minerals of various
kinds; everything undeveloped. There
Is no commercial business, but what
II started now would make a man
rich In five years, providing the
United States holds the islands.
The climate is so hot. No yellow
fevers, but great deal of small pox
and typhoid fever. Very few epi-
denies, but very hard on our people.
As example, Of this, our regiment is
said to be the healthIest on the is.
land yet we haYe thirteeL per cent of
our entire regiment on the sick roll, a
little more than one in eight.
Now, as TO the advisabihty of Uncle
Sam holding these islands, after, care
full consideration, | say no; for two
reasons, the firstls, IL would mean a
practical determination or education
of the natives, the first deplorable,
the second almost hopeless. Example,
the Indians, Farther, while IL might
prove highly advantageous In h
commerc ial sense, both to the GOV
ernment and individuals, for period
OF time, in my Judgment that period
Of time is very limited from
the fact that judging from our
experience, our people are ex-
hausted quickly by the climate,
lose their energy, enterprise etc., be-
come indolent, lazy and selfish and
only overcome this by a great ex-
ertion of the will power, which soon
exhausts them physically and men.
tally. 1t Is the most trying country
ever experienced. Again, we're our
people TO try to llYe here
and rear families, l am fully con-
vnced that most Of the children
would die, and the balance be almost
worthless, physically and mentally.
| base this partly on observation OF
Spanish, German aud English chill.
dren raised here. If my theories are
correct II would require fresh Influx
of our people every few years, result
Ing in a loss Of life aud being, think
practically impossible and in few
years the Islands would prove drug
OF 20 benefit and source OF great
trouble. AS TO what is BEST that is
d Yexatious question, and one hard Of
solution and will puzzle more able
brains than mine. think we should
have Cayite as coaling station but
nothing more, and am opposed on
general principles, both Humanitarian
and monetary, 10 the United States
holding these Islands. IL would 9t
least mean great sa:rihce OF life
every year, without, in my Judgment,
adequate compensation. Any com
mercial treaty | would highly favor,
but annexation, or even protector
ate, is TO be dread ed.