The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-05-25

cHAuNCEY M. DEPEW ARGUES
AGAINST KEEPING THE PHILIPPINES.

He Declares the Wave OF Desire FOR Colo
nies Must Be Checked May Mean the
Political Death. He Says. OF Public Men
TO Try to Stem IL.
Chauncey M. Depcw made a long
speech the other night at tho monthly
meeting of the Republican club, in New
York, in which he declared himself as
opposed 10 the retention Of the Philip
pines as a permanent possession of this
government. His talk followed the
adoption Of long report Of the commit
tee on national affairs, which advocated
a doctrine of territorial expansion for
the United States to include the possess
sion Of Hawaii, all the continent Of
America and the islandsin the Atlantic
near our coast, ON condition that these
acquisitions should not be made through
conquest, but by the application of the
peoples themselves.
Mr.. Depew said in part:
when we entered into this war,
congress and the president solemnly de-
clared that 1t was not to be for con-
quest, but for high and humane pur-
pose. Can we afford to go back ON this
declaration and to stand convicted in
the opinions Of European people, who
are now sneering at our purposes?
"We cannot go into this business Of
territorial expansion without a CON-
plete change in our traditions and ma
tional principles.
I'VE arc talking CT keeping the Phil
ippines. To rule them would require
q strong military government on the
islands. How are we going to reconcile
our Declaration Of Independence to thisl
Can we say, Taxation without repre-
sentation is tyranny except when we
are getting something out of it?'
In starting out ON this new venture
of expansion we will have to maintain
an immense army and navy to enforce
our demands and protect our rights in
the colonies. Just see what this will
mean to us. The immense cost OF this
military force will have to be borne
mainly by taxes at home. England
makes so much out Of her colonial trade
that she can tax her merchants. Can
we go into such heavy system Of home
taxation as this?
Here in America we have heavy
municipal taxes which we pay with q
little grumbling. Our federal tax we
don't feel at all. 1t is raised by Gus
toms duties, and the people generally
do not know they are paying it, Free
from taxes, they look with great rever-
ence to the federal government.
What will come with colonial ex-
pansion, with its consequent heavy mil
itary expenses? Why, a more extended
system of taxation direct upon the peo-
pie. AS in England, every piece of busi-
ness paper will have to have it's stamp.
You, will pay taxes ON checks and on
bills. And direct income tax will be
inevitable. This will mean an end to
the superior condition Of the American
laboring man. With the incheased taxa
tion there will come less wages for him.
This sort Of thing would be intolerable
in America after what we have been
used to. 1t would mean socialism.
"The wave of desire for colonial ex-
pansion like England's is sweeping over
the land. Who knows but that it may
sweep every sane consideration before
IL, as did the war fever q few weeks
ago? 1t may mean the political death Of
any man of influence to try to stem it.
But we must try to find out some way
Of checking this insanity before it drives
us too far onward. New York Jour-
nal