Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1898-11-18
senator Edmunds ON Imperialism.
From n Letter TO eN-CsOv. stewart. Pub
Iished In the Burlington Free Press.
PHILADELPHIA, Nov. =,
1924 Spruce Street.


QUESTION of the Philippine islands by the
United States. As you know, that archi-
pelago consists of 1000 or 1900 islands. en-
bracing ia, 900 square miles, and extend
ing over a large area of the Pacific and the
China sea, in the heart of the tropics 1t
is subject to and frequently experiences
earthquakes and hurricanes. 1t contains
altogether about Z 600 600 of inhabitants.
being about 80 to the square mile. and
Just about double the population of Yer
mont to the square mile.
Before the war with Spain ] take ID
that nine-tenths of the intelligent people
OF the United States would have thought
II bordering on madness to have taken
I those islands into our domain. Their pop
ulation is almost entirely what may fairly
be called savage, and absolutely incapable
OF anything that civilization would call
selt-government. And if their inhabitants
were as peaceable as the best of other
tropical countries, they would still be tas
all experience has proved incapable of gov
erning themselves. Our only motive for
their acquisition, therefore. must be the
material advantages supposed by some To-
now from our controlling the products of
the islands and their trade. We get all the
products of the islands now that we wish
Tor, and on the same terms that other ma
uons do. II We take them the cost will be-
precisely the same. unless we adopt the an
| cleut colonial policy of Great Britain and
some other nations. in controlling their
trade exclusively and allow 1t TO be car.
rled on only in our own ships. In that
case, retaliation will certainly follow. and
our shlps and goods will be excluded. in
IKE manner. from the colonial possessions
OF the great manufacturing and trading
powers, which would leave the balance of
the disadvantages vastly against us
Ia business point of view We must take
INTO consideration the cost OF governing
the islands. This cost cannot. in all nu-
man probability. be met bv the taxation of
me inhabitants TO any considerable extent
Nature supplies them with substantially
al the food and clothing they REQUIRE and
they are, OF course indisposed 10 labor o-
lhrii.. II We take them we must govern
them by external power, and not through
any autonomy OF their own. This means
large and expensive civil list. governors.
councillors, administrators. officers of
justice. and SO forth and so forth who
must, III the main, be paid ont of the trea-
sury OF the United States The climate
Is, OF course, very unwhoesOmc for Amer
lcans, and the death rate OF our officers
lhere would be very large. IL will also re
qulre an American army of defence and
LOT the preservation of peace and order. of
many thousand men, and an American
navy OF SIN or more ships, and probably
2OuO men, all exposed, like the civilians
to the constant hostility of the climate. TO
say nothing Of that of the inhabitants OF
most, If not all, OF the islands. Are We.
under such circumstances, to force a gov
eminent upon them
The present condition between ourselves
ana Spain IN regard TO the islands is A.
the protocol OF armistlce distinctly shows
that We have not obtained the islands. and
that all our rights that were recognized
there. We're those Of holding the nav and
city OF Manila and their environments
until peace should be established What
was to be done with the whole croup was
lett Tor negotiations. which our commits
sloneTs al Paris are now engaged In. II
Then, we are TO get them withou. the ce,-
sion OF Spain, we must do IL by force of
further war against Spain, and probably
by force OF arms against the vast majority
OF the inhabitants. who, so far as ! know.
have shown no disposition 10 be annexed
10 the United States.
Are We, then, 10 attempt TO force civ
them as Mohammed made his proselvtesa
This, OF course. would be expressly con.
trary 10 our Declaration OF Independence
and 10 the principles upon which the GOV
eminent o. the United States rests. How
many lives OF their sons do Vermont and
the other states OF our solid ana homoge.
neous Union wish 10 sacrifice 90 accom-
push IL, and how many more annually
hereafter IN governing these islands Our
lew months experience al Manila. and In
nearby Cuoa and Porto Rico should make
US awake 10 these questions What
'Ioglc or what humanity demands or
even tempts us 10 this sort OF 'lmpprisl-
ISM Let the advocates of such an en-
terprise point out definitely what are the
grounds Tor such course Congress has
solemny pledged the national honor and
laIIh lhat we had no purpose OF territorial
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT even as to Cuba, only 100
miles IRON our shores. 1t is true. the vic
Tor IN war is entitled TO indemnity. I'm,
the victor who has made war for humanity.
mas no right TO be eXtortionate because he
IS strong The cesslon of Porto Rico any
one OF the Ladrones for a coaliug statiod
and refuge on the way from our westerd
coast to Asiatic ports is ample for eyern
expense OF the war that can be measureu
by money value. Even Porto Rico would
be, as part of the United States an in
Jury 10 us III the long run, but for its sim
alton II connection with the Nicaragua
canal Already some newspaper writers
have opened the question OF its admission
as a state OF the Union, with senators hav-
ing an equal voice in making laws for his
country with that of the senators from
' ermont or New York or any other state
The sober-minded inhabitants of each of
The states should consider the enormous
danger OF introducing such elements and
such a power into the Senate, where all
our states stand equal, and which. as John
Adams described il, is "the sheet anchor
OF the republic and the only security of
state rights.
Porto Rico, like every other tropical
country, even if it were not already fully
populated, will not admit of North Amer
lean settlement and development on ac.
count OF its climate. The experience of
hundreds of years, all over the tropical
parts OF the globe, has demonstrated this.
so 1t is only in view of its location in re-
lation TO the waterway across the CONT
nent that 1t is desirable to US. Why. then.
should we wish or be willing, TO receive
the Philippines"
! might enlarge upon this subject. but
what have said states concisely what
think, and why am opposed 10 the ac-
QUESTION of these islands