The Saint Paul globe., 1898-06-07
Our Commercial Destiny.


hundred years, have been the control
ling influences in creating. altering and
recreating nations in the onward flight
of time
The greatest accomplishments in the
history of human progress have found
their origin either in the errors of those
charged with the direction Of govern
ment, or the eXcesses and the blunders
Of fanaticsm. From the wild eXcesses
of jealousy and rage of the Jews, and
the weakness of Pontius PLATE, the
governor of Jerusalem, evolved the
crucifixion; and the star Of civilization
made its advent over the hill of CAL
vary Nearly twelve centuries later out
of the mercenary and wicked rule of
King John was wreSted the great
charter Of liberty. Out of the eXcesses
of Rome, eliminating in the reign of
Pope Leo X, came the reformation; out
! of the imbecility of George Ill, and the
attempts Of Lord North to coerce the
American colonies, emerged the repub-
lie of the United States; and later, out
! of the attempted dominancy of that re-
public by the slave power of the South,
came the emancipation proclamat ton.
Today the civilized world is looking
with rare concentration of interest upon
this young nation, and rulers in every
/ hemisphere are speculating upon the
| issues of the existing war between the
United States and Spain, out of whose
tyrannical and barbaTous rule of her
colonies must inevitably issue a start
ling result and one which may possibly
affect, in some measure, every prin-
clpal nation of the earth What that
issue may be, the wisest men of the
present day will not attempt to con-
lecture. Upon one point, however
doubtless all agree, that when the bat
ties shall have ended, and the treaties
of peace shall have been signed some
thing in the line of further advance
ment of civilization and the progress of
the human race will have been accom-
plished.
Less than two months ago, the wild
est political dreamer would not have
ventured to foretell the vanqushment
OF the Spanish fleet in the bay of Ma
Mia by the Asiatic squadron of the
United States navy; and the embarka-
tion Of an army from the California
coast for the purpose Of permanently
maintaining the flag of this country
over the far-away Philippine islands.
AS enc reviews the events of the
past six months, the occupation, by
Germany, Of Chinese terli.oly, seems
IKE prelude to great drama of
which the people of the entire world
are the spectators. The agitat on which
succeeded the action Of Germany had
rot subsided when the uniooked-for
accomplishment by the fleet of Dewey
turned the thoughts Of Eur pean states
men fnto new and original lines Of
| speculation. Previous ITO that time the
Philippines were referred to as the
scene OF an insurrection of little mo-
ment to the world at large But what
a change has been wrought within tn
short, period! Suddenly we behold,
among other wonderful things the con-
servalive element of Great Britain ris-
ing up en- masse, Saluting the Ameri-
can fag and extending the and Of eter-
nal friendship in the name of civiliza-
! ton to and seeking political coalition
with this young and Independent re-
public. Suddenly, also, the commercial
| Importance of this new acquisition Is
| coming to be realized.
This group Of islands is in c,osa con-
| tiguity to a population estimated at
| from S00,000,000 to 9o0000,oC0. TIE port
of Manila is within easy sailing dis
tance of British India, the East Indies,
| China, Japan, COrea and Asiatic Rus
! s.a. The seizure of these islands by
the United States comes, also, at time
| when the atteEltiCn Of our own States
men is being attracted to the immense
{ possibilities of that section of the world
/ as a market for our exports. The grad
| ual growth Of the volume of our prod
ucts exported to China and Japan rep
resents mere index to the possibilities
Of the future. Bradstreet's, of June T.
recites some Of these figures, as for in
stance, in 1898, our exports to the sew
eral countries adjacent to the Philip
pines, mentioned above, amounted to
something in excess of $27, ,0OO 0CO, while
in 1897 the volume had increased to
$62O0O,O 900, and yet these figures repre-
sented less than per cent of their total
imports. In addition to the an
nual growth of the value of
exports to China, between the
years mentioned there has been a
heavy gain in the demand for our cot
ton cloths by British India, while our
exports, during the four years mention
ed, to the Dutch East Indies have dou-
bled in volume. Meanwhile there has
been a gain of nearly so per cent over
1894 in our trade with Hong Kong, the
distributing point Of that part of the
world, while our trade with Japan, in
1897, was more than four times that of
1893. The suggestion is already made,
in connection with our conquest in the
southern hemisphere, that the Philip
stances, become a great commercial
center, and that Manila may, in the
progress of time, even become the rival
of Hong Kong as a center of distri-
button.
Thus it has come to pass that the
destiny of the United States, already
the richest country in the world, the
most productive and possessed of in
, calculable resources has been sudden.
ly unveiled to view through the instru.
mentality Of the blood-stained hand OF
Spanish barbarism, and the nation is
being rapidly propelled to a realiza.
: ton of that destiny by the unseen and
irresistible forces Of modern civiIiza.
ton.
/ Is He ssGood Republican ?''
Mr.. Wanamaker will doubtless submit will
a good grace. He is too good Republican
| to bolt especially as the man nominatef
is personally unobjectionable.-Min
Tribune.