The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-10-11

/ with Spain. The conflict was short,
Z sharp and decisive. In a few months
we found this proud nation asking for
I peace. By the terms of that peace
treaty we secured commercial suprem-
| acy in that magnificent island Of Cuba
I'VE did not take the sovereignty that
Spain desired on the theory that the
I Cuban debt follows the sovereignty. We
/ purpose to carry out the command of
congress to let the Cubans establish a
free. independent government and to
! do all that it becomes a nation to do.
We want them to know that they owe
freedom from oppression, robbery,
blows, hunger and death to us and in
gratitude give us the trade of Cuba. BY
the terms of the treaty, Porto Rico is
ours and always will be. The United
States never gives UP what it gains pos
session of. In proof of this short time
ago we were almost talking war with
Great Britain because we refused to
give up a few rocks and a few miles of
seacoast where they are digging gold at
present.
"The Philippine archipelago is worth
many islands like Cuba and Porto Rico.
The islands are fertile and productive.
The inhabitants had been under Span
ish dominion for more than 800 years.
During this time they have been sub
jected to nothing but horrible oppress-
ion They have been used as a sponge
and squeezed dry by Spanish officers
Their revenues have been robbed. Cen
eral Weyler alone pocketed 100000
while captain general at Manila, and
still more In Cuba.
There are no roads and not one
quarter of the territory is under culti-
walton. Yet in spite of this one-third of
| the product raised last year rotted on
the land. In 1897 the exports from these
islands amounted to SAL, $4,000, the i'm
| ports 81, 900. Suppose we relieve OPP
| preston, advance civilization, build
highways and railroads, place modern
farming implements in their hands pay
decent wages, connect them with this
country by cable and the several islands
by telegraph lines, will anybody doubt
that the product will be quadrupled IN
your years.
IT advise that we leave an opar door
to the archipelago, because propose
demanding an open door in China how
could L close the door in the Philippines
and say open the Chinese ports? They
are pretty good islands, too. Hemp
grows without limit, and the demand is
unlimited Tobacco rice, sugar, cof-
fee. grow in abundance. Minerals of all
kinds, silver, gold iron AMI coal
abound Cebu furnishes a grade of coal
said to be better than the japanese
lump coal. The mines are located only
about 10 miles from port II Spain
owned the islands 1000 years no means
of transportation to get this coal 60 the
seacoast would be provided, but after
peace is declared it will not be three
months before the United States will
run a railroad from the hills to the sea.
Goal that cost Dewey from So to $50
ton can then be obtained for about 5
shillings a ton. Some people say, why
didn't Dewey get out Of Manila bay af-
ter sinking the Spanish fleet? Dewey
couldn't get out. He was without coal
and no place to get 1t short Of sev eral
thousand miles. The archipelago al
fords frontage on the China sea, and
out possessions there alone Joined with
Japan and England you may say to
other nations, China shall not be divid-
ed.
do you suppose our position in the
Philippines is of no value to us? Dur
ling the past six months the increase
lin export of cotton goods has increased
over 100 per cent. You are recognized
there as one of the great powers of
the world. When demanding protection
for the helpless Armenians and for our
missionaries that were being slaugh-
tered, did any one listen? No; the sui