The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-01-10
croker ON EXPANSION
He FavOrs Holding the
Philippines.
THE PEOPLES RIGHTS,

He Claims, Demand that We Keep
Possession OF all the Territory We
Have Acquired by Conquest or Pur.
ehase-He Favors it for Humanfty's
Sake-The People are willing to Pay
:the Cost Of Holding the New Terri.
tory.
New York, January 6.-The Journal
and Advertiser will tomorrow print
the following statement given out by
Richard Croker:
ct believe in expansion; I believe in
holding whatever possessions we have
gained by annexation, purchase or
war.
This policy is not only patriotic, but
it is the only safe one to pursue. Any
the part of the United States and in
vote foreign complications. This must
be avoided, hence our policy must be
vigorous.
Jefferson was an expansionist, 9TH
wise he would not have favored the
acquisition of Louisiana, with it's for
eign population, which in Jefferson's
time was quite as remote as the Phil
ippinos. In this age of steam and cleo
tricity, distance is no argument against
expansion.
I'VE spend millions annually for mis-
sionary work in foreign countries.
Now we have a chance to spend this
n0nnau in 0J1r WI nncc0cciOnc on6
make h people of our new lands
good, law abiding citizens, who in time
will be loyal to our constitution inc
our flag. Take England for example.
The people of this little island come
pretty near owning the universe. Are
not u people as intelligent, as pow
erful and as patriotic as the English
people? The United States is the only
country on earth superior to h Eng
lish. Why not illustrate to the world
that we are fully able to cope with
greater problems than we ave had
occasion to in the past, and in the flu
ture dominate any emergency.
w have a population of $4,000, 900 of
people; the country teens with young
men full of life, hope and ambition.
Why not give these young men a
chance to develop our newly acquired
possessions and build up a country,
rivalling in grandeur and patriotism
our own United States.
Il say by all means hold on to all
that rightfully belongs to us. If the
great country west Of the Rocky noun
tains were filled with wild Indians at
the present moment, now long would
It take us to suppress them and make
them respect u laws and our consti-
tuition? The same thing applies to the
Philippines and any other country that
may fall into our hands by the prov
ince of peace Or war;
cit is an insult in the American peo-
pie and to our flag even to suggest
that we abandon the people we have
released from bondage, o what would
Ye more d~isgraceful, hat we should
offer to sell them to the highest bid
der. Such a proposition places the
American people in the same category
with the Chinese, who have neither pa
triotism nor a foreign policy, and are
in consequence utilized as a door mat
by the powers Of h world.
This is too great a question to be
j considered as a mere matter of dol
lars and cents. Our people want their
rights protected; they will not figure
on the cost. Bring it down to local
government; in the case of street
cleaning, the cry is I'VE want clean
streets regardless of the cost. They
demand them as their right. Just SC
with our possessions, the people want
the properties acquired by war pro-
tected. They will pay for a standing
army, a powerful nav n the pro-
lection of our flag the world over, re-
CARELESS of any monetary considera-
tion. They have proved their willing
ness to sacrifice their blood for the
honor of their country and their flag
And when the question is brought te
an issue they will arise as n mar
and demand expansion as a citizens
rights. We did not embody the 16 to
question in our platform and the re.
suit is that we elected every one OF
our congressman"