Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1898-07-02
THE PHILIPPINES.
The Islands Abound In n Ne"''" VI
All Kinds of Products
now to Man.

There are more than 1900 Of them,
and they are extravagantly lowered by
nature. Even the pages of encyciope-
dias light up with glowing enthusiasm
in describing their products. In Inc
Sooloo group the fertile SOIL waterea
with frequent rains and bathed IN a
humid atmosphere, produces an album
dance OF vegetation hardly equaled any
where else in the world. Crops are
harvested in constant succession, ana
trees bear blossoms and ripening fruit
nj the same time. olives of wild bees
hang from the branches and alongside
of them are nests of humming BIRDS
dangling in the wind" Vast forests
clothe the mountains TO their SUBMITS,
and include ebony, ironwood, CEDAR
spanwood, and numerous other varie-
ties of tropical woods. These forests
are filled with the melody Of myriads
of birds, and flash with the brilliant
colors of beautiful tiretlies. birds OF
paradise, paroquets, etc, In the ilelds
are the banana, plantain, pineapple,
sugar cane, cotton, coffee, cocoa, elm
namon, tobacco, indigo, rice, wheat,
maize. oranges, c%itrons, breadfruit-
everything.
There are oxen, sheep, goats, swine
harris, buffaloes and monkeys, enough
of the latter to supply every child in
America, so that it would no longer
be necessary TO go to Barnum or Bailey
Then, too, the jungles swarm with liz
ards, snakes and other reptiles, and
with huge spiders, tarantulas, white
ants, mosquitoes and locusts-all OF
which are handy to have around when
we are in danger of becoming too much
fascinated with earthly things.
The wildcat is also abundant, and
there has been a scarcity of wildcats
among us since the wildcat currency
disappeared with the war. Volcanoes
are active, and with the waning of the
walking delegate and public agitator
we shall shortly be in need Of voIca'
noes. Earthquakes are frequent, and
these would supply a long-feit want,
They are needed to stir up stay-at-home
voters and to wake up the sleeping pill
lars" of the churches. Temperance lee
turers might also use them, and the
"shrieking sister" could give a deeper
bass to her voice with the %rumbling
The constant showers which fall from
May to December might be coaXed
across our western plains and gladden.
the heart of the farmer, The gold, iron,
copper and sulphur mines would fur.
nish new fields for trusts and combines,
and it is obvious TO everybody that the
trusts are in danger of running out OF
material and will soon need some new
corner of the earth to levy on.
Therefore, take it all in all, from the
brilliant bugs to the earthquakes, the
bait is most tempting. But the hook
in the jaws is what men fear. And yet,
commercially, morally and r~eiigiously
the prospect is not one which neces.
sarily repels by its dangers. For the
greatest danger TO our republic is con.
gestion. II is the cry for work when
there is no work to give that sends the
shiycrS through us. We have made ma.
chinery faster than a market. We need
a wider region in which to place our
goods. And just now the orient /.
opening up a vast prospect. The Phil.
ippires would be both a market and a
gate of opportunity TO oriental trade.
They would make an outlet for a fret.
ting surplus of population in the great
.centers, and for our factories and fo1
labor.
Morally and religiously we should not
shun an opportunity to lift up a bar
barous people. The monastic plan of
keeping good was never a success, and
shutting ourselves in does not necessari.
ly make us righteous. Anation, like an
individual, is made better by trying tc
save somebody else. Every missionary
who goes abroad is an inspiration to the
home circle. When we think of the
many avenues in these islands into
which we could turn the influence of
education and the healing power Of re.
liglon, ii must be admitted that the
prospect Is attractive TO spiritual ear.
n%eStneSs. Who knows but that this is
a plan of Providence to bring the land
favored of God and flowing with re.
liglouS speech into touch with a land in
need of the Gospel?
We do not say that these considera,
tons should prevail, or put a warrant
on them as conclusive, but they readily
rise to view in contemplating the situa.
tlon.-Adyancc.