The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-12-24

would government end and anarchy begin?
How long would 1t be before tribal strife
and selfish faction would burst into the
fierce fury of maddened riot and lay vio-
lent hands upon the foundation of civiaza-
tfon and progress which has been firmly
planted on the islands, and which, under
the guiding hand of American direction,
will lead their people into the broad path
OF peace and prosperity?
Our mission, after putting down the
pending revolution, Is to educate; and then,
when their people are fitted for the estab-
ishment of government of their own to
protect them in its maintenance until they
can protect themselves. But until then, let
us pursue the even tenor of our way, work.
ing oct, as best we can, the problem of des-
tiny. putting the rest of the world on notice,
as 1t watches with eager eyes for an oppor-
tunity to profit by our possible misstep,
that the performance of duty which pro-
violence has placed in our hands will not be
shfrked Let our watchword be Hands Off
to the hungry monarchies of Europe, and
Hand off! ourselves only when we shall
have established a government which will
be a tribute to the glory of our institutions
and triumph of the honesty and sincerely
OF our purpose.
"a ten-milion bale crop of cotton at only
cents a pound means $500, 100000 in cash
for the raw material; and this year the
farmer who got less than cents for his
cotton had only himself to blame for selling
1t too early. Ten million bales of cotton In
the manufactured state means cash
equivalent of from one and One-half to two
billion dollars. We have not yet reached
the point where even a larger per cent. of
the crop is manufactured In the vicinity of
the cotton field; but with the phenomenal
development of the Asiatic demand for
-, Il etY,.r
facilities of the south to supply It, we can
reasonably expect an outcome which, at no
distant day, will fall but little short of the
weaving by the factories of our country OF
practically the total output of American
hales; and figuring only upon the increased
demand sufficient to justify a modest ward
robe of not more than one cotton suit to
each Filipino, we have in this item alone
return which would very soon meet the
cash cost of the islands, and, in addition,
an investment of incacuable wealth to the
cotton industry of our country.
I'VE have as yet but touched the borders
of Asiatic trade, and with anything like
fair basis for operation, giving us van
tage ground from where we can participate
in the fruits of that newly opening mar
ket we will look confidently to the day
when the south, taking its sister states of
other sections by the hand, will point to
her overlooking apron OF riches, and lead
the joyful chorus that sings the nations
wealth.
Great as was the necessity for govern
ment aid in the buflding of the first trans
continental line, there is another under
taking of even greater Importance today as
measured by the direct benefits to accrue
from it. 1 refer to the construction of the
Nicaragua canal, the suggestion OF when Is
being heset by the same criticism, and the
progress of which movement is encounter
ing the same vexatious delay which With
4l1l otn n W
eminent sanction needed to give us direct
railway communica ton between the Pacific
and Atlantic oceans. For years this mag
nfficent project, destined to revolutionlze
the pathway of the worlds commerce mas
knocked unheeded at the doors OF congress.
There is not state in the union NOT ourect-
ly Interested in the undertaking., nor q
citizen who will not be benefited by Its sue
cess. 1t will make the gulf the great high
way of interna tional commerce, ana II Will
hiring New York in closer touch with hons
Kong than it was with San FRANCISCO at Tue
time wt4es the first appeal was maze lof
the construction of a ns-continentai hlle,
on the plea that our ocean Shores sho"1u
be given closer connection.
go far as the south is concerned, no
earthly hand can stay the development. %
its limitless resources. It's lheAnausti oie
iron ores, now turned into the hnlshed pro-
duet Al the mines, find market throughout
pine forests are being transferred, IN UNI
her. to the nations of the earth, ana there
&c enough of it left to veneer the continent
with a surface of heart pine. Inc maroie
ouauriss of Georgia have, in the past lew
wears furnished material for tine capltois
of three states; and Georgia marpie Is as
familiar in the great buildings OF Chlcago
and New York as the product of Pennsyva-
MIA flax is to our own people. We nave just
begun to realize the possibilities OF cattle-
raising and from my own city an Atlanta
man is competing with Chicago and Kansas
CITY in meats packed by home enterprise
and furnished from southern hoofs, wMcb
march to eternity through the narrow ave
mes of an Atlanta abattoir. In raising To-
bacco and other staple products, not TO
mention those of the liquid variety, we nave
established a unique record ana Oh Heor-
eia ii is said that the variety ana rlchness
of It's soil will produce anything that can pe
grown in any state of the Union. Add 10
this the preaching possibilities OF the cot
ION crop. in It's raw and manufactured
state and we have, even without the MICA
ragua canal, a prospect no less ranlant with
hone than it is assuring of fulfliment. But
commit the government to the mlngnng OF
the waters of the two great oceans by
channel across the isthmus, opening OUT
norris ITO direct connection with those OF the
Pacific. and of the Orient, and the infusion
Of new life through the arteries OF SOUTH
ern commerce will put the whole nation on
its way rejoicing
..loy are we any more interested in the
speedy undertaking of this great work than
are YOU. whose capital and whose indus
tries will be made by Ut to feel the healtny
tonch Of Increased activity, DIN the peneiieaal
effect OF which the whole nation will par
ticipaJte. And as for the ns-ontnental
lines, instead of injuring by d1verting trat-
&c from them, the construction OF the ca
nal will so stimulate our western and trans
Pacific commerce as to increase their ton
mage in proportion to the grown Oh the
new business resulting by new effort.
both of the great parties have declared
dn favor of the construction of the MICA
ragua canal, time and again, and VI the
new century commits the government to
the undertaking, the nation will have occa-
sion for congratula tion at such an auspi-
cious opening of an era in which Its great
est triumphs are yet to be achieved. With
Hawaii and the Philippine islands, the MIC
aragua canal is inevitable; and whatever
differences of opinion may exist as to the
l1aU a