The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-01-27

flag of Spain would have peaceably
come down.
Senator Perkins-As business prop
osition, do We want the Philippine ISL
ands? The British foreign official re-
port No. 1882, annual series 1897, states
that the last years total value of inn
| ports into the Philippine Islands was
| S10,631,25 and the total value for the
same year of exports from the islands
| TO all countries of the world was $40
| IT'S 900. By the same report ii is also,
| stated that under the most oppressive
! system of taxation by Spain that could
| be devised, which embraces a poll tax
ranging from three dollars TO thirty
dollars per capita, and this in additions
to other taxes, she collects s13, 500, ooo
in revenue. The expense to Spain tex
elusive of the cost of her navy) for the
administration of the government was
S1S 100000, thus leaving a surplus
profit if you please-Of $500, 900 per an
600 we propose TO pay Spain for her
| interest in the islands which the insur-
gents under Aguinaldo claim they own
and over which they have established
their own government.
| There can be no colonization of the
| islands by Americans, as there is no
! possible inducement to emigrate to -
country where cholera, and other intes-
final diseases and smallpox are cpl
demic nine months in the year. As
corroborative evidence of the unheaI-
thy state of the islands, | have but to-
call your attention to the hundreds of
applications daily received by members
of Congress and others from those who,
lave relatives and friends in the army
at Manila, asking influence to have
them discharged, as they are sick and
cannot stand the climate. The tornado
earthquake and flood also make life
full of fear and trembling. 1t was only
a few years ago that the cathedral at
Manila was demolished by an earth
quake, and a tornado swept down thou
sands of houses, destroying many lives
But if climate, mineral and agricul-
tural resources were favorable, there
are no lands in the islands to home
stead or preempt, as they are now
densely populated, having about eigh-
ty-five persons to the square mile,
while the United States has about
twenty -four, California less than nine
and our Territory of Alaska only about
one person TO every six square miles
Wages for laborers and mechanics ia
the islands do not offer much induce
ment, as they range from ten cents to
81 per day in silver. ( am unable tics
see much promise of increasing our ex-
ports to the islands, as the present
Philippine generation Will not buy
even if they had the money, our boots
and shoes and clothing; nor do be-
lieve they will adorn their bamboo
houses with our damask or lace cur
tains and wall paper; nor will they
have any use for our fine cutlery, glass
and crockeryware, clocks, sewing ma
chimes, cabinet organs, books, furni -
ture, pictures, and the thousands OF
articles that beautify the homes of tire
plain people of the United States.
Congressman De Armand-Do yon
recollect now a short time ago, under
a tremendous pressure from the people
of the Pacific Ocean, there was law
passed for the exclusion of the Chi
nese? There was a conflict brought OH
there in the labor world between the
people of our race, our kith and kim
and the hordes from China. A cry of
despair arose in that Pacific country,
Save US, Save us by stern law OF ex
clusion from this horde Of alien labor
ers; from these degraded people frou&
stern, rigid and SO sweeping that any
one who read it without a full knowI-
edge of the circumstances would say
it was cruel and heartless, and yet Il
was necessary. Here we are, perhaps
not by direct act, but by indirectiOn,
; taking in ten million similar people
, making them and their descendants
: fellow citizens of this country, SO that
: they can come at will or go as they
please.
Congressman De Armand was in ia
: vor of an Independent Filipino govern
ment for the islands, and American ex-
pansion through commercial means