New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1898-07-06
SHALL WE HOLD OUR c0NQUEsTsr

SHALL WE HOLD OUR cONQUEsTsr
At the Ohio Republican state conven-
tion Congressman Grosvenor uttered
some sensible words on the question OF
whether we shall hold the territory which
we conquer from Spain. cit is not inn
portant to settle the status Of the Phil-
ippine Islands now," he said. ''Nor is It
important that we settle the character OF
the government which we promise to Gu
ba. 1t is not proper just now to fix the
status OF Porto Rico, for we have not a
soldier on that island yet" He added
that the President, ''backed by the Re-
publicans and the patriotic Democrats,
will settle all these questions wisely, and
from the point of view of American
progress" In thus coupling Republic
cans and Democrats together in the set,
Element of this question he recognized
the fact that this is not partisan issue
in the old sense. He had in view the
circumstance that many Democrats in
the House voted for Hawaiian annexa.
ton, that many in the senate have advo'
Gated it, and that in each branch of Con
gress and in the newspapers many Dem
ocrats have favored the retention of ali
the territory which the war puts into oul
hands.
This is the sensible way of treating the
territorial extension matter. Party lines
are not drawn upon it, and it is not nee.
essary that the question should be taken
up in Congress now and definite action
be taken upon it. 1t is question which
calls for careful handling, and it is a
question which can wait. Hawaii, OF
course, can be decided now, and will be
decided. Very little opposition was made
IN the House to Hawaiian annexation,
and when the vote is reached in the Sen
ate it will undoubtedly be found that a
large majority of that chamber favor it,
while its opponents among the people
do not seem to be very numerous. Ha-
wall will probably be American territory
before the present session Of Congress
ends. This part Of the territorial extern
sion question, however, is old and sim
pie. From Tyler's days in the presiden-
cy onward the annexation of the Sand
witch Islands has been locked upon by
many American statesmen as an eventu-
ality of the near or remote future.
But the other and larger part of the
territorial acquisition matter is newer,
and upon 1t we are not required to make
an immediate decision. Cuba and Porto
Rico are sure to become American terri
tory ultimately. We have disclaimed
all intention to annex Cuba Immediately.
The Cubans, after, we give them their
freedom, will have chance to set up
government of their own, or to ask for
annexation, an American army remain
ing in the island until the decision is
rnade. Sooner Or later annexation will
be decided upon. We have made no
promise as regards Porto Rico, and over
that island the stars and stripes will wave
forever when they begin to wavesat all.
On the question of holding the Philip
pines, or of letting the insurgents put up
government of their own under an
American protecto-ate, some new factors
enter into the calculation. The only
point in this question which is settled
now is that We shall not give the Philip
pines back to Spain. The insurgents
faith in US will not be betrayed. spain's
tenure of power in the Philippines,when
it ends few weeks or months hence,
will be eternally ended. The larger ques-
ton of the sort of government which the
Philippines, the Carolines, the Ladrones
and the other Spanish islands in the Pa
ciic which we may seize demands more
careful consideration and will have to
wait until the war ends.-St. Louis Globe
Democrat,
A writer in the st. Louis Globe Dem
ocrat draws a comparison between ADJ
miral Sampson and other naval leaders
which is certainly just and correct. He
says: Dewey and Hobson are popular
idols, but the man who is winning the
greatest reputation with those who scrut-
inize and weigh most thoughtfully is Ad-
miral Sampson. -