The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-12-11
COL. ROQUEMORE
TALKS EXPANSION
Views of Candidate for United
States Senator.
OUTLET FOR COTTON GOODS
No One is More Deeply Interested Than
the Southern Farmer, and He
Should Decide the Cues
ton for Himself
OUTLET FOR COTTON GOODS


Age-Herald Bureau, Hotel MADISON, Mont
gomery, December 1O.-(Special)-In his
speech at Scale few days ago, Col. John
d. Roquemore, who is a candidate for the
United States senate to succeed Senator
Morgan, expressed very fully his views on
the Philippine question, which question, he
says, is foremost in the present canvass for
the senate Colonel Roquemore favors the
retention of the islands. and gives as the
most plausible reason for this attitude that
the United States needs the islands to keep
an open door for trade in the Orient.
The following is an extract from Colonel
Roquemores speech, which sets forth his
views on the question:
las to what should be done with the Phil
ippines, the question is not yet ready to be
finally determined. do not favor abandon
ing the islands now and leave them to be
taken by other nations, who would quickly
seize upon them in that event A plausible
view of the situation, taken by some Amer
lean statesmen, is that we are under the
necessity of holding these islands in order
to secure to America the equal opportunity
of trade in the east with other commercial
nations. 1t has been said with much force
that the 'open-door' policy-secured by the
treaty with China-can only be made per-
manent and enduring by the holding by the
American government of the right and
power of commercial reprisal, if an attempt
should be made to destroy this policy. That
this open-door policy should be maintained,
l have no doubt. 1t is of the greatest pos
sible benefit to the cotton grower. 1t is at
this time operating to the salvation of the
hitherto uncared for and unthought of cot
ton planter.
Quiet tor Cotton Goods
ut has provided an outlet for manufac-
tured cotton goods that enables the cotton
mills in this country, and especially in the
south, to pay so per cent more for cotton
than was paid year ago 1t makes it pos
sibe for the sale of cotton goods to keep
pace with constantly increasing cot
ton crops.
ut is a well known fact that a very large
portion of the product of the southern mills,
where the coarser grades of cotton goods
are manufactured is sold in the Orient and
that the assumption by these mills and
their being actively in the market for stock
has kept the price of cotton steadily ad-
vancng all this season, keeping ahead of
the Liverpool and New York markets all
the time.
'Such expressions on the one hand as
imperialism, large standing armies to
overawe labor departing from the faith
of the fathers 'jabbing patriotism into the
Filipinos with a bayonet' Shooting chris
tianity into them with bullets and the
like; and on the other hand, the old flag
has never been hauled down when once
raised never surrender a foot of territory
bought by American blood and similar
meaningless expressions that one would
think the people had already Joined issues
on lines indicated by such expressions
when i'm truth it is doubtful If one voter in
an hundred has even thought out the SUBJ
ject to finality and made up his mind on
it.
1.-THE facts are not all before the people
yet. imperialism has not been defined.
Jabbing patriotism into the Filiplnos with
q bayonet is politicians war cry not yet
understood, and not likely to be favorably
regarded when 1t is remembered that we
owe all our broad expanse of country by
this jabbing' process, inflicted upon the In
dian, the Frenchman, the Mexican, the
Spaniard and a wise use of money. 1t Is
said with a grand, eloquent burst of pa
triotism and pride that we fought England
for our liberty and our lands, but nothing
is said as to where we got our land and
our liberty.
"It is equally without meaning to say
that the flag once raised should never be
lowered This is solely question of policy
and not of principle, and 1t seems that ex-
frar Stc ut "a princtpaJ nOlitica1
parties are joining hands on either side
without regard to the former political
alignment The question should be care
fully considered and settled only after ma
ture consideration.
Opposed to Making Suites OF Islands
"I am not an expansionist in the sense of
making states in the American union of the
Philippine islands, Cuba and Porto Rico,
but If the cotton growers are to be perma-
nently benefited and restored to a state of
prosperity from a condition of hopeless and
Improbable toll by keeping some sort of
control of the islands in the Orient, I am
unquaEfedly for such control. For the
prosperity of the cotton growers will be in
evitably followed by the prosperity of the
entire cotton states and of the union
mo one is more deeply interested in the
proper settlement of our foreign policy, re-
lating to the Philippines ait least. than the
southern farmer, and he should not be led
away from careful, deliberate considera-
tion of the question by specious and mean
ingless political war cries. but should
think 1t out for himself, unbiased by the
politicians to his fears or Ms prejudices.
He should think over the benefits the polt-
tician has showered upon him, and count
the advantages he has derived from them,
fnr nt1<Ha yrA IT, .1x,1 1Aktq
this question for himself and in his own in
terest."