The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1898-05-20
JASPER, INDIANA. FRIDAY. MAY q (, 1898.

If the movement and distribution
IF the products of labor, to find
markets for our constantly increas
ng surplus of those products
Adam Smith in his Wealth OF
Nation" says; According to the
natural course Of things the greater
p,rt of the capital of any growing
country is first directed to agricul-
.ure. afterwards to manufactures,
and last OF all 10 foreign commerce. "
That is the stage at which we have
arrived. We are no longer an ag-
gregation of independent states, but
the logic of events has welded US in
to a great nation. To secure thel
prosperity of our agricultural inter
ests, to stimula progressive in
dustry in all branches OF manufac-
lures, we must avail ourselves of
every opportunity to obtain the con-
troll of foreign markets. Such an
opportunity our brave sailors have
now secured for us, to obtain vast
oriental commerce if we have the
wisdom and courage to cast aside
our ancient prejudice about extra
territorial expansion, which we have
out grown, and which no more fits
our present condition and prospects
than the clothing of boy will be
suitable for him when grown to
manhood. On the base of statue
to Thomas Benton in a st. Louis
park are inscribed the words,
There is the east, there is India,
which he used in a speech advoca-
ting the construction of railway
to the Pacific. The Pacific ocean
has long ago been reached by our
avenues of commerce, and now we
can point across that ocean to the
Philippine islands and say, there is
the orient, and an opportunity to
secure our share of that commerce
that has always enriched every ma
ton that controlled it, and Of which
all the great powers of Europe are
still striving TO obtain a share. Oul
proportion is now.presented to us
if we choose to take it.
-
In the present conflict we did no
start out on a war Of conquest, w
took up arms to free Cuba, and W,
will do it, and help her people t
establish strong independent re-
public, but Puerto Rico and the
Philippines should be retained tc
compensate us for the cost OF thu
war. Bankrupt Spain has no casl
to pay for indemnity, but we car
take real estate instead. We car
give the Philippines a good, JUS
and strong government, without ad
mittine them to the sisterhood o
states, plan for some kind of ter
ritolial government can be devised
for them as easily as for Alaska
Under the stars and stripes Manils
will become one of the greatest em
poriums of the worlds commerce
The exports from there now amour
to about $35, 100000 per annum
and the imports to $29, 900, 600; 0
the exports the United States ha
taken an average of 81 100000 dur
ling the last ten years, but of tn
imports she supplies less than 5000,
llO00. These figures point unmis
takably to the weak spot in ou
commerce. We are not suffering
lIfrom overproducfion but from un
der distribution.
j No such prize as the Philippin
archipelago has fallen into tn
hands of any nation since Englan,
acquired Burmah. To sell it will
I all its vast opportunities and incom
] parable location for commerce +
any other nation, or even to releas
lii for cash indemnity, would b
an act Of gross folly. A glance a
the map of Asia will convince an.
close obse .-ver Of the wonderful nat
! ural position Of these islands for at
tracting and controlling a larg
-share OF the commerce of the east
: "A few hundred miles to the north
) ward lie the ports OF China, a coul
: TRY now emerging from the isolation
} Of ages and opening up boundles
: prospect fol the commerce Of othe
: nations. The island of Formosa
, now in the possession of the Jap
) anese, the Yankees Of the east,
|, still nearer, while to the northwes
/ lies the island empire of Japar
. bound to us by the ties OF friendshi
I and commerce. To the southea'
!. lies the British settlement on tn
r island Of Borneo, the great comme
4 cial city of Singapore, and ii
0 Dutch island Of Sumatra and Java
It while to the southwe I and sout
e lie the islands of the eastern arch
e pelago-New Guinea and the cont
/. mental island of Australia. VIII
n better center and emporium coul
,r be desired as distribution poll