The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-23
snA1rLn. SATURDAY., DEo =.
Expanaion In tho South.


Senator Bacon. Of Georgia. 10 an anti
expansionist. He introduced a resolu-
tion in the senate the other day declar-
Ing against retention Of the Philip
pines. No doubt he win address him
self to the subject at some date
m the near future. bringing to the front
the declaration Of independence, the
constitution, the inalienabie rights Of
man a. he constrv1es them to be and all
the wen worn Arguments which are be-
Ing vainiy used to block the onward
march Of this country towards what has
been happily termed its manifest des-
tiny.
From the same state another voice
was heard Thursday. It was that Of
Clark Howell, Of Atlanta. who spoke be-
fore thu Independent Club Of Buffalo.
1t was the voice Of the new South, the
argument Of progression. hope. ambi-
ton, energy, srowth. It was An echo
OF the ksynote sounded by Morgan Of,
Alabama. Lindsay Of Kentucky. Wat
terson OF the Courier-Journal and Gov.
Jones, OF Arkansas. It was plea for
! greater. better. stronger, richer and
moro influential republic. and not : pes
simistio protest against an expansion
that ID Inevitable.
Mr.. Howell, as . Southsrner, looked
ut the question from it, practical sids.
and this viewing Of the new problem
from business standpoint is what Ii
bringing about 10 pronounced change
In sentiment among the people Of that
section once supposed to be welded to
the anti-sxpansion cause. Cotton is
stiH q king and the interests Of the cot
ton planter and latterly the cotton spin
ner are matters Of supreme concern.
The South Il rapidly coming to the con-
clusion that the retention Of the Phil
ippines and other Pacific islands with
the certain enlargement OF our trade in
the far East will add greatly to the de-
mand for American cotton. With so
much depending upon good markets for
that important staple. those of the
South who see clearly into the future
appreciate the folly of standing in their
own way by combating policy which
offers them the markets 50 long coveted.
The immense possibilities which win
be opened to Southern producers If our
foothold In the Orient is retained can
DO understood by study Of trade ex-
tension In the last few years. In 1895
the entire exports Of cotton cloth to
China were only s5,ooo,ooo yards. Dur
ing the last fiscal year there were ex-
ported 221, 100000 yards, which was a
gain OF 10 per cent. over the exports of
the previous year. The trade is still
advancing and when to 1t are added the
demands Of our new possessions. the
call upon the South for one Of her chief
products will be such az to bring about
an industrial activity never before ex-
perienoed.
John Barrett. who has made a serious
study Of the conditions of Oriental
trade. predicts that the Asiatic coast
will In course of time consume the entire
breadstuff output Of the Pacific coast
and that the price Of Coast wheat will
be determined on the Pacific and not in
Liverpool. So will 1t be as regards cot
tom. A writer on the subject recently
said: The consumption Of raw cotton
per inhabitant OF these United States
was reckoned In 1898 at twenty-five
pounds per annum. If the Filipinos.
Japanese and Cinnamon ever attain
that standard, as they might readily do
were their purchasing power equal to
kheir desire to possess an abundance OF
Rhat Is practically the only material Of
khsir clothing. they would require to
meet their demands some 17.5oo.ooo bales
Of cotton year, or very considerably
more than the total annual product Of
the world TAs personalities Of the de-