The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-02-18
of apoplexy. An election will be held
today to choose his successor.
ORDER SHOULD BE RESTORED
To the Editor of rhe Herald.

- AN LII A4-
You say I'VE do not need the Phil
ippines," yet you insist thai the United
States should restore order there and
then decide whether to withdraw or not.
III we are not sure we are to keep the
islands, why should we care whether or
der is restored or not? And why don't
we need the Philippines? Are they not
as valuable as Cuba or Porto Rico?
EXPANSIONIST.
Salt Lake. Feb. 16, 1899.
We do not need the Philippines be-
we can manage to get along
without them They are not essential
to the existence of this republic. The
United States has managed to set
along, and fairly we'll, most people ad-
nit, without the Spanish archipelago
of the Orient, and it is reasonable TO
assume that it can continue doing bust
ness at the old stand.
But, with an anicable settlement Of
all pending complications and the com
plete subsection of all recalcitrant ma
tfves, there are many arguments in IA
vor of annexation.
The trade of eastern Asia and Ocean
lea, the immense of tho Pa
ciflc. the splendid opportunities pre-
scented in a business way, the possibili-
ties in store for our western coast
these are some of the Inducements Of
fered by the policy of Philippine reten-
lion.
But the scheme has its drawbacks. No
one wants to annex a perpetual insur-
rection. No one wants to compel this
nation TO enter upon a campaign of eX-
termination in the name of humanity
or under the guise of civilization. The
evils of martial rule under Alger or
~carpetbag rule under Hanna are to be
dreaded like a pestilence. There is no
desire to add to the scandals of this
already o~verburdencl administration
1t is a hard question to decide-this
question of Philippine retention. Nor is
it to be lightly disposed of or settled
at all. until order is restored in the
Philippines and the character and
wishes Of the natives dispassionately
considered.
But we are under obligations to re-
store order. We tcck the islands in
war, destroyed the authority of the
Spanish, drove out the only government
the people had, leaving. except for the
American army of occupation, no gov
eminent of any kind whatever.
To be sure, one Aguinaldo, pur-
chased a gold whistle and announced
himself a ruler. but he only represented
n of a dozen tribes. and the with
drawal of the United States forces
would nave left the islands, 1900 of
than. in a state of anarchy.
So there are not only obligations to
ourselves. but to foreign nations which
have citizens and interests there. and
to all the inhabitants of the archipel-
ago, which this republic is honor bound
to discharge by the restoration of or
der.
Ii would be cheaper and safer-to 5-cp
them and run when A~guinaldo's wh.ssle
sounds a night attack, but it would be
d~isgraceful and very un-American. It
would also imperil the lives and prop
erty OF European c%olonists, expose the
islands to the rapacity of land-grab-
out of which might grow a universal
conflict, doom the Filipinos to- present
anarchy and perhaps to future bond
age.
Therefore it is necessary to restore
order whether the Philippines are held
or cast adrift at the close of the con-
fiict.