Arizona republican., 1898-12-30
FOR EXPANSION.
The Mass of inc People Want
 10 Give up Nothing.
Western Sentiment Strongly in Favor of Retaining inc Philippines and Building inc Nicaragua Canal.

l Washington, Dac. 29.-(Special.)- J. | Webster Davis, assistant secretary ot the interior, whose speeches in the
 west during the recent campaign ac- complished much for the republican party, talked with your correspondent today on the subject of expansion.
 'The people of the entire west" he said, seemed to be in favor of the re- tention of the Philippine islands. All
 classes were outspoken for keeping the entire group. Yes, there were some
 who simply looked at the matter from
 the standpoint of sentiment. These
 people considered that it would be an
 insult to Dewey and his brave sailors
 if the country $ hould surrender the
 islands after they had been wrested
 from Spain by the destruction of the
 Spanish fleet. There were those who
 believed that the fl az should never be
 hauled down where once it had been
 raised by the American soldiers. There
 were many who urged the retention of
 the islands on the principle that Spain should pay the cost of the war and we
 should take at least as many Spanish
 islands as would be of the value of the debt we had incurred in putting an end to the barbarous tyranny in Cuba and attempting to restore psalce and pros DGIIlJ IuS1S. Anu lnSl W c1o cill opC- cial strong feeling along the entire Pa cif1c coast in favor O retaining all the islands in the Pacific that had been seized as war measures, to be utilized as stepping stones to the commercial center of the orient.
 They were firmly convinced that with these islands in our possession there could be no question as to the rapid growth of American commerce in the Pacific. They realized that un- der our system of government the is lands will soon become productive of their natural fruits to such an eXtent as to be of inestimable value while their mineral wealth which has been known to be very great will be reveal ed, giving work for III any hundreds of miners with adventurous spirits. The people of the islands will patronize this country for such manu- factured stuffs and food products as they themselves cannot T aise, creating 8 commerce that is of great value in itself alone to all parts of the United States.
 This commerce will greatly build up our western soaboard. The people realized that with these possessions the oriental trade which is becoming of such vast importance and attracting the envious eyes of all European pow CTS, will be chained to the United States, as it were, with American har- bars, coaling stations and ports of ref uge. The people f the whole west are patriotic and they were fully aliya o these vast questions which mean so much to our future prosperity. They 1 were determined to give the president he support of their representatives in congress in order that he might carry | put this policy regarding theSe new | problems which are fraught with so much that may prove a blessing or a i ;urse to this republic in the future ac- i ;ording as they are dealt with. Thsy | wanted President Mckinley to be un- lampered by the opposition in carrying put his plans. In every state I visited |
 heard nothing from mon of all classes put that they had supreme confidence n President lMcKinley's ability to cope successfully with these new and grave questions of foreign government which ,ur new possessions force upon us. They realized that our president is pro- ,ressive and has the courage of his con- -ictions to carry out such great nation
 | policies that will make the country prosperous in itself and respected by he world.
 II found also that the people were Leartily in favor of the early construc- ion cf the Nicaraguan canal and it's and control by this govern