The times., 1899-01-11
WEDNESDAY. JANUARY IL. 1899.
Mr.. Ednuuds's Argument.

The Hon George T. Edmunds. ex-senator
and ancient Feieralist, with all the early
New England antipathy TO extending the
national domain and interests-a process
by which the oppressive ideas OF the mar
row sectarians losi their dominating power
has been no more successful than that
other lingering Federalist, the.Hon. George
F. Hoar, in making a conclusive or even
reasonable argument against the retention
and government Of the Philippines. 1t is
nothing less than amazing to discover that
the New England provincialists can urge
no good reason for their attitude Every
man of thom leaves the impression that his
arguments are half-hearted, if not posi-
lively ipsiDceTc, and the reader is forced
10 wonder what, after all, is back of it.
The conclusion Of The Edmunds argument
is That the FIlirihos should be left free to
cut one anotheTs thToats and destroy the
property of European residents and agents
and then 10 become the prey of Germany
or any other yoracious power that would
use the islands for its own purposes. and in
all probability against all the commercial
interests Of America in the lands bordering
the Pacific. How preposterous and i'm
practicable this is men who have no such
training in statesinansbiD as Mr.. Edmunds
can see No honest reader of his letter can
doubt that he argues like paid attorney
or that he has cause for opposing expan-
sion which he is determined TO conceal,
Even in his statement of Philippine con-
ditions he is obviously insincere if he is
not densely ignorant. He asserts. for ex-
ample that the Philippines have all the
climatic evils and diseases of tropical coun-
tries, and are absolutely incapable of being
the home Of people from cooler climates
that people who inbabit them can never
be the consumers Of American products;
that they produce principally manila hemp,
coarse tobacco. sugar and tropical fruits,
and have extensive forests Of woods like
those OF Central and South America. That
is all II is evident dat if this is all the
Information Ir. Edmunds has he has not
ayailed himself CT the recent literature OF
the Islands. lie has uot even read the
reports of General Merritt The latter
states that there i positively no reason
why Americans shOuid not live there; that
lilies that have lived there for more than
fifteen years, and expect TO spend their
lives there. Not lass than thousands of
our volunteers 4; Manila intend TO remain
in the Philippines when they are dis
charged from the service. Mr.. Edmupds
makes no note OF The statements Of Areri-
can visitors who have spent months in the
islands in the past FIVE years; that the min
eral resources are remarkable; that gold
copper. iroa and coal exist in paying guam
titles, but Spain refused TO permit mining
except under the most primitive methods
that besides fruit trees. there are mahog-
any and teak forests hat are virtually mex
haustible and OF ige.,lculable galue. II is
manifest that With American capital and
enterprise 10 open rich mines. cultivate
sugar and the peculiar grasses that supply
the world with binding twine and Other
cordage, and use the forests for wood man
ufactures, there must be an enormous de-
mand for American machinery Of all kinds
and for many other products of this couu-
Try.
Anybody Efo has acquired recent in
formation Of the Philippine archipelago can
understand how ignorant Mr.. Edmunds is
OF their possibilities, or else how deter
mined TO prejudice the public mind by q
suppression OF essential facts. There Is
the same elusive method in dealing with
The subject Of legislation for the Philip
pines Bat at the end Of il all. what is
the terrible effect OF anueXing the Philip
pines If we are bound strictly By his own
statement of our poRer2 What is to hap
pen that is of such perilous raoment pro-
vided the Government sees things exactl;
rs he does aid follows his Interpretation
OF the Constitution as applied 10 territory
80 acquired and held? Why, simply that
we must allow any citizen residing in
the Philippines land every Spanish subject
therein becomes one by force of the treatyl
40 migrate 10 our States If he wants to
do So That is all. The whole labored ar-
STmcnt amounts Simply TO this-that we
cannot, under the Constitution, prevent
anybody there from coming here To per.
Garden and later at Ellis Island and wit
messed the influx OF the cut-throats durnped
on our shores by come European nations
the immigration of stray Spaniard nov
and then viii not be agonizing or a suf.
hcient reason for The present excltement
Of Mr.. Edmunds
Whether he knows if or not. whether