The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1899-11-03

responsible, not only 10 the inhabit-
ants and to our own people, but In
international law, to the commerce.,
the travel, the civilization OF the
world for the preservation OF order
and the protection OF life aud prop
erty in Cuba. in Porto Rico. In Guam
and In the Philippine islands, includ-
ing the recent haunt of piracy, the
Sulu'a Shall we acquit ourselves like
men in the discharge Of this duty,
or shall we fall to quarreling
like children over the question
as to whether or not this duty
was a good thing to DO forced
upon usp 1t has been we'll said by an
eloquent orator that there may have
been time for dispute about the wis
dom of resisting the stamp tax, but
that time had passed after the battle
of Bunker Hill; there may have been
a time for hot Debate about some of
the mistakes in the anti-slavery con-
test, but all time for debate had
passed after the battles Of Fort stump
ter and Bull Run. You can never
grind with the water that has passed
the mill. Nothing in human power
can ever restore the United States to
Congress plunged us into the war with
Spain, 1ror enable us to escape what
the war entaled Whether we wish
it or lot, the old continental isolation
is gone forever. Whithersoever we
turn, we must do it with the burden
of our late acts to carry and the re-
sponsibility of our new position to as
sumo. 1t is idle to talk of turning
over the Philippines. We could not
do so If we wished. There is no gen.
eral representative form OF govern
ment to whom we might turn
over the fruits Of our victory
and the results of our treaty.
We could only abandon these islands
to the greed of foreign nations; or
what would be worse, turn them back
to the tyranny and oppression OF
Spain. The treaty of peace which
gave us tho Philippines and Porto
Rico and Guam met with some oppo-
sition in the senate, but was finally
ratified by that body by more than a
two-thirds vote, while in the house
the appropriation of $50, 000,O0 was
made with little or no opposition. As
in the case of the Louisiana purchase
and the buying of Alaska, the oppo-
nents of the treaty were in the mi
nority.
The future of these islands is now in
the keeping of Congress, and Congress
is the servant of the people. That
these islands will be retained under
tho benign sovereignty of the United
States there is little reason to doubt.
1t is, however, question which the
people themselves will be given an OPP
portunity to decide. 1t is believed
that Congress will provide for the
Philippines a government which will
bring them blessings, which will pro-
mote their material interests and de-
velopc their wonderful mineral and
agricultural possibilities, and advance
their people in the pathway of intel
ligence and civilization. 1t is strange
that any people in the United States
should talk of our flag in the Philip
piues as being a symbol of oppression.
1t means for the people of those is
lands what it has meant for the peo-
pie of every land over which it has
waved since the lightning. 1t means
for them what it meant for the peo-
pie of Louisiana and Texas and Cali
fornia and Oregon. The American
dag does not mean one thing in the
United States and another in the
Philippines. 1t means civilization
and human liberty wherever it goes.
These new possessions are about
onc-sixth the size Of the original
thirteen states. The archipcla go
embraces approximately 143, 900
square miles. 1t is larger than the
combined area of New Jersey. Della
ware, Maryland, Virginia, North
Carolina South Carolina and the Dis
trict of Columbia 1t exceeds in area
all of the New England states It is
almost as large as Washington and
Oregon combined, and greater than
Ohio, Indiana and Illinois united. 1t
is three times larger than New York,
and three and half times greater
than the state of Ohio. 1t is richer
in mineral resources than Pcnnsyl.
vania. 1t grows better tobacco than
Virginia or Mississippi 1t Isl better
sugar country than louisiana or
Alabama Its forests are moro val
liable than those of the far north or
the far south. There are valuable de-
posts of coal, petroleum, iron, lead.
copper and gold in the
various islands, aud little or moth
ing has been done to develop them.
1t is said that its agricultural posi-
bilities are capable OF supporting a
equal to that of Japan
A., 900, 900 people. Its valleys are fer
tile for the growth of sugar, tobacco,
rice, hemp, fruit and all the valuable
products of an Oriental climate. For
800 years it has been Spain's most val
liable possession. 1t has brought
wealth ultold to the private Golfers
of her corrupt officials BY her sys-
TEN of government, Spain ground the
inhabitants of this rich realm to the
last degree of endurance. She charged
them S35 head for poll tax. She
robbed them in every season. Surely,
no one with a drop of patriotism in
his blood will say that the govern
ment which the flag OF the free brings
TO these people is not a blessing to
Them after the 300 years OF tyranny
md robbery they have suffered at the
hands of Spain.
Vitality OF Snails.
The snail is blessed with great powers
OF vitality. A case is recorded Of an
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