The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-01-05
Senator Perkins Protest Against
Annexing Pestilential Asiatics.
EVILS OF IMPERIALISM
WILL COST SIXTY MILLIONS TO
HOLD THE ISLANDS.
Besides, There Are a Million and a
Half Polygamists, and Advocates
of Expansion Protest Against the
Presence In Congress of Mr.. Rob
erts of Utah.

Boston, Jan. AT the yearly BAN
quet of the Merchants association of
Boston at the Vendome last night a
number of interesting addresses on the
future policy of the country were made
by gentlemen of prominence in nation
al affairs. The guests of the associa-
ton from outside of the state were
Senator Perkins of California, Con-
| gressmen De Almond OF missouri ana
Boutelle of Maine.
Senator Perkins prefaced his remarks
by complimentary illusions to New
England's wealth and business energy,
and also spoke of the great productive
ness of California. He spoke enthuSl-
! astically of shipbuilding on the Pacific
coast, which had turned out such fine
vessels as the Oregon, Olympia and
Monterey.
After referring to the annexation OF
Hawaii, he said:
THE war with Spain has developed
other questions. We made a declara-
ton of itself more far-reaching than
any of us anticipated or imagined. We
have acquired Puerto Rico, the La
drones and thousand or more of the
Philippine islands. do not think it is
a very good business investment. L
have only to call your attention to the
fact of their pestilential character;
that there is not a congressman today
who is not daily receiving hundreds of
letters from volunteers in Manila, urg-
ing him to have those volunteers dis
charged.
You say 1 am not an expansionist.
I think L would have been in favor of
the annexation of Louisiana if l had
lived at the time, but is there any
analogy in taking in these isolated
groups of islands, with ten to twelve
millions of Asiatics? Can we take
them without representation? Do we
want such a heterogeneous class of
people brought into this country? Did
we promise the Filipinos anything?
The honor of the nation is pledged to
the Cu6ans, but we have not pledged
1t to the FilipinoS. We have 20, 500
troops there now, and it will cost the
United States at least $50, 900, 900 per
annum to maintain them in LuZon and
two of the other large islands there
Is it just to our own people?
PLURALITY OF WIVES.
1--WE have in the Philippines another
element-a million and a half Moham-
medans in those islands, believing in
the doctrine of the plurality of wives.
Yet some of the journals that are ad-
Vocating expansion, will not permit a
representative from Utah to enter con-
gresS because he at one time said that
his forefathers believed in polygamy.
They say the flag should not come
down when once raised. 1 have but
to recite the fact that Generals Taylor
and Scott raised it in Mexico, and it
came down with honor 1t is today
flying over the forts in Cuba, and in
Havana, and it will come down when
its mission is ended. I believe ir build
ing up American trade and extending
our commerce, but in doing it through
those channels that will best elevate
and promote the dignity and honor of
our American people"
Congressman De Almond of Missouri
was greeted with three cheers as he
was introduced. He said in part: Il
cannot see how any good is to come
to US or to the people of the country
if it is to carry the policy of expansion
to the islands Of the far distant Pa
cific. What have we to gain by the
annexation Of the Philippine islands?
Our first duty is here, at home; the
first duty to the children and young
manhood of the country