The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1899-10-13
Hold the Philippines.

six years United States consul at Sid.
ney, New South Wales, was in Monte
sano this week visiting his daughter
Mrs. Geo. Arland, and many old
| friends. He is enroute to attend an
international congress at Philadelphia
Consul Bell was appointed to Aus
tralia by President Cleveland, and is
one of the very few democratic oonsuls
who has been retained by the present
administration. The extension of
American commerce has always been
one Of Col, Bells pet hobbies, anu he
has bent all his energies in that direc-
tion during his six years official life
with good results.
| At the request OF numerous friends
on Wednesday evening Col. Bell spoke
to his former towpsmen, at the rink.
II was rare treat. For over two
hours he held the undivided attention
OF his audience with a talk that was
filled with good things from start to
finish. The last part of his address
was devoted to American commerce
and trade relations in the Pacific and
the magnificent possibilities of the
future. Colonel Bell may have gone
to Australia politician-he certain ly
returns to his native land an American
citizen in all that the terra implies.
Appointed as foreign consul by Pres
| ident Cleveland as reward for his
campaigning in Indiana, he is today
an ardent supporter OF the present,ad-
ministration in its handling of the
Philippine question.
"In my opinion" said Colonel Bell,
"without the expansion of our foreign
trade, our progress must be checked.
Our trade in the orient is the most
important question before the indus
trial and commercial classes of this
country. Our national pride should
not be humiliated by the surrender of
an inch of soil over which our flag has
ever foated. Not an island of the
Philippine archipelago large enough
to make shirt stud for the tiniest
prince in Christendom should be given
up. China is the last. greatest and
only new commercial field for exploit
alton, and there we must have mar
ket. The door must be belt wide open
and with the Philippines ours, we can
keep it open if we have to stand alone.
"The sentiment about the Filipinos
struggling for liberty is a transparent
fallacy. Aguinaldo does not represent
one e-twentieth of the people in the
Philippines. BY the result of just
war, we hold IN trust the destiny of
these 100000 amiable, mixed, cred
ulous people, and to surrender that
trust would justly subject us to the
ridicnle of the world. We must give
| the people of the Philippines justice
we must give them security and stable
government, and we must give them
/ protection from the rule of ambitious
politicians who seek, in the name of
& patriotism, to establish. their own de-
spotic authority. AS to details, our
people may jus ly and patriotically
| differ, but on the broad, general prin-
cipal of national pride and national
interest, our position in the far East
cannot be abandoned.
! CAS- | approve the expansion policy
| of our country during the last lOO
years when expansion was not neces-
sary to our national development,
now approve expansion as belieye it
necessary to secure our further and
permanent industrial progress. As a
fact, We have, true to our racial in
stincts. advanced. How can we re-
treat without doing violence to our
traditions. to our pretentions and 70
our instincts as people?"
In order that America may reap the
reward of her commercial and indus
trial genius, Col. Bell argues that she
must dispose of her surplus products
I in foreign lands. To do this she must
transport her own goods and not al
low other nations to handicap her by
fixing the freight rates. AS other ma
tions subsidize steamship lines, Amer
lea must do the same, or fall behind.
! Since Col Bell has been at Sidney
the trade of this country with New
South Wales has increased 1S7 per
cent and it now amounts to nearly as
much as that of all other countries
combined, England alone excepted.
England in such comparison cannot
be included, for that is the mother
country
| Col. Bells talk was from the stand
point of man who knows whereof he
speaks and it was a most instructive
lesson to all who had the pleasure Of
I listening to him Vidette.