The Portland daily press., 1898-10-10
EXPANSION MEANS DISASTER.
A Vermont Republican Congressman's Op-
position to Annexation of the PHILIPPINES

position to Annexation Oh tno HHiipines
(From Speech by Representative Powers
before the Western Vermont Congrega-
tional Club
The President and Congress declared
over and over again that the war was
waged on this ground alone, to give re-
lief to the Cubans by giving them stable
government freed from the control of
Spain and that no conquest OF territory
was sought or would be attempted. We
can stand upon this justification, and this
alone, in shaping our future policy
touching the conquered territory now on
our hands. If we hold any territory by
right of conquest we have perverted the
purpose Of the war.
1t has been often proclaimed in the pub
lie press that all territory over which our
flag has been raised must DO permanently
held. This proposition is illog ical and
indefensible. Suppose that Watson's fleet
had been despatched to the coast of Spain,
as was contemplated, and had attacked
and captured Cadiz, and uniurled our flag
upon its public buildings, must we per-
manently hold the city when peace comes
because we have once occupied it? We, do
not hold Cuba and Porto Rico by right
of conquest. We have never captured
them. Our title comes by the voluntary
surrender of tine islands as the price de-
manded for our agreement to treat with
Spain upon the subject of peace. We hold
Manila by the same right. What shall be
done with all three is a matter for future
discussion.
The most serious question is presented
by our partial control of the Philippines.
Confsssedly the people of these islands are
utterly unit for self-government. We
owe them no duty, because we never es-
poused the cause of the insurgents there.
Admiral Dewey was sent to these islands,
not to capture them, but to capture the
fleet stationed there. This mission was
means to the great end proposed when
war was declared, namely, to give Cuba
stable government freed of Spanish con-
troll and every obstacle in our way must
be overcome. What excuse can we offer
then, whom peace comes and Cuba Is freed
of Spanish control, for permanently hold
ing the Philippines? Our national honor.
our future status at the bar of the public
opinion of the world, demand that con-
sistency aud justice shall BIZ the guiding
stars of cur action from the opening to
the concluding chapters of this history.
II we permanently take the Philippines
we will be compelled to govern them,
with or without their consent, as the case
may be. They will not, in all human
probability, be able to govern themselves,
and thus we shall abandon the fundamen-
tai basis upon which our system of gov
eminent rests, namely. that the people
shall be their own governors. Besides
all this, the people Of these islands can
never be gov erned by us if we undertake
the task, without an immense expense to
our treasury. If it be logical of judge of
the future by the past, we will have
revolution on our hands the greater part
of the time. A standing army of MANI
moth size will be needed to garrison the
l, 400 islands constituting the group.
Coast Notifications, the number and ex-
tent Of which no man can define, will be
required as a defense against attack by
other nations. We have here at home the
longest and most exposed coast-line of
any nation on earth, already involving an
immense expenditure of money, and not
half protected at that Are our people
ysarning to secure territory extending
over sixteen degrees of latitude and ten
degrees of longitude, and made up priuoi-
pally of oast-line. to still further expand
our frontierP
But it is said that We owe it to human
ty to give relief to the people of the Phil
ippines. now SO eorely Oppressed by
Spain, and that the occupancy of Manila
makes 1t obligatory that we continue our
hold for this purpose. If Watson had
taken Cadiz, would it have been argued
that the behests of humanity would re-
quire us to deliver all the people Of Spain
from the exaotions OF the Spanish govern
mentp
Our possession of Manila is merely ten
tative. We hold it only for tactical and
diplomatic purposes. BY it we have no
constructive possession even of the whole
group of islands. We have only what
lawyers call possessio pedis. The boun-
daries of our actual occupation limit the
extent and field of our duty.
The claim that we must not return the
Philippines to Spain is entirely fallaoious
We have not yet taken them from Spain,
and SO have nothing to return. Before
we can have any responsibility for the is
lands we must capture them either by our
arms or by our diplomacy. If we leave
them alone, Spain and the insurgents will
determine their future.
Let us as a people narrow our distorted
vision of empire and give our best thought
and best energy to the development of
that we have. In our calmer mood we
never dreamed of Asiatic possessions. Let
us not in the gush Of momentary exulta-
ton inaugurate policy that leads to
national disaster. The history of Spain,
the history of all nations, teach the same
lesson-adding colonial possessions weak
ems the parent state. England never be-
came mistress of the seas until she lost
the American colonies. By 80 much as
you withdraw the money, the enterprise,
and attention of our people from their
own territory to foreign acquisitions, in
the same ratio you weaken the growth
and lessen the development and retard
the progress of the country we now have.
I eft usirather build more School.houses