The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-05-22
OUR NEW COLONY,
THE PHILIPPINES.
BY Frank Arms. for ten years a resident Of

| policy he Will md he has done we'll No
richer bit OF earth exists than the Philip.
pines
| spain fought desperately to keep Cuba,
but II never spent one half OF the money
or lost one-thrd OF the men on Cuba that
1t freely sacrificed to the Philippines
| To those who are familiar with the his
| tory OF the world II Is not strange that
| Spain should hold group OF islands SO far
| away from the mother country. Four hun
| dred years ago the sun never set upon
| SPANS domain Spain was as powerful
then as Great Britain is now and the king
OF Spain bcasted mat his troops could
| march aroma the world without lnolesta-
| ton.
Spain 400 years ago owned the whole OF
| America A man named Columbus took
possession of the Western Hemisphere in
| the name OF Spain, and the Spanish flag
| waved over this continent
| Besides owning the Western Hemisphere.
| spain had great possessions IN the Eastern
world she owned great part OF South
| ern Europe and an immense portion of
| Eastern Asia. Very little has remained of
| that besides the Philippine Islands and
even those are wrested away from the Cas-
! lillian throne.
The Philippine Islands, which were taken
away from Spain by Admiral Dewey in the
| mightlest conflict of the century, consist
| OF large group OF islands which form the
| greater part Of Oceanica. They lay be-
| tween the Pacific Ocean and the China
| Sea
| The natives OF the Philippine islands al
though made UP of settlers from all the
countries OF Eastern Europe and Asia are
peculiar TO themselves Like the people OF
he Isle Of Wight, they are different from
all others. As the Zululander differs from
he Australian. so the Philippine Islander
differs from the Aslatlc tribes They are
a law under Themselves and for years have
Inhabited their lovely island making their
own rules and living their own lives with
out nolestetion
No almost without molestatou' The
oand Of Spain was upon them all this time
ana Spain never permits her colonies too
much freedom. Tho Philippine Islands were
obliged to pay large tribute TO Spain, and
II was only owing to their industry and The
richness OF their soil that they could do so
without feeling II. II was gall and worm.
wood to Spain to know that these people
could pay the tribute asked OF them by the
crown without suffering any lack They
mad plenty TO eat and plenty to wear and
time IN enjoy themselves To be sure they
lived on roots and herbs wore few clothes
and had tho simplest and most inexpensive
kind OF cnloyments. But with all of that
spain could not be happy She levied on
them heavier and heavier every year until
the poor natives rose in usurrection
The insurrecton in the Philippines was
quite different from that In Cuba. The
Philippine islanders are aborigines in one
sense of the word. They do not live a life
OF education and refinement And when
thgy night their weapons are crude spears
ana swords instead OF guns. powder and
dynamite.
Nevertheless they carried on their revn-
lutlon with so much effect that Spain had
continually to send troops over from Mad
rid TO replace those that were killed
When the United States freed Cuba II
saw that It must have the Philippine Islands
Also not so mucn that It wanted them
but that 1t would deprive Spain of a chance
| to attack us Spain used the Philippine
Islands as coaling center and as a sup
| ply station. With this very excellent home
in tho Pacific she could easily sail across
and attack our California coast
| The navy department viewed with dis
may the sasy route from the Philippines to
the western coast Of the United States
The beautiful long shore lay comparatively
| unprotected while only a few DAYS sail
away IN the Pacific was a large Spanish
| ueet which might CONS over at any time
aud attack our Western cities Beautiful
| Los Angeles, healthy San Francisco and
| lower California could be laid waste In a
day by one vigorous fleet
Therefore Admiral Dewey with his Asst.
attic squadron was asked to blockade the
Philippine Islands II viii not only block
AIDE them" said he. but will take nos
session of the islands"
AT first 1t was thought undesirable to
allow him to attempt to take them by
himself, as there was no near fleet that
he could call to his aid but he pleaded
his cause with so much earnestness that
the board of strategy allowed him to go
on his way. They knew that as soon as
he left Hong Kong all communications with
tho Board OF strategy would cease. so they
left him to his own resources He said that
10 would be able to take the Philippine
Islands all by himself and the naval board
allowed him to try It, with the result now
known to the whole world
AS soon as the Philippine Islands were
ours the question arose What shall we do
with them?' The first impulse was to give
,nem to Great Britain. But this the pow
ers of Europe would not allow. The next
was TO sell them to Great Britain hut
even this might make trouble for us with
emma and Japan, Germany and Russia for
these countries look with Jealous eves unon
the possessions OF Victoria, so Il was do.
cldedl that we should keep the islands and
should establish colonial government.
me colonial system is one that the
United States has always fought. II means
the establishment OF colonies all over the
world which pay tribute to the mother
country.
Great Britain has the largest colonial
government on the face of the earth I,
controls ireland. Scotland aud Wales and
ether less important countries India is .
colony OF Great Britain. SO is Australia
and each year she adds another 10 her Ions
list, The Monroe doctrine keeps her from
soboling up Venezuela. which she has Ions
eyed with envious looks. But she ha.
others quite as important as Venezuela or
this Hemisphere Canada for instance. is
colony Of Great Britain aud there is also
British America.
, The United States has always though,
that her country was large enough With
her great expanse OF territory, reaching
: from the Atlantic to the Pacific. we have
felt that we had oil that we could ably
govern With tho Philippine Islands be-
longing TO US this may change, and we
: NAV IN time have a colonial system equal
TO that OF Great Britain.
The new islands which are ours throus oh
! the grand effort OF Admiral Dewey an
about 400 in number many Of them being
| so small that they are useless axcent a.,