The herald., 1898-10-12
DEPEW'S SPEECH IN CHICAGO

Inc ADDRESS delivered dt SHiCdSo last
Monday, by Chauncey NJ. Depew, is of
special interest to citizens of the Pacific
coast states. Territorial expansion, at
firmatively treated was the chief topic.
In considering the acquisition of Hawaii
and the possibilities in the Philippine
archipelago, Mr.. Depew gave glowing
picture of benefits to accrue to the Pa
cific states.
No man understands better than Mr..
Depew the difficulties and disadvantages
which the Pacific states have to con-
tend with because Of their remoteness
from the great markets. The essential
element Of transportation, and the prob
lens pertaining to 1t, are an open book
to him. He sees in the policy of expan-
sion the opening Of vast markets in the
orient for the products of the Pacific
states with resultant prosperity beyond
measure.
Mr.. Depew says California raises
twenty million bushels of wheat year,
but its market is to distant for profit"
That is quite true. The wheat market
of California Is largely in Liverpool, by
way of Cape Horn. The cost of railroad
| transit across the mountains, to our
eastern markets, is probably greater
than the cost of sending cargo clear
around the world by water. A promis
ing picture is presented in this extract:
The open market of Japan and the
ol~ vh ov1x
all the wheat now grown upon the Pa
cific coast, but all 1t can possibly pro-
duce. Its markets will be so great for
our steel rails, our machinery and elec-
trical appliances and our agricultural
implements that with merchant ma
rine on the Pacific, Oregon, Washing
ton and California will in a few years,
be among the richest and most pro-
dvctive states in the Union.
All this bright outlook, according to
Mr. Depew's view, turns upon the ac-
QUESTION of the Philippine islands.
While he does not pretend to see great
outlet for our products in the islands
themselves, he thinks their control by
the United States would open the way to
all the markets of the orient. This in
turn would ease congestion at home. he
tells us; causes of panic would diminish
and half the population Of the earth
would want "the results of our agri-
culture, the output of our mines and the
surplus of our mills, our factories and
our furnaces"
But while all this Is within the range
of possibility, we fail to see why it Is
not attainable without making national
wards of those ten million untamed
Filipinos. If we should hold the island
of Luzon, or even a zone of 1t, all the
advantages which Mr.. Depew points out
would be offered. The smaller islands,
with their undesirable population, could
not materially help the expansion of our
trade in the great markets of Eastern
Asia.
Mr.. Depew admits that the RESPONSE
bility Of governing the Filpinos would
be great, but "the policy of governing
them by recognizing the manhood of
their people has never been tried" Their
manhood does not count for much, II
we may Judge from the views of Lieuten-
ant Miner of the navy, as expressed In
yesterdays Herald. The lieutenant, who
has just returned from Manila to his
home in Los Angeles. is warmly in favor
of retaining the whole Philippine group.
Relative to the people, however, he says:
"The natives are ignorant and have no
idea of f-government, and, like all
tropical peoples, they are prone to in
dolence."
The outlook for the future of the Pa
cific states is undoubtedly roseate, in
view of the expansion Of our trade on
the other side of the ocean, but late ex-
perience with our partly civilized Indi-
ans warns us to move cautiously in the
land of the Fillpinos.